Is gold-filled or gold-plated jewelry worth anything to a gold buyer?

Gold-plated jewelry has a very thin layer of gold over a base metal like brass. The gold is so thin that most gold buyers pay nothing for it as scrap. Common marks are "GP," "GE" (gold electroplate), "HGE" or "RGP." If you see "18k HGE," that does not mean solid 18k gold.

Gold-filled is a thicker layer of gold bonded to a base metal, often marked "GF" or with a fraction such as "1/20 12K GF." It contains more gold than plating, and some refiners and buyers will take it, but only at a small fraction of what solid gold brings. Older watch cases, eyeglass frames and Victorian jewelry are often gold-filled. Rolled gold plate (RGP) is similar but thinner.

Solid gold is marked with a karat or number like 10k, 14k, 585 or 750. If you are unsure, a buyer can test it. Gold-filled and plated pieces with good design, signatures or age may still sell better as vintage costume jewelry than as scrap.