Gold filled and gold plated both mean a layer of gold over a cheaper metal, but the amount of gold is very different. Gold filled, stamped GF or with a fraction such as 1/20 12K GF, has a thick layer of karat gold mechanically bonded to a brass or copper core, and that layer makes up a stated share of the total weight, usually one twentieth. Gold plated, stamped GP, GE, HGE or similar, has a layer measured in millionths of an inch, applied by electroplating, and the gold is a tiny fraction of a percent of the weight. Rolled gold plate, RGP, is made the same way as gold filled but with a thinner layer, often 1/40. In practice, a gold filled bracelet holds a few dollars of gold per gram and some buyers will take it for scrap, while a gold plated bracelet holds almost none and sells only as jewelry, if at all.
Quick answer
- GF and a fraction such as 1/20 12K GF mean gold filled: about 2.5 to 3 percent pure gold by weight. GP, GE and HGE mean plated: almost no gold.
- Plated pieces wear through to grey, white or copper at the edges within years. Gold filled usually lasts decades.
- At approximately $4,000 per troy ounce of gold, 1/20 12K gold filled holds about $3 of gold per gram. Plated jewelry has no meaningful scrap value.
How to check yours, step by step
- Find every mark. On chains and bracelets, look on the small tag beside the clasp and on the clasp itself. On rings, look inside the band. On pendants, look on the bail or the back. On watch cases, look inside the case back. You are looking for letters such as GF, RGP, GP, GE, HGE, a fraction such as 1/20 or 1/10, or a karat number such as 12K or 14K.
- Read the karat number in context. A karat number next to GF, RGP, GP, GE or HGE describes only the gold layer, not the piece. "14K HGE" is plated. "1/20 14K GF" is gold filled. A karat number standing on its own, such as 14K or 585, is a claim of solid gold.
- Read the fraction. On gold filled and rolled gold, the fraction is the share of the total weight that is karat gold. 1/20 means 5 percent of the weight is gold alloy. 1/10 means 10 percent. 1/40 means 2.5 percent.
- Check the wear points. Look at the clasp, the edges of links, the back of a ring shank, the inside of a bangle and the high points of any design. You are looking for a change in color. Plated pieces show grey, white, silver or pink copper where the gold has rubbed off. Gold filled usually stays gold even after heavy use, with only occasional brassy spots after many decades.
- Check for a silver core. If the metal under worn spots is bright white and the piece is stamped 925 or sterling, it is gold over silver, often called vermeil. That has silver value.
- Weigh it. Use a kitchen or jewelry scale in grams. For gold filled, the weight is what sets the scrap value. For plated, weight hardly matters.
- Compare clasp and chain. A clasp can be marked differently from the chain. A 14K clasp on a gold filled chain, or a GF clasp on a solid chain, both happen. Read both parts separately.
What each mark means in actual gold
Under US trade rules, gold filled means the karat gold layer is at least one twentieth of the total weight. Rolled gold plate is made the same way but may carry less. Gold electroplate needs only a very thin layer of at least 10K gold, and heavy gold electroplate a somewhat thicker one, still measured in microns.
| Mark | What it means | Pure gold by weight | Gold value per gram of item at $4,000 per ounce |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1/20 14K GF | 5 percent of weight is 14K gold, bonded to brass | About 2.9 percent | About $3.75 |
| 1/20 12K GF, 12K GF | 5 percent of weight is 12K gold | About 2.5 percent | About $3.20 |
| 1/10 10K RGP or 1/10 10K GF | 10 percent of weight is 10K gold | About 4.2 percent | About $5.35 |
| 1/40 10K RGP | 2.5 percent of weight is 10K gold | About 1 percent | About $1.35 |
| RGP, R.G.P., rolled gold, RG | Rolled gold plate, layer not stated | Often 1 to 2 percent | About $1-3 |
| Doublé, D (French, German) | Rolled gold, similar to RGP | Often 1 to 3 percent | About $1-4 |
| GP, GE, GEP, 18KGP, 14KGP | Gold electroplate, very thin layer | Well under 0.1 percent | Pennies |
| HGE, HGP | Heavy gold electroplate, at least about 2.5 microns | Still well under 0.5 percent | Pennies to about $0.50 |
| Vermeil, gold over sterling, 925 on gold color | Sterling silver base with gold electroplate | 92.5 percent silver, trace gold | About $1.20 of silver at $40 per ounce silver |
| Gold tone, no mark | Plated or lacquered base metal | None to trace | Nothing as metal |
The 1/10 10K row surprises people: a thicker 10K layer can hold more gold than a thinner 14K one. The karat number alone does not tell you how much gold is there. The fraction does.
Why gold filled has some scrap value and plated has none
Gold filled holds enough gold to be worth refining in bulk. A 20 gram 1/20 12K GF bracelet contains roughly half a gram of pure gold, worth about $64 at $4,000 per ounce. A plated bracelet of the same weight holds perhaps a few hundredths of a gram, less than the cost of separating it.
