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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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How to sell unwanted gold and jewellery

It can be a daunting experience when you are trying to sell your unwanted gold, silver or any precious metal jewellery, so we have compiled a quick list for you to get best and fair price. 

  1. Understand what is your jewellery made of, for example is it gold, platinum, silver or palladium? You can use British hallmarks guide to ascertain metal and carat (fineness). You may use London assay office’s guide for this.
  2. Don’t be afraid of shopping around. It is best practice to call 2 to 3 gold buying shops to ask what they are paying per gram on that day. Precious metals trade live and the price paid changes everyday. Some shops make it easier for the customer by putting prices on their website. Generally, you can trust the shops that make information clear and transparent to you. When calling these shops ask them a few questions, for example “What are you paying for fine gold and 9 carat gold per gram today?” And “Are there any other charges when selling jewellery”
  3. Compare prices with a quick internet search, you can get live gold prices. As a rule of thumb, you should get between 90% to 97% percent of market price.
  4. Carry identity documents, usually shops would ask for a photo ID and proof of address.
  5. Be prepared for good news and bad news, because jewellery is made in different carats (fineness) it is not always easy to identify which carat jewellery is made of, especially for someone who is not in the trade. Also, depending on origin of jewellery, where trademark practices are not as stringent as UK, it may mean that an item has a 22-carat stamp but, instead it’s made of 20 or 21 carat. Or you may think that an item is 9 carat, and it actually is 14 carat or 18 carat, which means you would get more money back. Whichever the case a good gold buyer will talk you through the process of assaying your item. 

When selling jewellery, remember that buyer is only buying the precious metal content and hence would not pay for money invested in ‘making’ of the item or any stones, wires or enamel. 

We buy all precious metals and pay according to London fix. You can check our price on the website. There are no other hidden charges, and we give multiple payment options including same day bank transfers

And if you don’t want to part with your jewellery but need some money, you can always get a secured loan against it. Check out our pawnbroking and buyback services