It goes with any outfit, can be combined in any way and always looks good: Gold jewelry really is a true classic that also belongs in your jewelry collection. Often, however, not all gold is the same - at least when it comes to the inner values. Because it makes a big difference whether your jewelry is made entirely of real gold or is only gold-plated.
Real gold or gold-plated?
Genuine gold jewelry is forged entirely from pure gold. Gold-plated jewelry, on the other hand, consists mainly of a raw material to which a thin layer of gold is applied. Any conductive metal, such as silver or copper, is suitable for this purpose. There are various methods of gold plating, in which the jewelry is coated with gold or plated and which differ in quality. Depending on the method, the gold layer can be as thin as 0.0001mm.
The most important thing for you to know about gold-plated jewelry is that while gold is a less valuable metal, jewelry made of real gold is more valuable and lasts longer.
The advantages of real gold jewelry
You've probably been there: You're saving up money to finally afford your dream earrings, or you get a beautiful gold necklace as a gift. You'd love to wear the jewelry 24/7 - but there's a problem: it discolors your skin and its beautiful golden color fades over time. That's because it's gold-plated jewelry, which unfortunately often doesn't last long. For the fact that you can not wear it so often and it has little gold value, it is also often simply overpriced.
Jewelry made of pure gold is different, which is why it has such a long tradition: it does not stain, does not lose its value and - if you take good care of it - can even be passed on. Jewelry made of real gold is therefore a real investment. Why we still tend to own gold-plated accessories is obvious: valuable and durable jewelry made of pure gold is usually just too expensive. That's exactly why boops has made it its business to make earrings made of real gold affordable for you.
Why boops focuses on pure gold at an affordable price
At boops we want you to be able to enrich your jewelry collection with some real and valuable pieces made of gold that will stay with you for a long time. Our boops - basic hoops - are forged from 100% pure 585 gold. It is 14 karat gold that can be melted down, recycled and - if necessary - turned into cash. So that you don't have to save for a long time or dream about real gold jewelry, we focus on transparent, fair and affordable prices: You don't pay more than the accessories are really worth (as is often the case with gold-plated jewelry) and thus invest in earrings that will accompany you as classic basics for a lifetime.
Not sure if you might already own real gold jewelry, or when your boops arrive, do you want to check the gold value? Basically, you can always have gold jewelry checked for value by experts. But there are also methods you can use at home. The boops make it particularly easy for you: They bear a hallmark - namely the digits "585" - which only pure gold is allowed to bear. If you're not sure about other gold jewelry or coins, you have several options:
- Bite Test: Contrary to what you might think, gold is a rather soft material among metals. So when you bite down on real gold, it should feel less hard than copper or silver.
- Magnet Test: Real gold is "diamagnetic." This means that if you hold a very strong magnet to the gold piece, it should be repelled by the magnet.
- Sound Test: You can also briefly bump gold with another metallic object. Real gold will then "sing", while gold-plated will sound rather dull. To correctly identify the sound, you can either take a comparison piece that you are sure is made of pure gold - or listen to it on a video on the Internet.
Want to own real gold jewelry that goes with any outfit and will last you a lifetime? Take a look around our store now and find the boops that suit you - from classy to sassy, there's something for everyone.