Even so, gold filled scrap pays far less than its gold content. Refining costs are high relative to the gold, so buyers that take it usually pay a fraction of the content, commonly well under half, and many only buy by the ounce or the pound. Plated pieces are generally refused for scrap.
| Item | Typical weight | Gold content value at $4,000 per ounce | Typical scrap offer | Typical resale as jewelry |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1/20 12K GF chain | 5-15 g | $16-48 | $3-20 | $10-40 |
| 1/20 12K GF bracelet or bangle | 15-30 g | $48-96 | $10-40 | $20-80 |
| GF pocket watch case | 30-60 g | $95-190 | $20-80 | Movement and maker usually matter more |
| 1/40 10K RGP cufflinks or tie bar | 5-10 g | $7-13 | $1-5 | $10-40 for a set |
| Gold plated (GP, HGE) chain or ring | Any | Under $1 | None | $2-20 |
| Vermeil bracelet | 15-30 g | Silver about $18-36 | Silver price only | $15-80 |
| Signed vintage GF (Krementz, Van Dell, Carl-Art, Winard) | Varies | Small | Small | $20-150 |
Gold filled jewelry is often sold as jewelry rather than scrap, because it looks like solid gold and wears well. A good-looking vintage GF locket, bangle or signed piece usually brings more on resale sites than any refiner will pay. Plated jewelry is mostly costume jewelry, and our guide to costume jewelry covers which signed names collectors actually pay for.
How to tell wear-through on plated pieces
Plating is so thin that ordinary wear removes it. The first places to go are the ones that touch skin or other surfaces most: the clasp and jump ring, the edges of chain links, the bottom of a ring band, the inner face of a bangle, the backs of earring posts and the raised parts of any design.
- Grey or white showing through usually means a base of nickel, white brass or silver. If the piece is marked 925, that base is silver and the piece is vermeil.
- Pink or coppery tones mean copper or a copper-rich brass under the gold.
- Dark brown or black spots are tarnish on exposed base metal.
- Green marks on skin or a green crust come from copper in the base metal.
- Flaking edges, where the gold lifts in small scales, point to thin electroplate.
Gold filled can wear through too, but only after long, heavy use, and usually in small patches on high spots. A 60 year old GF bangle that is still evenly gold all over is typical. A five year old plated chain that has gone silver at the clasp is also typical.
The test results that fool people
Gold filled passes the tests that read the surface. A drop of 10K or 14K acid on the outer layer reacts like karat gold, because it is karat gold. An XRF reading of the surface may show 12K or 14K. Only a test that reaches the core, such as a deep file notch, reveals brass, and that damages the piece. This is why reading the stamp matters more than a quick surface test. If a piece is stamped GF, believe the stamp rather than a surface reading. Our guide on how to tell if gold is real explains where each test helps and where it does not.
Plated pieces are easier. Thin plating often gives way to a light acid test or shows base metal at a scratch. A magnet test does not help much either way, since brass and copper are not magnetic.
How to read a tiny mark
Marks on chains and earrings can be under a millimeter high. Clean the area gently with a soft toothbrush and warm soapy water, then dry it. Use a 10x loupe or the phone's macro mode, and light the mark from one side with a desk lamp or a flashlight so the stamped letters cast shadows. Rotate the piece until the letters read clearly.
Fractions are often stamped with a slash that looks like a 1, so "1/20" can read as "1120" or "120". "12K GF" can look like "12KGF" run together. "HGE" is sometimes mistaken for a maker's initials. If you see a karat number and then letters after it, read the letters carefully before assuming solid gold. Our guide on whether old jewelry is real gold has more examples of confusing marks.
Common mistakes
- Reading "14K" and stopping. "14K HGE" or "1/20 14K GF" are not solid 14K gold.
- Assuming gold filled is worthless. It has some scrap value and often more as jewelry.
- Assuming gold plated is worth scrap. Most buyers will not take it at any price.
- Trusting a surface acid test or XRF on gold filled. The outer layer is real karat gold and reads as such.
- Treating a gold colored 925 piece as fake. It is silver underneath and worth its silver weight.
- Filing or cutting into a piece to see the core. It ruins the resale value as jewelry.
- Pricing a gold filled watch by its case. On most watches the brand and the movement matter more.
What to photograph
- The mark in sharp macro, lit from the side, with the full text including any fraction.
- The clasp and the tag beside it, separately from the chain.
- Wear points: the clasp, the inside of a ring or bangle, the edges of links.
- The whole piece on a plain background in daylight.
- The piece on a scale with the weight in grams visible.
- Any maker's name or logo, since signed vintage gold filled sells better.
When to get it looked at in person
- A jeweler can read an unclear mark under magnification and run an acid or XRF test in minutes, often at no charge. Worth it when a piece is unmarked or the mark is worn and it might be solid gold.
- A precious metals buyer that accepts gold filled will quote by weight. Worth it for a large lot, such as a box of chains or several GF watch cases, not for a single small item.
- A vintage jewelry dealer prices signed and decorative gold filled pieces as jewelry, which usually pays more than scrap.
- An appraiser charges roughly $50-150 per item. For plated and gold filled pieces this rarely pays for itself unless a collection is large or needed for an estate.