The wide range of jewelry options on the market today is quite confusing, and you may not always know what you are really buying, which is why an 18k brass ring might be a very confusing ring for you to buy. But what is this ring exactly? Is a brass ring with an 18k stamp real or a scam? And more importantly, what does an 18k brass ring mean?
Can a brass ring be stamped 18k?
No, only a gold ring would have the 18k stamp, or in other words, only a gold ring can have the 18k stamp on them.
18k and 14k stamp is a hallmark that is only fitting and used for real, solid gold rings or jewelry. So, if you have a brass ring with an 18k stamp on it, the ring must be a scam.
Can a brass ring stamp 18KGP?
Yes, absolutely. 18KGP is a hallmark sign or stamp on jewelry, and it’s used to denote jewelry that is plated with 18k gold. So, if your brass ring comes with an 18KGP stamp, it means that the ring is made of brass, but it’s plated with a thin layer of 18k gold. If you are shopping for gold jewelry, you should know that most of the brass rings on the market are gold-plated brass rings.
What does 18KGP brass mean?
As mentioned above, 18KGP brass jewelry means that the jewelry in question is made of brass as the base metal, but it’s also been coated with 18k gold. In this case, gold plating can be defined as the process or the method of depositing a very thin layer of gold on brass/
18k represents the value of the gold layer that the brass is coated with, and it means that the jewelry’s outer layer is made of an ultra-thin layer of 75% pure gold. Note that most of the gold-plated brass jewelry is made from a process known as forging gold, a process that is quite common with ornaments and fashion or costume jewelry.
Often, and thanks to the plating, the 18KGP or 18k real gold plated jewelry is quite stable, quite resistant to fading, and holds well against antioxidation at normal temperature conditions. Also, you will be happy to know that up to 60% of the gold that is used in jewelry plating is safe on the skin, and even with the most sensitive skin, 18k gold plating will not cause irritation on your skin.
Note that the gold plating is thinly bonded to a less valuable type of (base) metal, like brass. The only catch is that the layer of gold on the brass is often too thin, and it would flake off after some months, exposing the brass metal underneath the layer of gold. So, 18KGP can be translated directly to 18k (real) gold plating.
How much is an 18K gold plated brass ring worth?
The first thing you need to know when you see an 18KGP stamp on your ‘gold’ jewelry is that the jewelry you are looking for is not the real thing, or rather not made of actual solid gold, which would mean that the gold-plated jewelry is not as valuable as solid gold jewelry is or would be.
Unfortunately, the layer of gold that is plated to the brass is quite thin, which would mean that even if the ring was to be taken into the pawnshop for its scrap value, it wouldn’t be much. Then there is the fact that brass is not a valuable metal, which would mean that, as whole, the gold-plated brass ring isn’t quite valuable. If you are selling it, you shouldn’t expect anything more than a few dollars from it – less than $100 or even $50.
Note, however, that if the brass jewelry is poorly plated, then it could be worth so little, perhaps even less than $3. I can tell you guys the truth, the factory price is less than $3.
Pros and cons of 18KGP brass ring
Pros
- With good care, the gold color can be preserved for 6months to even 2 years.
- Affordable
- Looks as good as the real thing (when still new)
- Low risk of allergies, and 18K gold plated brass jewelry can be worn by persons with sensitive skin.
- Access to elegantly crafted brass jewelry at a fraction of the price
- Makes elegant fashion jewelry
Cons
- The plated jewelry is not durable, and the layer of gold could flake off at any minute.
- It’s not solid gold and not really valuable.
- Once the layer of gold flakes or wears out, the copper in the brass would turn your skin green.
Should you buy an 18KGP brass ring?
If you are looking for gold jewelry on a budget, and want to avoid skin irritation, then buying an 18kGP brass ring would be ideal. But you should be aware of the risks involved, including the fact that the ring will not last too long or always look as good as new. And because the base metal is brass, you cannot polish it once the layer of 18k starts to turn color.
Conclusion
If you have a brass ring stamped 18k, the first thing you should know is that the ring is a scam and not the real thing. You’re most likely looking at a gold-plated brass ring.
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Tiger is a fashion&jewelry lover. He is also a fashion jewelry manufacturer that help thousands of small business to grow and also do business with some big fashion jewelry brands. He is a truly metal expert and he will share some information you are looking for.