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Low Carat Gold Types Explained

gold items you take loan on

Introduction

Gold, a symbol of wealth for centuries, has different types. Each type has unique benefits and drawbacks. This blog post explores four main gold types: rolled gold, plated gold, filled gold, and vermeil gold. We’ll also discuss British hallmarks, crucial for determining gold purity.

Gold Types

Gold’s value remains high, but not all gold is equal. Different gold types have varying quality, durability, and value. Let’s explore rolled gold, plated gold, filled gold, and vermeil gold.

Rolled Gold

Rolled gold, a jewelry type, consists of a base metal, usually brass, covered with a gold layer. The two metals bond when heated together. The resulting material, rolled into thin sheets, is used to make jewelry. The gold layer in rolled gold is typically around 2.5 microns.

Rolled gold is more durable than other plated jewelry types. Its gold layer is thicker, so it lasts longer without tarnishing. However, it’s more expensive due to its high quality.

Plated Gold

Plated gold bonds a real gold layer onto another metal. It’s less expensive than other real-gold jewelry types since it contains less actual gold. However, the real gold layer can wear off over time. The gold layer in gold-plated items is usually less than 0.5 microns.

Filled Gold

Filled gold is created by pressure bonding a layer of gold to another metal. This creates a thick layer, usually 5% of the item’s total weight, of real gold on the surface. The gold layer in gold-filled items is about 2.5 microns. Filled gold is more durable and tarnish-resistant than gold plated items. It’s a more affordable alternative to solid gold.

British Hallmarks

British hallmarks certify gold, silver, and platinum items’ quality and origin. They indicate the metal’s purity, the place, and the year it was assayed. Understanding British hallmarks helps consumers make informed purchases.

Cash for Gold

Cash for gold services offer individuals the chance to sell their unwanted gold items for cash. These services assess the value of your gold items and offer a price based on the current gold market rate. However, it’s important to note that items such as rolled gold, plated gold, and filled gold may not be suitable for selling to a cash for gold service due to the minimal amount of gold they contain, which is not worth refining.

J Blundells

J Blundells, a reputable UK gold dealer, has been providing quality services for over 100 years. They offer fair prices for gold and use state-of-the-art technology to accurately assess gold items’ value. J Blundells is willing to purchase rolled gold and filled gold in batches of more than 500 grams due to the higher refining costs and longer turnaround time of about 2 weeks.

Conclusion

Understanding different gold types is essential for gold investment or purchase. Rolled gold, plated gold, filled gold, and vermeil gold each have unique benefits and drawbacks. Knowledge about different gold types helps you make informed decisions.

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A short history of Gold

“The Golden Rule: He who has the gold makes the rules.”

Gold has always been viewed as one of the most precious metals throughout history. 

Gold is the only metal with a distinct golden colour and is also one of the rarest natural minerals.

Did you know that nearly all of the Gold on Earth came from the supernovae and neutron star collisions which resulted in an explosion creating atoms of Gold? Scientists believe that Gold buried itself deep into the Earth’s core during the creation of Earth, and geologists have even found rocks of Gold as old as 4 billion years.

Since Gold was so precious and rare, in around 550 BC, Gold started to be mined and used as a currency in Greece and the Middle East. Gold was used as a currency in many countries before paper money was created. When paper money was introduced, it was called the Gold Standard. The Gold Standard set a fixed price for Gold which determined its value. The paper money was linked directly to the Gold, and countries agreed to convert the paper money into a fixed amount of Gold. 

Still to this day, Gold is one of the world’s most useful and highly valued metals. Even though it is technically a heavy metal, it’s very soft and can be moulded and shaped into jewellery. Gold is also used for Olympic medals and trophies; it can even be used to conduct electricity. 

Today many people, including governments, hold investments in Gold. Buying Gold as an asset can help protect your wealth in the long term and be an excellent addition to your investment portfolio. Gold can never be destroyed and can not be altered or hacked like some investments in the digital world. 

At J Blundells & Sons, we’ve been trading Gold since 1839. We’re a family-run business based in the heart of London’s famous jewellery district, Hatton Garden. If you are interested in buying Gold, we’d love to help you take that first step.