Considering the steady high price of gold over the past few years, more jewelers are turning to gold-filled -- a layer of karat gold bonded to a core metal -- as a budget-friendly option. Here's what you need to know about working with gold-filled materials.
By Shannon L. Brown
Judith Bright’s retail store makes its home in a high-end mall in Nashville that services a diverse clientele. To meet the needs of her customers, Bright has built her business around gold-filled jewelry. “If we worked in solid gold, I’d maybe have six designs,” she says. “Gold-filled has given me the ability to design and go in many different directions in the niche market of affordable jewelry.”
And she’s not alone. Considering the steady high price of gold over the past few years, more jewelers are turning to gold-filled—a layer of karat gold bonded to a core metal—as a budget-friendly option. “There is a perceived value in gold-filled because of the gold content,” says Rick Greinke, plant manager for Award Concepts Inc. in St. Charles, Illinois. “It’s an affordable alternative to karat gold with some of the same prestige.”