What Is Gold-Filled Jewelry?

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Shopping for jewelry can be more complicated than you think—choosing the style, the karat of gold, and which gemstones you want to be included. Before you invest in any type of gold chain for men—or any other jewelry, for that matter—you should be aware of what you’re looking at.

One of the most common questions people ask when learning about jewelry styles is: What is gold-filled jewelry? It’s a great question. If you’re a jewelry pro, you already know there are solid gold, gold-plated, and gold-filled jewelry options. We’re here to break it down for you, so you can find the dopest chain at the right price for you.

What Is Gold-Filled Jewelry?

When it comes to purchasing jewelry, you have several options to choose from: gold-plated, gold-filled, and solid gold jewelry—but what is gold-filled jewelry? What’s the difference between them? Which is best for you? Both gold-filled and gold-plated jewelry styles differ from solid gold as they contain higher levels of metal alloys.

Although solid gold jewelry is called “solid” gold, this isn’t entirely accurate. It’s extremely rare to find true solid gold (24K) jewelry because the metal itself is too malleable and would easily become misshapen or damaged. Gold jewelry must be mixed with other metal alloys, such as silver, nickel, or copper, to help retain the shape.

Gold-filled jewelry differs from solid gold because it is composed of two gold alloy layers with a base alloy sandwiched in between. This means that the core of the jewelry does not contain gold, but it tends to have a significantly higher gold content than gold-plated jewelry.

Gold-Filled vs. Gold-Plated

Solid gold jewelry is pretty dope, but it comes with a high price tag. If you still want to rock the freshest styles and expand your jewelry collection, opting instead for gold-filled or gold-plated jewelry is a great way to get quality products at a fraction of the price.

Men’s gold-plated jewelry is typically made by starting with a base metal, and then using an electric current to charge the thin layer of gold top coating. The negatively charged base and the positively charged gold ions sitting on top are attracted and form a thin layer of gold. Both gold-plated and gold-filled styles are great, affordable options for jewelry, but gold-filled jewelry has roughly 100 times the amount of gold alloy as gold-plated jewelry, so it may last longer and hold its value better, but it does come with a higher price tag.

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How to Care for Gold-Filled Jewelry

Owning any type of valuable jewelry comes with the responsibility of caring for it. With gold-filled and gold-plated jewelry, you need to be a bit more careful to ensure that you don’t wear away the gold alloy. Here are some tips on how to care for your freshest chains:

• Clean your jewelry often with warm water and gentle dish soap. After cleaning, be sure to pat your piece dry—never rub. Rubbing can potentially begin to wear away the top layer of gold.
• Give your jewelry a quick weekly cleaning and a more in-depth monthly cleaning.
• Never wear gold-filled or gold-plated jewelry in the ocean or the pool.
• Keep your jewelry away from humidity, preferably stored in a jewelry box to avoid dust buildup.
• Use a gold polishing cloth to maintain shine.
• Avoid touching your jewelry too often to preserve the gold coating.
• Do not use toothpaste or baking soda to clean gold-plated or gold-filled pieces.

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Keep It Real with a Gold-Filled Chain

For any fly dude looking for a dope new piece to add to his hip hop jewelry collection without spending too much dough, the gold-filled chain is the perfect option. It typically has a greater percentage of gold alloy and is more durable than its gold-plated counterpart, giving you all the glam of a solid gold chain at a fraction of the price.

If you’re in the market for a new chain, browse our extensive collection of gold chains for men to discover an array of styles for every type of dude, whether you favor a flashy appearance or the more subtle use of accessories. Each of our pieces has been crafted by our talented jewelers and sealed with a high-quality top coat to ensure that your piece will look impeccable for years to come.