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The Complete Guide to Gold Jewelry

Have you ever wondered why some jewelry turns colors, loses its shine, or turns your skin green? There is a lot of confusion about the different types of gold jewelry that one can buy these days. Some of it is good, but most of it is not so good. Long story short, everything we sell here at KOZAKH is the good kind!

We guarantee you'll love the quality of your KOZAKH jewelry!

OUR DEMI-FINE METALS

Many of our pieces are classified as Demi-Fine, which is one step below Fine, and much better quality than Fashion and Costume jewelry. If you love the look and wearability of fine jewelry, but don't like the high price tag, demi-fine jewelry is perfect for you! It's high quality and long lasting, and looks just like fine jewelry. Plus, it costs about 1/10th of the price or less.

Gold Filled

Gold Filled is the best alternative to fine gold. It is a specially made, layered, pressure bonded metal that is essentially a thick layer of gold “filled” with another metal, like brass or copper. It has a layer of gold that is 50-100x thicker than gold plating and vermeil. Additionally, the “filling” process creates a much stronger bond between the gold and base metal, so the gold layer is very durable and will not come off for decades.

Will my Gold Filled jewelry tarnish?

We are often asked, will my Gold Filled jewelry tarnish? Before we answer that, we need to clear up a couple things that confuse a lot of people:

What is tarnish? 

Tarnish is simply the build up of corrosion that happens to ALL metals (even fine jewelry) when they are exposed to air and moisture. Think of the rust that forms on bridges, or that bike you left in your backyard during a rainstorm. That "rusty" layer is ugly, but the good news is it can easily be cleaned! In fact, all jewelry needs to be cleaned at some point. The only problem is, not all jewelry can be cleaned.

So, what's the real real problem you should be thinking about?

The real problem you should be thinking about is, is your jewelry going to lose its gold layer? Most affordable jewelry on the market is Gold Plated. The biggest problem with all Gold Plated, Gold Dipped, Gold Painted, Electroplated, and Vermeil jewelry is that the gold layer tends to wear off very quickly, resulting in discolored splotchy jewelry. This is because the gold layer on Gold Plated jewelry is very very thin, and it is not bonded to the base metal. As the jewelry rubs against your skin, the gold layer rubs off little by little.

On top of that, Gold Plated tarnishes very quickly because it has very little gold. Gold is a very tarnish resistant metal, so the more gold a piece has, the longer it takes for tarnish to build up. With that said, even solid gold will tarnish over time. The worst thing about Gold Plated jewelry is that, once it does tarnish, you can't clean it to remove the tarnish. The gold layer is so thin that the cleaning process will damage and strip away the gold layer.

This is where Gold Filled really shines!

The thick gold layer on Gold Filled jewelry is guaranteed to last for decades! Because the gold layer is so thick, and because it is actually fused to the base metal, you don't need to worry about the gold coming off. The gold thickness also makes Gold Filled hypoallergenic for most people. If you can wear 14K Gold on your skin without having an allergic reaction, you should have no problem wearing 14K Gold Filled.

On top of that, because of the thickness and durability of the gold layer on Gold Filled jewelry, you can safely and easily remove tarnish by cleaning it, just like you can with Fine Jewelry! This is a HUGE advantage that Gold Filled has over Gold Plated.

Check out our step by step guide on how to easily clean all your gold filled, sterling silver, and fine jewelry at home:

Clean Your Jewelry!

So, the final answer is, Gold Filled can tarnish over time, but so will all jewelry! The key to remember is, Gold Filled and Fine jewelry can be cleaned, but Gold Plated jewelry can't.

To learn basically everything there is to know about Gold jewelry, check out our blog post - Everything You Could Ever Want To Know About Gold Jewelry.

Sterling Silver

Sterling Silver is a metal that has been used to make all kinds of valuable goods for thousands of years. Pure Silver is soft and malleable, so the alloy Sterling Silver was created to be a bit more durable. Sterling Silver consists of 92.5% pure silver and 7.5% copper, and is the standard metal used to make fine silver jewelry. We love silver jewelry, and we love layering it with our gold jewelry!

All silver jewelry from KOZAKH is made using .925 (92.5% pure silver, 7.5% copper) Italian Sterling Silver.

Gold PVD

PVD, or Physical Vapor Deposition, is a cutting-edge process that utilizes a vacuum coating technique to deposit a layer of gold onto high-grade stainless steel. Used by luxury brands like Rolex and Cartier, PVD offers exceptional resistance to tarnishing and discoloration, far outperforming conventional gold-plating. Get the luxurious look and feel of real gold and the durability and hypoallergenic features of stainless steel with KZK Gold PVD!

FINE JEWELRY

14K Gold

14K Gold is the standard for Fine Jewelry. It is durable, lightweight, and has a gorgeous soft yellow color that makes it perfect for all types of jewelry, including wedding rings. 14K Gold is a highly sought after metal for jewelry lovers because it will last forever when cared for properly. If you are looking for excellent quality and wearability that you can keep in your collection forever, 14K Gold is the best choice for you.

14K White Gold

14K White Gold shares all of the same benefits of 14K Yellow Gold. The only difference is the color, which is a light, glossy, silvery/white. This is achieved by mixing Rhodium with the Gold when creating the alloy, and then applying an additional layer of Rhodium plating. Rhodium is one of the rarest and most durable metals on earth, making it perfect for fine jewelry. 

Our Gemstones

All KOZAKH gemstones and pearls are real, and ethically sourced from fair trade suppliers around the globe. Nothing else in the jewelry world comes close to matching the beauty of authentic semi-precious and precious gemstones, which is why they are the main feature on many of our pieces. Find your favorite gemstone on one of our pieces today!