With the unstable gold market, gold filled materials can be used as an alternative metal to higher priced 10 and 14 karat materials. The nature of gold filled material must be understood and the process parameters must be carried out so the thin layer of gold on the surface is kept intact during fabrication and finishing. This paper will include a brief overview of the history of gold filled. Metal fabrication, alloy compositions, and current use in the jewelry industry will be presented. Information on hand polishing, mass finishing and scrap refining will be discussed.

Author: Richard J. Greinke