What is gold, gold filled, and gold plated?

With 14K rolled gold/gold filled earwires, only 14K gold touches your skin. I use 14K gold filled/rolled gold because 14K gold is so expensive and it makes my jewelry much more affordable. Upon special request, specific pieces can be priced in 14K gold.

• First, what does K mean in 14K gold?
  24K (Karat) gold is pure gold. Everything less is a mixture.

  Gold Type	Percent Gold
  24K	100% Gold
  22K	91.6% Gold
  18K	75% Gold
  14K	58.5% Gold
  12K	50% Gold
  10K	41.6% Gold

  
  
• OK, now what about all those "gold" terms?

  Gold Finish	Approx. Thickness	Description and Comments
  Gold Filled/ Rolled Gold	600-2000 micro inches	The best option if you can't afford solid 14K gold. A significant layer of gold rolled on a base metal. Gold Filled is Rolled Gold. 14K Gold Filled must contain 5% 14K Gold. This is a thick layer of gold which is more durable than most heavy electroplating and under most conditions should last a lifetime. Gold plating/wash is like more "paint" on a wall but Rolled Gold/Gold Filled is more like siding.
  Vermiel	min. 100 micro inches	Heavy Gold plate over sterling silver. Reasonbly durable under most conditions.
  Heavy Gold Plate	min. 100 micro inches	A moderate layer of gold electroplated to an object. Reasonbly durable under most conditions.
  Gold Plate	min. 7 micro inches	A very thin layer of gold electroplated to an object. OK for very light use.
  Gold Wash	2-5 micro inches	An extremely thin layer of gold electroplated to an object. Not durable.
  Gold Leaf	3-4 micro inches	An extremely thin layer of gold applied to an object. Not durable.