Wire & Metal Information

  Gold Wire
 
Gold-filled (sometimes called gold overlay) is made by bonding a layer of gold to a brass core through heat and pressure. This produces a surface with karat gold. The minimum layer of karat gold must equal at least 1/20 of the total weight of the item. Tubing is usually seamless, so that only gold touches the body.

The surface layer of karat gold is usually 10kt, 12kt or 14kt. Also, to know the thickness of the layer, look for a fraction, such as 1/10 or 1/20. It is usually 1/20, unless otherwise stamped. Examples:
1/10 10kt GF: 1/10 of the total weight must be 10kt gold.
1/20 12kt GF: 1/20 of the total weight must be 12kt gold.

The gold-filled wire I use is 14/20, which means that 1/20th of the total weight is 14k gold. This is a much thicker layer of gold than any plated material, and has a higher gold content than 10 or 12k gold-filled material. It is a lifetime product for most people.

   
  Silver Wire
 
The silver wire I use is sterling silver. "Silver-filled" is the same process as the "gold-filled" described above, but uses sterling or fine silver. Sterling silver, often stamped .925, is a metal alloy consisting of 92.5% silver, and 7.5% copper. It is a soft metal, which comes in either antiqued or highly polished finishes.
   
  Care of Jewelry
 
Clean your siver and gold-filled jewelry with a mild liquid detergent or a commercially available jewelry cleaner. To remove tarnish from your jewelry, use a jewelry polishing cloth. **You should always use care when cleaning gold-filled items, so as to avoid inadvertently removing the gold layer.

 

 

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