What Is Gold Fill and Why JulieAnn Jewelry Uses It

What Is Gold Fill and Why JulieAnn Jewelry Uses It

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What Is Gold Fill and Why JulieAnn Jewelry Uses It

Gold Fill has been around for many years, but yet, most people are not entirely familiar with it, so I will be distinguishing between Gold Fill  vs Solid Gold  vs Gold Plated, so that anyone having questions regarding their purchase from JulieAnn Jewelry, will have the facts to make an informed decision. Although Gold Fill is a great product, it is not for everyone. There are many types of metals used for jewelry making today, although I am only going to be explaining the difference between three of those metals, including Solid Gold, Gold Fill, and Gold Plated.

Several Types of Gold Fill Available

Gold Fill consists of a center core of brass, and the outer layer is actually Solid Gold of  a specific amount. There are several types of Gold Fill available, however, there are some that are more prevalent and readily available than others. The most used types of Gold Fill wire are 14kt/20 GF and 12kt/20 GF. Let me explain the numbers.  The first number you see in the titles are either 14 or 12.  This is explaining the content of the outer  gold layer, and the amount of solid gold that should be present. Most everyone is aware of the fact there are 18kt gold, 14kt gold, , and 10kt gold. Well, with gold fill, this is the exact same material that is on the outer layer of the brass core, so you can expect this metal to act the same as a solid gold item of similar content. This means that the outer layer of any Gold Fill item is actually made with solid gold, however , the 2nd number in the title of the gold fill is what is important to understand  completely, yet is most often misrepresented by jewelry artists. The number 20 you see in each title, is actually referring to the amount of gold in the entire product weight. Most jewelry artists think and represent this as 20%, when actually, it means it is 1/20th solid gold by weight, minimum. This is quite a bit less than you are being told by those who represent it as 20%.  So, if you do the calculations correctly, you would know that the real content of solid gold in a 14kt/20 gf item is really 5% of the total weight of the item, and it is all on the outermost part of the material. So if you are dealing with a  round wire, then you should expect the top 5% of the wire to consist of solid gold, in either 14kt or 12kt , and the rest of the wire will actually be brass underneath. To give you a better example, a hollow tube of gold is slipped over a solid round wire made of brass, allowing the outermost part of the wire that makes contact with skin, to be entirely made of solid gold.

Gold Fill is a High Quality Item

However, it is not, under any circumstances, solid gold. It will act like solid gold for several years before it wears through the 5% outer layer of solid gold, at which time the brass core will be revealed. Once this happens, it is time to replace your jewelry. Gold Fill is definitely a great product for those who like jewelry, but do not want the added expense of a solid gold item. You can purchase a Gold Fill item for approximately 6-10 times less than you would expect to pay for solid gold, which allows most people to purchase a quality piece at an affordable and fair price. It will look and wear exactly like the solid gold counterpart, for as long as the outermost 5% layer of solid gold remains in tact, which brings me to the next part of the equation. How long can you expect to get from your brand new piece of 14kt/20 GF jewelry item?  The answer to this will vary, mostly due to the type of jewelry it is, as well as the thinness of the piece itself. First, you have the type. From experience, I can tell you that rings will endure more abuse during their lifetime than a necklace will, due to the fact that rings will come in contact with more items during wear than a necklace will.  So therefore, I will tell you that a high quality set of gold fill rings will give you up to 10 years before needing replaced, but the necklace of similar gold fill quality, can last up to 20 years, due to the fact it does not have as much contact with other items while being worn. Rubbing against other items is what usually causes wear the fastest on a gold fill item. Polishing often also contributes to wear of the gold fill layer on any gold fill item. So limiting the amount of times you polish an item, will actually prolong the life of it.

The second reason for considering the durability and wear on a gold fill item is the thickness of the item itself. What this means, is that a thicker item such as a 10g (2.5mm diameter) wire, will have a thicker gold layer than a similar round wire of thinner size, such as 18g (1.0mm diameter). This is due to the layer of gold on the wire itself, being calculated as 5% of the total weight of the item. If the item itself weighs more, then of course, so will the layer of solid gold on the item. Keep this information in mind when considering all gold fill jewelry purchases, because thicker jewelry pieces will last substantially longer than the thinner ones of similar shape.

Comparing Gold Fill with Gold Plated

If I were to compare Gold Fill to gold plated, I can only say that the amount of gold on a gold fill item is regulated by the government, whereas, gold plating has no regulation whatsoever. Gold plated items can vary from one piece of jewelry to the next, even when they are the same lot of material being manufactured. You can buy items that are gold plated with as little as .5 microns to as much as 2.5 microns, but to give you an idea of the amount of gold on this item, compared to a gold fill item of exact replica, is going to be anywhere from 1000 – 10, 000 times thicker of a gold layer in the gold fill item than the gold plated item. Plating can last anywhere from a few days to a few months at best, and it will need either thrown away, or re plated.  However, plated items are so cheap, that re plating them is really not cost efficient, because having an item gold plated can cost as much as 10 times the actual price of the item itself, due to the fact that gold plating is done in large batches, rather than individually, and when you try to have a single item plated, they are charging for the entire process on one piece of jewelry, rather than on 10, 000 pieces they plated in a batch at the manufacturer, costing the consumer the entire price of the process.

