Elegant Jewelry Designs by Erica
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Frequently Asked Questions


 

What is the difference between Gold Filled and Gold Plated Jewelry?

Many people are not aware of the differences between "gold-filled" and "gold-plated" jewelry.  Basically, Gold-Filled jewelry is of a higher quality. It is also sometimes referred to as "Rolled Gold".  Any Gold-Filled item is regulated by the government (as is solid gold) and must be at least 5% gold by weight.  It is a professional jeweler's quality wire. I use 14kt gold-filled wire to create all my pieces.


14 kt gold-filled wire is made by forming a tube of solid 14kt gold that is "filled" with a base metal.  The gold is bonded to the base metal with heat and pressure. The base metal is also gold in color and is made up of almost the same mixture of metals (usually a brass alloy) used to bring 24kt gold down to 14kt, 10kt, etc. The exterior of the product is solid 14 kt gold and everything you can see or touch is a solid layer of 14 kt gold. This is why it will never tarnish, chip or wear off.  The gold layer on gold-filled wire is approximately 100 times thicker than gold-plate as and is bonded with heat and pressure. 


Gold-Plate, on the other hand, is a microscopic film of gold particles that have been adhered to most any kind of base metal by means of an electroplating (or dipping) process.  Gold-Plate is often sold as "gold-filled" (against regulation) or is often called other things such as "gold-overlay" in order to mislead the consumer.  It is often difficult to initially see the difference between gold-filled and gold-plate jewelry. However, due to the gold particles, gold-plate has the tendency to chip, flake, and wear off. 


Gold-filled jewelry is economical, durable and you will enjoy the look and feel of gold at a fraction of the cost.  All gold filled products I offer meet federal standards for quality.  I use solid Sterling Silver wire (.925) and it will last just as any Sterling Silver item; however, Sterling Silver does naturally tarnish, but it can be cleaned with any type of silver cleaner or jewelry tumbler.

 

When will I receive my order?

When you place an order, it is created and shipped in 2 weeks. All my jewelry are woven by hand and take several hours to create. You will receive an email notification indicating that your order has been shipped.

What are your shipping policies?

Unless requested otherwise, I ship all products via USPS Priority Mail. Other shipping arrangements may be possible - feel free to ask.  All packages will be insured for their full value.

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