14k Gold Filled Wire Information
What Is Gold-Filled Wire?
Pure gold is 24Kt. and is so soft that is it impossible to utilize it in wire wrap jewelry. 14/20 wire or 1/20 gold filled wire is created by taking a sheet of 14 kt. Gold and bonding it through extreme heat and pressure to a core of semi-precious metal (brass). This is a very sophisticated process and only a few mills in the world do it. There are collections of old gold-filled wire jewelry pieces with dates on them from the early 1900’s that are still in excellent shape! They used this metal much more in the 30’s and 40’s to make watch bands, cameo settings, just about everything.
You should not mistake this process for GOLD PLATING. There is a very big difference. The end result is a 14kt. tube which is strong, durable, and resistant to tarnish because of its 14 kt. gold covering. The finished product has a surface layer of gold of the appropriate karat weight which is very thick compared to gold plate, gold electroplate or rolled gold plate. The quantity of gold must be at least 1/20th by weight of the total product. This is commonly marked as 14/20, 12/20 or 10/20, which mean receptively 1/20th by weight 14Kt. gold-filled, 12Kt. gold-filled, etc.
* There is 100 times more gold in 14 kt. Gold filled than in gold plate. * A 14/20 Gold Filled piece should be considered a lifetime piece of jewelry. Most wire wrappers use 12Kt. gold filled wire. Linda Jensen, Fine Handcrafted Jerwelry, uses only 14kt.
Care of 14kt. Gold Filled Jewelry is easy. Just care for it as you would any other 14k gold jewelry. It is quite durable. A simple jewelry cleaning solution or polishing cloth.
I recommend storing your one-of-a-kind wire jewelry in its own zip-loc bag. This will cut down on the discoloration that happens to Gold from chemical compounds found in the air and our everyday life, such as perfumes, sweat, soap, deodorant, and many more. It will also keep it from being scratched by other jewelry.
Remember this is NOT gold plate!