Gold Fill compared to solid gold, is quite a different matter.

You are still getting a quality piece of jewelry with gold fill, however, solid gold is always going to outlast gold fill, because the item made with solid gold, is exactly that, solid gold through to the center, and this means you can never wear off the layer, because the entire piece is all gold. There is usually a hefty price tag with this as well, because gold prices are at an all time high. I pride myself in offering both gold fill and solid gold items, so that the consumer has the ability to choose what is best for them. They must weigh their options by understanding completely what they are purchasing when they are choosing between gold plating, gold fill, and solid gold. I believe in educating my consumers on the facts of each metal type, which allows them to make the best decision based on facts.

What Is Gold Fill and Why JulieAnn Jewelry Uses It

Argentium Silver and why JulieAnn Jewelry Uses It

Argentium Silver and why JulieAnn Jewelry Uses It

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Argentium Silver®  and why JulieAnn Jewelry Uses It

Argentium Silver® began its journey around 1990, when Peter Johns, working out of the Art and Design Research Institute (ADRI), School of Art & Design, Middlesex University¹, began researching the affects of germanium when added to traditional sterling silver as we know it to be.  He found that many of the issues that made sterling silver problematic, were lessened or even prevented entirely, by adding germanium into the traditional sterling silver alloy that has been around since the beginning.  He found that many of the tarnish properties of sterling silver were diminished to the point of almost none by simply adding a small amount of germanium in place of the copper content of the sterling silver alloy.  He continued to test the properties with different amounts of germanium, until he found the exact amount of germanium that was needed, thus creating a perfect blend  which is now called 930 Argentium® sterling silver.  This new silver had the look and feel of a white gold, while keeping the cost of the product  affordable,  and today,  the metal is still in a price category where anyone can afford to buy  it.  The price of this brand new alloy , along with its superior quality, and bright silvery finish, has created a huge demand in the marketplace, and it is still one of the most purchased metals for jewelry making, as of 2014, being the best in its class for almost 25 years.

Argentium Sterling SilverArgentium silver® has gained momentum in the jewelry making market since its creation. It is now the most sought after white metal for low cost jewelry and jewelry making supplies.  It is whiter and brighter than its 14kt white gold counterpart, and has no need for cleaning over long periods of time. Although most people believe that white gold is whiter and brighter than sterling silver and  Argentium Silver® , it is absolutely not the case. 14kt white gold, by itself,  is actually not white at all. 14kt white gold is actually made from 14kt yellow gold, and the metal nickel is added to create the whiteness you see when looking at white gold.  However, over a very short period of time, the yellow tends to show through unless the white gold item has been plated.  14kt white gold products that are manufactured are most likely plated with rhodium, a bright silvery white substance from the platinum group of metals, which has very low tarnish properties, thus allowing white gold to stay white for longer periods of time.  Without the white gold being plated with rhodium, such as handmade products found in art jewelry made by jewelry artists like JulieAnn Jewelry,  14kt white gold will actually tarnish and yellow quite quickly. This is due to the fact that raw materials such as wire, rather than finished items like clasps, and chain, are the main components used in the designs made by the artists.  The downside of plating white gold, is that it lasts, at best, a year, at which time you need to re-plate the item,  costing the owner time and money every time the piece needs to be re-plated. If the owner chooses not to re-plate the item,  they will begin having issues with yellowing and tarnishing of the white gold immediately.  If you get an entire year from plated white gold, consider yourself lucky, as most plating finishes only lasts weeks. Plating can be removed and damanged by simple things such as contact with water, soaps, lotions, and body oils.  Once this layer of rhodium plating has been rubbed off, which will occur during regular wear and simple polishing, it will begin to tarnish even faster than traditional sterling silver.

Not only does white gold tarnish quickly,  it is also made with nickel.  When you first purchase white gold, it usually has a plating of rhodium, and will not create an allergy to the skin, since the rhodium plated surface is the only part of the jewelry that makes contact with skin. Rhodium has a low chance of causing issues and allergies, unlike white gold. However, once the rhodium plated layer wears away, the nickel now touches the skin, creating an allergic reaction to most people who wear it.  Nickel has caused numerous reactions to people’s skin, so much so,  that the European Union has issued rules regarding the amount of nickel being allowed in any product that has contact with the wearer’s skin, in order to protect consumers from unnecessary harm.  Most items that are manufactured in the USA conform to this new law, known as EU regulation  EN1811-2011,  with the exception of 14kt white gold.  Until United States laws catch up, and so that the EU customers can legally purchase and import, as well as wear and use JulieAnn Jewelry products, we have chosen to forego the 14kt white gold option and instead offer the highly brilliant, and forever white Argentium silver®, in place of 14kt white gold. Not only is it a better choice for consumers, it can also be offered  at a substantially reduced rate compared to white gold.

double band-single knot-arg-silver-plain

Argentium Silver

All of the Argenitium silver products we use are manufactured in the USA and do not contain nickel.  14kt white gold  contains  a substantial amount of nickel, and does not conform to this law, so therefore JulieAnn Jewelry chooses to offer Argentium Silver, rather than white gold, so that our wonderful customers from European Union may also enjoy the designs we offer. This is another reason why Argentium Silver® is the best alternative when looking for items created from a beautiful white metal that will last as long as solid gold.

