Published 2 June 2026
Gold-filled in plain English
Gold-filled is the American label for what British trade catalogues used to call rolled gold. A sheet of karat gold is heat and pressure-bonded to a base-metal core, then rolled to working thickness. The American FTC threshold is 1/20 by weight at 10 karat or higher to be sold as gold-filled. That is 5% of the item, in real karat gold, bonded so well it does not flake.
You will see this stamped "GF", "1/20 14k GF", "12k GF" on US-made chains, mid-century costume jewellery and a lot of vintage watch cases. British equivalents carry rolled-gold marks.
Gold-plated: the thinnest of the three
Gold-plated means electroplated. A finished base-metal item is dipped in a bath, current is applied, and a microscopic layer of gold is deposited on the surface. Standard fashion plating sits at about 0.175 to 0.5 microns. Heavy plating, sometimes marked "HGE" for heavy gold electroplate, goes a bit thicker. Even at the upper end, a plated chain has a tiny fraction of the gold by weight that a gold-filled chain has.
You can identify plating from wear patterns. Plated rings and chains develop a frosted base-metal patch at the clasp, the inside of the shank, or the high points first. Once that patch is visible the plating is failing.
Vermeil: a regulated category
Vermeil is a US-regulated term and increasingly used in UK luxury retail. To be marketed as vermeil, the piece must be sterling silver (925), electroplated with a gold layer of at least 2.5 microns thickness, of at least 10 karat purity. Many luxury labels go to 18ct and 3 to 5 microns.
That matters for scrap. Even before you count the gold layer, the body is sterling silver, which has a real recoverable figure of its own. A vermeil piece will be paid as scrap silver plus the recovered gold from the plating.
How to tell them apart at home
- Find every mark, including ones on the inside of clasps and pin backs. Use a 10x loupe.
- Check the body colour. Scratch a hidden spot lightly with a needle file. Silver under the gold suggests vermeil. Yellow brass or pink copper suggests gold-filled or plated.
- Check the wear. Plating wears off in patches in months to a couple of years on a worn ring. Gold-filled wears uniformly over decades. Vermeil sits between the two.
- Check the weight. Sterling-silver bodies are heavier than brass for the same volume. A surprising heft on a 925-marked piece points to vermeil rather than plated brass.
- When in doubt, post it. XRF measures the surface, identifies the alloy, and detects the silver core through the plating layer.
What each one pays at scrap
Gold-filled pays the most of the three plated categories because the layer is thick enough that refining recovery is meaningful. Vermeil pays in two parts, sterling silver scrap plus a small recovered-gold figure from the plating. Standard gold-plated has the lowest yield by weight because the layer is so thin that refining and recovery costs eat most of it. For very large parcels of plated material the maths can still work in your favour, because the costs are split across more grams.
Final offers depend on inspection, item weight, purity, hallmarks, stones, non-gold components, condition and the live precious-metal market.
Why an honest postal buyer still values plated items
A lot of high-street buyers will turn plated items away to save inspection time. The honest position is to weigh, test and report on every piece, then pay for whatever is actually recoverable. If the recoverable figure on a single plated chain is too small to bother with, that is your call, not the buyer's. We will tell you what the figure is.
For a full walk-through of how the parcel and the report work, see how to sell gold by post.
The takeaway
Three categories, three honest answers. Gold-filled has real recoverable gold and is worth posting. Vermeil pays as silver plus a gold recovery and is almost always worth posting because of the sterling body. Standard plated pays a small figure per gram, so post it if you have a sensible quantity and a clean parcel. The valuation report tells you exactly what each item yielded so you can decide piece by piece.
Common questions
Does "925 gold" exist?
No. 925 is the parts-per-thousand mark for sterling silver. If a piece is marked 925 and looks gold-coloured, it is gold-plated silver, often vermeil.
Is heavy gold electroplate worth more than standard plating?
A little. The layer is thicker so the recoverable yield is slightly higher, but it is still electroplating, not bonded gold.
Can you separate the gold from the silver in vermeil?
A refiner can. The piece is processed, the gold is recovered, and the silver core is recovered as silver bullion equivalent. You are paid on both.
What does HGE mean?
Heavy gold electroplate. A marketing term for a thicker electroplated layer. Not solid gold and not gold-filled.
Why does my vermeil ring look brassy at the back?
The plating has worn through to the silver. The silver will tarnish to grey-black if not polished. The piece is still vermeil and still has scrap value as silver plus a small gold recovery.
Does GoldPaid pay for vermeil?
Yes. The sterling-silver body is paid as silver scrap and the recovered gold from the plating is added. The written report shows both line items.
How do I know my plated chain is not just brass?
You usually do not without testing. XRF reads the surface and identifies whether there is any gold layer at all.
Is it worth posting a single plated bracelet?
Honestly, often not on its own. Combine it with other gold or silver items so the postage and inspection cost is shared across the parcel.