The Story Behind Our Gold Fill
The addition of “gold” to a product description sounds high-end, but it is often misleading.
There is a major distinction between gold filled and gold plated—two of the terms jewelers use to describe the addition of gold to a product.
Vogt Silversmiths The Rodeo Bracelet
Gold plated means that a very tiny amount of gold has been used to coat a brass base. For a product that is marked as gold plated, the amount of gold is so minuscule it actually doesn’t constitute a measurable component of the product’s total weight—typically just 0.05% or even less!
What are the problems with gold plating? The slim gold layer is likely to wear off quickly, exposing the brass beneath. These products don’t stand up to time and use or to water and sun exposure. Particularly when it comes to our Western clients who wear our products outdoors, in the arena, and on the job, this is simply not good enough.
Vogt Silversmiths The Golden Bull Elk Money Clip
Gold fill, on the other hand, is a much more high-quality gold product. A gold-filled product has been constructed from two to three layers of bonded metals. The core is jeweler’s brass, bonded to a gold alloy. The law requires any product described as “gold filled” must be a minimum of 5% (or 1/20) gold by weight.
Gold filled products are designed to keep their shine forever. Unlike gold plated products, gold filled materials are durable and don’t suffer damage or lose their beauty when exposed to sunshine, weather, water, and wear.
Vogt Silversmiths always uses 10% gold by weight and a high quality 14-karat gold alloy in our gold-filled products. This ensures that the gold is quality without compromising the strength and durability of the metal that we require. Our products are designed to last a lifetime and never lose their shine. They’re tough enough to keep up with you. For us, those aren’t just words. We back that promise with the Vogt Family Lifetime Guarantee. If your Vogt silver is bent, broken, or damaged in any way, we’ll replace it. No questions asked.
The Chet Vogt Gold Fever Belt Buckle
