Rolled gold, gold plated and gold filled: worth anything?
Rolled gold, gold plated and gold filled are not solid gold: they are a layer of gold on another metal. There is gold in them, but so little and so hard to separate that as precious metal it yields almost nothing. The exception is gold-plated silver: there the core itself is the precious metal.
The marks at a glance
These markings point to a gold layer, not to solid gold:
- GP (gold plated), GE or GEP (gold electroplated), HGE (heavy gold electroplate) – an electroplated layer a few micrometres thick.
- 18K GE, 14K GP – a layer of 18 or 14 carat. The carat refers to the layer, not to the piece.
- RG or RGP (rolled gold plate) – a mechanically bonded gold layer, thicker than electroplating.
- GF or 1/20 12K GF (gold filled) – the thickest layer: one twentieth of the weight is 12 carat gold.
- Doublé – the Dutch and German name for rolled gold, often with a micron indication such as 10 µ or 20 µ.
- Plaqué or plaqué or – the French term for a gold layer.
How much gold is in gold filled?
Gold filled is the richest of the gold layers, and even here the sum is sobering. With 1/20 12K GF, one twentieth of the weight is 12 carat gold, and 12 carat is half gold. That is 1/20 × 0.5 = 2.5 per cent pure gold.
A 20-gram gold-filled bracelet thus contains about 0.5 grams of gold. The same bracelet in solid 14 carat contains 11.7 grams. With electroplated work it is far less still: a layer a few micrometres thick on a chain often weighs less than a hundredth of a gram.
Why we do not buy rolled gold or plated items
The gold is bonded to a core of copper, brass or nickel. Separating it costs more than the gold yields. We therefore do not buy rolled gold, gold filled or gold-plated base metal, and we tell you so straight away and free of charge.
That does not make such a piece worthless. A fine gold-filled watch or a vintage rolled-gold brooch can fetch something as an object or collector’s item at auction or on a second-hand site. Just not as gold.
Unsure about a 585 followed by GF? The first number or carat describes the layer. Only when there is no addition is 585 or 750 a fineness mark for solid gold.
Gold-plated silver: it has value, as silver
A piece of 925 silver with a gold layer – also called vermeil – is simply silver. The 925 mark is usually present, sometimes with a thin golden sheen over it. The gold layer does not count, the silver does.
We therefore buy gold-plated silver as silver, on the basis of weight and the measured silver fineness.
How to be sure
- Step 1. Find the mark and check whether GP, GE, GF, RGP, doublé or a micron indication appears with it.
- Step 2. Look at worn spots such as the clasp or the inside of a ring. If a different colour shows through, it is a layer.
- Step 3. Still unsure? Have it measured. X-ray analysis distinguishes a layer from solid metal without damage.
- Selling a gold watch: gold value or watch value?With a gold watch from a lesser-known brand the gold is often the price; with a sought-after brand it is the watch. How to tell which applies to yours, and how much of the weight is actually gold.Read on
- Real or fake Rolex? Serial number, year of manufacture and the tell-tale signsWhere to find the serial and reference numbers, what they tell you about the year and the version, and which signs you can check yourself. Plus why certainty only comes once the case is open.Read on
- Selling gold at home: how to recognise a genuine valuerA buyer who rings your doorbell unannounced is not a valuer. Six signs of a trustworthy home visit, and what to do if something is not right.Read on
Questions about rolled gold, gold plated and gold filled: worth anything
Is rolled gold worth anything?
As gold, almost nothing: rolled gold is a thin gold layer on a base metal, and separating it costs more than the gold yields. As jewellery or a collector’s item it can still fetch something.
What does 18K GE mean?
18K GE means gold electroplated: an electroplated layer of 18 carat gold on another metal. The piece itself is not 18 carat.
What does GF mean on jewellery?
GF stands for gold filled: a mechanically bonded gold layer. With 1/20 12K GF, one twentieth of the weight is 12 carat gold, together about 2.5 per cent pure gold.
Do you buy gold-plated silver?
Yes, as silver. A piece of 925 silver with a gold layer is weighed and paid for on its silver content; the gold layer does not count.
Is your question not listed? Ask it below, call 085 060 3009 or go to contact.
Still something unclear?
Ask it here. You will receive a personal reply by email, usually within one working day – no automated message and no phone call you did not ask for.
- An answer from a valuer, not from a template
- We keep your question so that you need not repeat anything
- No sales pitch afterwards
Sources
Where you can verify what you have just read.
- LBMAThe London gold and silver price our daily rate is built on
- WaarborgHollandThe Dutch assay office that verifies fineness and strikes hallmarks
Rather just have it looked at?
A valuation is free and without obligation, at a location near you.