Bead Information and FAQs!
Frequently Asked Questions About Beads

Gold Beads

Other Metal Beads FAQs

Precious Metals
Price Fluctuations in Precious Metals
Sterling Silver Beads
Bali Beads
Vermeil Beads
Cloisonné Beads
Base Metal Beads

Gold Beads

A carat is defined as a unit of measure for the fineness, or purity, of gold, equal to ¹/₂₄ part. The unit of measurement for 24-carat gold is pure gold (99.99%), 12-carat gold is 50% purity, 18-carat gold is 75% purity etc.

Gold Filled: (Also "Goldfilled", or "gold-filled") A bead with a layer of gold mechanically applied to the surface of a base metal, (like brass or copper), can be called Gold Filled if the amount of gold equals one-twentieth of the total weight of the piece.

Gold plated: A bead with a wafer thin coating of gold electroplated or mechanically plated onto a base metal.

Gold Tone: A bead finished with a gold color with almost no appreciable measurement of weight in actual gold.