The extremely low price of Argentium Silver®  compared to its most fierce competitor,  14kt white gold, allows for great demand of argentium silver in  the marketplace. Argentium silver has a huge price advantage over white gold.  Most jewelry artists, such as Julieann Jewelry prefer to use the exceptionally lower cost metal  Argentium Silver®,  over white gold products,  due to the demand for lower cost jewelry designs in the worldwide marketplace. It also allows the competiive pricing you see on JulieAnn Jewelry compared  to many other boutiques offering white gold. A  14kt white gold item of same weight, can cost in excess of 10 times the cost of an exact replica created from Argentium Silver®, and limits the people who have access to the items created.  JulieAnn Jewelry has built her business on allowing everyone to enjoy the creations she makes, and using Argentium silver® is one of the ways she is successfully making this to happen. Being able to create affordable designs, that are available to the worldwide marketplace, including those areas where laws govern imports of specific items, is the sole reason, above all others, why JulieAnn Jewelry uses Argentium silver, rather than 14kt white gold, in as many designs as is possible.  There is a place for 14kt white gold, and its used when needed, however, the Argentium Silver® will continue to be the metal of choice with most jewelry artists, including JulieAnn Jewelry for many years to come.

Argentium Silver®  and why JulieAnn Jewelry Uses It

High Pressure High Temperature Diamond

High Pressure High Temperature Diamond

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High Pressure High Temperature Diamond
Diamond HPHT

HPHT stands for high pressure and high temperature. This is a method of harnessing HPHT to those diamonds that are not fully crystallized otherwise known as premature diamonds. Like all other diamonds, these beauties are formed in volcanic sources. The HPHT process is a scientific method that is cautiously precise. The HPHT process involves the careful positioning of a diamond by a highly trained gemologist into a “containment cube” that is surrounded by heating mechanisms. The cube is then placed in a press to apply the same amount of pressure that the earth creates when forming diamonds. This process brings the diamond to its most mature, desirable, colorless state.

What are the Rewards to Purchasing an HPHT Diamond?

Colored diamonds while being very popular and desirable are very rare and extremely expensive, making them affordable only to a select few consumers. Now with the HPHT process they are affordable to everyone. HPHT treatment is a process which is very similar to nature, putting the diamond back into the environment in which is formed. The major benefit of buying an HPHT natural diamond is having the ability to purchase the highest clarification and white diamonds with average savings from 45-70%. For example a round 1.51 carat D VVS1 natural diamond that costs approximately $32,700 online where the same diamond treated by the HPHT color process sells for $11,415 that is a total saving of $21,285. In short HPHT diamonds are genuine, mined diamonds. They are suitable for diamond buyers who want top color and clarity, at a substantially lower price, with GIA or EGL certificates.

HPHT DiamondProcess of HPHT

The HPHT process is used to finish what nature started by applying 70,000 atmospheres it would be the same atmospheric pressure that a diamond gets in the ground at temperatures up to 3,700°F. Meeting these circumstances will bring a diamond to its fully “mature” state. Mature diamonds are defined as those that have D, E, F, G or H color grades. The HPHT process simply finishes what nature started. The HPHT diamond maturation process is permanent. Even though heat and pressure is applied to bring a natural, high clarity, top light brown (TLB) or top, top light brown (TTLB) to a white color grade, it is important to note that these diamonds are not synthetics and are 100% natural diamonds.

Treatment of HPHT Diamonds

HPHT diamonds are genuine, mined diamonds. They are suitable for diamond buyers who want top color and clarity, at a substantially lower prices. They wear like all other top quality natural diamonds. There are no caveats. The HPHT process is the only permanent color enhancement process, the only treatment that completely saturates the diamond with color. Unlike irradiated and coated diamonds (another commonly used process to improve the look of diamonds), HPHT diamonds are impervious to change and need no special care to maintain their resilient color. In contrast, irradiated diamonds are prone to color fading at high temperatures and both irradiated and coated diamonds cannot be polished or re-cut without affecting their color. The HPHT color treatment process can be only be applied to diamonds of the highest clarity such as: VVS1 VVS2VS1 VS2. The diamonds must also be flawless, due to the fact that during the process diamonds with inclusions and fractures can be broken and surfaces can be become frosted. Even the very slight inclusion can blow up the stone during the process, thus rendering it useless.

High Pressure High Temperature Diamond