Metals 101 - Jewelry Shopping Guide

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Confused about what you find online? Does “silver” mean sterling silver or silver tone? Does “gold” mean gold or gold tone? Here’s a little 101 on metals and common jewelry terms for buyer, that I hope will go a long way in helping you shop online.

If it doesn’t say “sterling silver” or “10K, 14K, 24K etc Gold” - it’s probably something else. What do I mean by “something else?” Sellers use some common terms in their descriptions that will help you navigate the multitudes of merchandise online. Here are a few of them:

FINDINGS - Findings is a generic term we use for metal jewelry components — clasps, posts, chain, beads, etc.

BASE METAL - This one can even be confusing for some makers. Base metal is a term that is really a catch-all for any metal (primarily used in costume jewelry) that is not a precious metal like sterling silver, gold, platinum, etc. Some examples of a base metal are iron, copper, steel, brass, tin, nickel, you get the picture.

PLATED - In costume jewelry, you’ll often find base metals that have been plated with gold or silver. Many plated items are first plated with copper, and then plated again with a final precious metal.

FILLED - Filled jewelry is anywhere from 50,000-100,000 times thicker than plated jewelry. Unlike plated silver or gold , filled pieces can be buffed and cleaned with care.

So, when we say “silver” or “gold” we probably mean the color. Otherwise, you’ll see it listed as “sterling silver” or “14K gold”, etc. It’s always a good idea of course to check descriptions, materials used and whatnot when browsing, but knowing these few simple rules can save you a lot of time shopping online, and will help you know what you’re looking at without having to do excessive digging and clicking.

Happy shopping!

Jess

 

 

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Tags: 101, base metal, buyer's guide, findings, gold, Jewelry, metal, silver, sterling silver