18kt Gold Filled one Decade St Benedict Rosary Necklace
45cm in length
4mm beads - 4.51 grams
St Benedict Center piece - 12mm diameter
GOLD FILLED
Gold-filled, or "rolled gold", is created by bonding or "welding" a thin layer of gold to a base metal core. This is achieved by using heat and pressure. USA industry standards require there to be 1/20th by weight layer of 14 karat gold permanently bonded over a core of base metal.
When you come across the reference "18/20 Gold-Filled" this means that item is 1/20 18K gold or more simply put the 18 = karats and the 20 refers to the % of gold in an item. 1/20 = 5% gold.
The 1/20 fraction refers to the ratio of the 18 karat gold layer to the base metal (brass) layer by weight, which is 5%
The base metal is most likely to be brass. 18k Gold Fill (14K GF) has ± 100x more gold than a gold plated item. The gold layer found on 18K GF items is usually 50-100x thicker than what is found on a gold plated item. Gold Filled is hard wearing and if looked after like fine jewellery it should last a lifetime.
Suggested Cleaning Methods
Use soapy water to clean gold filled
Mild soapy water and a toothbrush — a child's soft toothbrush and a mild detergent is the perfect combination for cleaning golf-filled jewellery. The detergent can remove residue or fingerprints from the item, and still leave it shiny and bright when it's done. Be sure the toothbrush is soft or it may scratch your piece!
Brilliant jewellery polishing cloths are safe for gold-filled
Soft cloth — using a clean, soft cotton cloth is an ideal way to polish your gold-filled pieces. A soft cloth will not scratch the surface. There are treated jewellery polishing cloths, such as Brilliant, that work well; however, some chemicals are not recommended on gold-filled items so double check that they are safe to use. Do not leave chemicals on your gold-filled. Always rinse and polish again with a soft cloth to remove residue.
