What is gold-filled jewelry?

Gold-filled jewelry has a solid layer of gold mechanically bonded to a base metal core. In the US, the gold layer must be at least 1/20 of the total item weight by law, distinguishing it from gold-plated items that have only a thin electroplated coating.

What does "1/20 14K GF" mean?

"1/20 14K GF" means the gold layer is 1/20th (5%) of the total item weight and is 14 karat (58.3% pure) gold. So a 20 gram piece stamped 1/20 14K contains 1 gram of 14K gold, which equals about 0.583 grams of pure gold.

How is gold-filled different from gold-plated?

Gold-filled has a thick, durable gold layer (at least 5% of total weight) that is heat- and pressure-bonded. Gold-plated has a microscopic layer of gold (often less than 0.05% of weight) applied by electroplating, which wears off quickly.

What karat fractions are most common?

The most common is 1/20 (5%), which meets the US FTC minimum. You may also find 1/10 (10%), which is considered higher quality. The karat of the gold layer is typically 12K or 14K.

Can I calculate scrap value from this?

Yes. Take the pure gold weight this calculator gives you, then multiply by the current spot price of gold per gram (or troy ounce) to get the gold melt value. Note that refiners pay a percentage of spot, not the full spot price.

Is 1/20 12K or 1/20 14K more valuable?

1/20 14K contains more pure gold. Both have the same gold-layer weight fraction (1/20th of total), but 14K is 58.3% pure versus 12K at 50% pure, so the 14K version has about 16.6% more actual gold content.

Gold Filled Content Calculator

Name: Gold Filled Content Calculator
Availability: InStock
Author: Nham Vu

Enter the total weight of a gold-filled item and its karat fraction to find the actual gold content weight and percentage.

Item Details

Total Item Weight

Gold Layer Fraction

Gold Layer Karat

Results

Enter item details and click Calculate.

Common Gold-Filled Markings Reference

Stamp	Fraction	Layer Karat	Layer % of Weight	Pure Gold %
1/20 12K GF	1/20	12K (50%)	5.0%	2.50%
1/20 14K GF	1/20	14K (58.3%)	5.0%	2.92%
1/10 12K GF	1/10	12K (50%)	10.0%	5.00%
1/10 14K GF	1/10	14K (58.3%)	10.0%	5.83%

Summary

Enter the total weight of a gold-filled item and its karat fraction to find the actual gold content weight and percentage.

How it works

Enter the total weight of your gold-filled item in grams or troy ounces.
Select or enter the karat fraction stamped on the piece (e.g. 1/20, 1/10).
Choose the gold karat of the layer (most common: 12K or 14K).
The calculator multiplies total weight by the fraction to get the gold layer weight.
It then multiplies by the karat purity to give you the pure gold equivalent weight and percentage.

Use cases

Compare the gold content of gold-filled versus solid gold or gold-plated pieces.
Estimate scrap or melt value when selling gold-filled jewelry.
Verify that a piece meets the US FTC minimum 1/20 gold-filled standard.
Calculate gold content when buying gold-filled chain in bulk.
Determine the actual gold weight of a vintage gold-filled watch case.
Educate customers on the difference between gold-filled and gold-plated items.

Frequently Asked Questions

Last updated: 2026-06-19 · Reviewed by Nham Vu