Good As Gold: Why You Deserve The Real Thing

Incredibly beautiful, uniquely valuable, and historically fascinating, gold is like no other metal on earth. 

It has always been sought after - think gold coins plundered by pirates and crowns for kings and queens. Gold is for the victor. Gold is for the best in class. And gold is a symbol of love.

But gold portrays more than love and status. It’s gorgeous! No other metal on earth is the colour of gold. And nothing shines like gold, which is why its symbol, Au, is named for the sun. 

Gold makes the most beautiful jewellery. And it has incredible physical characteristics that make it resistant to corrosion, strong enough to wear daily, and malleable enough to be shaped into gorgeous jewellery. Yes, we’re still talking about gold, and this is important because all that glitters is truly, not pure gold.

At True, our jewellery is only solid gold. This is because we want you to have the best and enjoy the jewellery for years to come. Sometimes in life we only occasionally wear or use our precious pieces because they are, well, precious, and only to be used for an occasion. But why keep beauty in a box? True jewellery is made to keep up with your life and daily wear - from your travels, to your office, to your workout, to your cocktail party and through the night. True jewellery never needs to be taken off and will always shine like gold.

Since gold is so rare, and so valuable, there are different forms of jewellery that use a little bit of gold, as little as possible. 

 

Read on to learn more:

Gold Plated - Gold plated is jewellery with the thinnest layer of gold, usually less than 0.05%,  on top of a base metal, which is usually brass.This keeps costs down, but is prone to tarnish and rubbing off. 

Gold Vermeil - Gold vermeil jewellery is similar to gold plated jewellery, but the layer of gold on the outside of the base metal is thicker - 2.5 microns - so it will last slightly longer. It will still wear over time, especially on rings. If you have gold vermeil jewellery, you will know it must be removed for work and play, washing your hands and when you sleep.

Gold Filled - Gold-filled is not filled with gold as the name implies, but is gold that is mechanically bonded to base metal. It lasts longer than vermeil, but does wear over time.

Solid Gold - Just as the name suggests, solid gold is not layered over an interior, inferior, base metal, but is gold throughout the entire piece. Solid gold will always hold its value - both logistically and sentimentally -  as a piece that can be passed down for generations. 

When buying solid gold jewellery, the purity will be marked by the Karat with a “k” (not to be confused with carat, meaning the weight of a diamond). Gold is very soft, so 24 karat gold, which is 100% pure gold, will be too soft for jewellery. It will bend and scratch easily. (During the Gold Rush, miners would test the mineral they found by biting it. Their teeth would leave a mark in  real gold, but not on fools gold or pyrite.) 

18, 14, or 10 karat gold are solid gold, but they are mixed with varying proportions of alloy, such as silver, platinum and palladium, making them ideal for high quality but durable jewellery. 

The number 10 karat, 14 karat or 18 karat represents the proportion of pure gold in the solid gold, out of 24 parts. For example, 18 karat gold will be 18 parts pure gold, mixed with 6 parts alloy, for a total of 24. Any form of solid gold is highly recommended by True. 

There are slight nuances between the variances of purity. 10 karat gold is more affordable and is the lowest grading of gold legally allowed to still be considered ‘solid gold’, in North America. 14k is ideal for affordable but high quality every day jewellery. It has a relatively high pure gold content that gives it a beautiful colour - in yellow and rose. 18 karat gold is the most pure form of gold possible for durable jewellery. All solid gold is hypoallergenic, but for everyday wear, the more pure form of gold,  the better. 18 karat gold is the popular choice for engagement rings, as it offers the warm and luxurious appearance of pure gold - slightly warmer than 14 karat gold - with the benefits of purity making it the most valuable gold and ideal for setting diamonds, the most valuable gemstone. 

At True, our designs are only in solid gold. Our fine jewellery is an active, busy person’s best friend. We love luxurious yet affordable solid gold - a hypoallergenic precious metal that will never discolour and is perfect for everyday wear. We recommend this valuable metal in all forms - white gold, yellow gold and rose gold. 

Strong, beautiful, fine and genuine… just like you.