This beautifully detailed pin is marked Sterling 1/20 12K GF, meaning that its base metal is Sterling Silver which is fused with 12 karat gold. Gold filled jewelry became extremely popular during the Great Depression (1929-1940), when precious metal jewelry was no longer affordable. This pin was made in the World War II era, somewhere between 1939 and 1945.
I never understood the term "gold filled." I always pictured something like a twinkie, with the cake representing the less expensive metal, and the luscious cream filling being the gold. But "gold filled" jewelry is always gold in color, so it made no sense. The website
http://www.milkywayjewels.com/ does a great job in explaining gold filling and similar processes:
"Gold filled jewelry is made from karat gold which has been bonded to the surface of a supporting base metal through a process of fusing and rolling. It is always marked with the karat designation and an indication that it meets the legal standard. Look for marks such as 1/20 12K G.F. or 12 Kt. Gold Filled. Rolled gold plate is also made by fusing and rolling gold onto base metal, but the plating is significantly thinner. Rolled gold plate may be marked 12 Kt. R.G.P. or 1/40 12K R.G.P. Another mark you will sometimes encounter is G.E., or gold electroplate. This is the thinnest of all gold plating techniques. The gold or gold alloy is not fused and rolled onto the base metal beneath, but rather plated in solution using an electrical charge to make the bond. By law, gold electroplate must be at least 7/1,000,000-inch thick, but this is extremely thin when compared with gold filled."
Feel free to contact me if you are interested in purchasing this piece. Questions, comments, and additional information are always appreciated. My online shop on http://www.ebay.com/ is coming soon.
Thank you to the following website(s) for the historical content of this blog post:
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