Gold is designated with the symbol Au on the period table. It can build an empire or be the cause of its demise. There is no other precious metal that tantalizes humanity more than gold. The current price of gold however is neither friendly nor practical for your wallet. For those on a budget, it is a good thing there is replica gold.
Vgold is an alloy aka mixture of metals to look like real gold. Some say Vgold stands for “valuable” gold. However, V stands for vanadium, one of the metal that is added to the mixture to prevent corrosion. Since Vgold contains no actual gold, the price is low and therefore an attractive alternative for replica jewelry.
What is Vanadium?
Vanadium is a silvery white metal originally discovered in 1801 in Mexico and now mined mostly in North West China, Eastern Russia, and South Africa. Named after ‘Vanadis’ who is the Scandinavian Goddess of beauty, this metal can be used to form various multicolored beautiful compounds because of its ability to resist corrosion. Today, it is used to make steel alloys, redox batteries, and even pharmaceuticals.
Is it safe? Vanadium augments the effect of insulin and is used to treat diabetes. It is non-toxic but can cause kidney problem when ingested in large quantity. Uptake of vanadium in human is mainly ingested so there is no risk of your body absorbing vanadium from your jewelry.
Enter VGold
Since vanadium has an anti-corrosive property, it is not surprising to use it as an alloy material to make Vgold. Unlike traditional 14k/18k Gold, Vgold does not contain gold but is a mix alloy designs to have the same color and luster similar to traditional gold. Vgold should not fade over time but that also depends on the composition and quality which varies between different versions of Vgold. Here are some examples.
Golden yellow – copper 58.5%~68.5%, zinc 30%~40%, tin 1.5%, or copper 90%, aluminum 7%, nickel 3% …
Light golden yellow – copper 87.5%, zinc 12.5%, or copper 86.5%, zinc 12.5%, tin 1%
Golden red – copper 75%, zinc 22%, tin 2%, lead 1% …
Different Vgold in the market
There are many acronyms for different generations and blends of Vgold. The followings are the most popular.
V1 Gold This is the cheaper Vgold sold by most of our sellers. It weighs about 2/3 of the total the weight of 18k gold. The color is more yellow in YG or more pink in RG. This is noticeable when placed side by side with 18k or an authentic jewelry. However, you can get away with white gold version of Vgold. V1 Gold is often paired with cubic zirconia.
V2 Gold This is heavier than V1 and almost if not equivalent to 18kt in weight. It is more expensive than V1 and the color is more muted and closer to 18k in both YG and RG. It is often paired with Moissanite.
VK Gold This is V2 Gold with a layer of 18k. No one quite know how thick this 18k layer is. If you have dissected your VK Gold and know the measurement in micro or nanometer, please let us know.
VGold Wear and Tear
Quoted from a Chinese website regarding Vgold. “V gold is very similar to gold in color, and its anti-corrosion performance is slightly inferior to that of gold, and the weight ratio is basically consistent (90%) corrosion in the test box for 100 hours, it can still maintain a high gloss without basically discoloring; in the indoor environment, atmospheric corrosion basically does not change color for two years. Jewelry made of V gold material does not need gold plating, which not only saves a lot of gold for the country, but also avoids environmental pollution caused by cyanide”
However the reviews are mix. There are a handful of members with tarnished Vgold reviewed on the former RL sub. So far, newer generation V2 does not seem to have that problem. In the end, more data is needed especially from those who wear their Vgold on a daily basis for many years.
Last comment … While vanadium inspires the V in Vgold. Tungsten is also often used in Vgold for its anti-corrosive effect. This is just to throw a wrench at you for an already acronym-full and confusing saga that is Vgold.
Traditional Gold (9k, 10k , 14k, 18k, 22k, 24k)
When we talk about traditional gold Au, karat is the unit used to measure gold purity.
24k is 100% gold. 22k is 91.6% gold. 18k is 75% gold. 14k is 50% gold and so on …
There are different shades of gold depending on the karat as well as percentage of silver, copper, and zinc used to make the final product. This is particularly true for rose gold. Cartier rose gold is different from Tiffany rose gold.
The higher the karat, the softer the gold and the more your jewelry will patina (tiny dents and scratches over time). The lower the karat, the more likely your gold will tarnish. Anything below 14k has a higher likelihood of tarnishing. However, even at 9k you can easily buff out the tarnish with polishing cloth.
How much should I expect to pay?
18k rep is unique because it has an intrinsic gold value that you can recoup even if melted. The same cannot be said for handbags. You could potentially sell calf leather at $3-10 per square feet or gold at $1700 per oz. This means that unlike leather goods, you can actually gauge the price of 18k rep.
In general for 18k, expect to pay the cost of gold plus a markup of at least 150% or more for labor cost. The cost of labor varies greatly. If you walk into Van Cleef and Arpel boutique, expect to pay 1000% markup. In 18k rep, expect anywhere between 150-250% depending on the piece. For example, this Frivole pendant weighs at 20g and costs $1280 from XY but is $2150 from MC. Gold scrap value is $820 which means XY is charging at 150% more for labor cost vs MC charging 250% more. VCA is charging close to 1000% markup. Of course, quality, craftsmanship, and accuracy come into play when buying rep. So some MC 1:1 rep do justify the price.
Vgold is harder to price because it depends on the base metals used. However thanks to the mods, we have compiled a Luxelife Jewelry Pricing Transparency Reference where you can take a look at current pricing for all type of jewelry. Source
