What is Gold Filled and Rose Gold Filled Jewellery?
Gold and rose gold filled jewellery should not be confused with gold and rose gold plated jewellery.
Gold fill (also known as “rolled gold”) is not solid gold but is comprised of a layer of pure 14 carat gold which is permanently bonded to a base metal, usually brass. Rose gold filled metal is made by alloying the gold filled metal with copper to give it its pretty pink blush tone.
The layer of gold is much thicker than gold plating and must, by law, be a minimum of 1/20th (or 5%) of the total weight of the item. The item will usually be stamped with "1/20" to indicate it meets this requirement and is genuinely gold filled. This is at least 100 times more gold content than plated items, which, at best, have only ½ a micron of gold plating (equivalent to just 0.0005 mm). The gold on gold plated items is therefore almost worthless and will start to rub off or flake away pretty much immediately.
Gold fill, on the other hand, is very hard wearing and will not peel or flake, like gold plate, under normal wear. You can (with proper care) wear it to bed, in the shower and while you exercise, although it will keep better if you remove it beforehand.
Gold filled jewellery wears, looks and lasts like solid gold and is pretty much tarnish resistant. Anyone who can wear pure gold can also wear gold filled without worrying about any allergic reactions.
With proper care, gold filled jewellery can often last for decades. The thick layer of solid gold means you are getting a beautiful, durable, high quality piece of jewellery without the hefty price tag of solid gold and it is therefore commonly used as an economical alternative to pure gold.
Generally speaking, rose gold filled jewellery is just as hard wearing as gold filled but needs a little extra care due to the copper content. Copper is a very soft metal and, as such, will corrode quicker in contact with chlorinated water or salt water.
I’d strongly suggest avoiding pools and hot tubs with any type of jewellery because of the chlorine and/or chemicals used. Sea water should also be avoided because of the salt content, which is particularly damaging to rose gold jewellery and to gemstones.
While hopping in and out of the shower (provided your shampoo/shower gels are very mild) should be ok, especially if you take care to properly dry off your jewellery when you get out, I always strongly recommend removing jewellery before heading into the pool, hot tub or ocean.