How To Identify Gold Plated Jewelry

Gold plated jewelry is a popular alternative to expensive gold jewelry. Gold plated jewelry offers the same beauty as gold at a fraction of the cost. Gold prices have skyrocketed over the last 10 years leaving many people looking for a cheaper alternative. Knowing how to identify gold plated jewelry helps you get the most for your money when purchasing gold jewelry.

• Markings - The best way to determine if a jewelry peice is gold, gold filled or gold plated are to find the markings on the peice of jewelry. Knowing which markings help you find the type of jewelry that you are looking for such as gold plated jewelry. HGE means that your jewelry peice is gold electroplated. You may also find a marking of RGE which stand for rolled gold plating. Vermeil jewelry is also gold plated, except it is considered to be a better class of gold plated jewelry because the gold is plated on top of sterling silver which is another precious metal.

• Color differences - Gold plated jewelry often wears over time causing the gold plating to come off in certain areas of the jewelry piece. Check at the clasp and areas near the clasp for any differences in color. Even if a jewelry piece is not marked with an identifying marking, you can always tell if you can see a difference in tone anywhere on the jewelry. Real gold does not do this and always remains even in color and tone.

• Electric gold tester - If you are unsure if a piece of jewelry that you are interested in purchasing is solid gold, gold plated or gold filled, use an electronic gold tester to determine what the jewelry is made of. These testers are very accurate and let you know if your jewelry piece is gold plated, gold filled or solid gold. Knowing what type of gold you have helps you to determine the value of the jewelry piece. There are other testing kits on the market such as an acid testing kit; however these are not as accurate as an electronic gold tester.