Gold-filled describes when a layer of gold is mechanically bonded with heat and pressure to one or more surfaces of the supporting base metal. Gold-filled items will remain gold for a lifetime if cared for properly.

Gold-plated products have a very thin layer (seven-millionths of an inch) of gold. What this means for you as a beader is that gold-plated items, while cheaper than gold-filled, will not last as long. Eventually the thin gold layer will rub off.

Vermeil is a process that combines precious metals to produce semi-fine quality jewelry. The inside core is sterling silver; the outside is a thin coating of 14 karat gold. This combination produces jewelry that looks and feels like pure gold.