Will Gold Filled Jewelry Turn My Skin Green?

I get asked this question all the time: "Will gold filled jewelry turn my skin green?"

As someone who wears my own 14k gold filled jewelry, my honest answer is Absolutely NOT! Unlike gold plated jewelry, 14k gold filled jewelry will not turn on your skin. This is because gold filled is comprised of many many many more layers of real gold than gold plated metal. Gold plated jewelry has the reputation of turning on skin because it is made from a thin layer of gold which is electroplated to alloy metals. With gold filled metal, however, there are many thousands of solid gold layers which are heat bonded to the alloy metals, making a much more solid bond.

I honestly have not gotten one single email or message from a customer complaining that their gold filled jewelry turned their skin green or any other color or that it stained their clothes. You will also notice that this is why generally gold filled jewelry is more expensive than its gold plated counterpart.

So... why is 14k gold filled so much cheaper than 14k solid gold then?
The straight answer is because even though it will not turn on your skin, it will tarnish over time. It may take years or decades but if its not stored properly and not lightly polished instead of vigorously polished, it will tarnish a lot quicker. Gold filled is also cheaper because unlike with solid gold, it is not intended for wear everywhere all the time. It is not intended for daily wear at the gym, while playing sports, in the shower or pool.

14k solid gold on the other hand can withstand hard polishing, being worn in the shower and pool and it can withstand wearing while playing sports, although I DO NOT recommend doing any of these while wearing jewelry. While you can wear 14k solid gold in harsh environments, jewelry can still loosen over time and accidentally slip down a shower drain or down a sink drain or pool drain. While playing sports, or doing any kind of rough activity while wearing jewelry, chain links, clasps and catches can easily break or become damaged. This is even more true for delicate chains or fine jewelry set with prongs or in tension settings, etc.

All jewelry needs a chance to breathe and I never recommend any piece of jewelry be worn 24/7 as this will lead to the breakdown of the jewelry item much quicker. Even if just taking it off overnight, your jewelry will get a break from the natural oils produced by your skin and from friction caused by tossing and turning at night.

So, whats better...gold filled or solid gold? Well, the color of the metal is usually the same for both, but the benefit of gold filled is that its cheaper but will tarnish over time and solid gold is much more expensive but will pass the test of time and generally not tarnish as quickly. Solid gold also will not corrode but it will patina over time which will make it a slightly darker or richer gold color.

I hope this article was helpful in your jewelry buying decision. And, as always, you can purchase my 14k gold filled jewelry and 14k solid gold jewelry in my shop here

Happy Shopping!

xo!

Aziza