Hi J it must be the electroplating week! We have received a number of questions about gold plating over the last couple of days.
The most important thing to know is that the electroplating process was first used in 1840. So, yes, some very old electroplated pieces can be found. Gold plated can often be detected by close examination using a magnifying glass or jewelers loupe . You can often detect the tell-tales signs of peeling, flaking and wearing away of the thin coating of gold over the base metal, usually on the parts of the metal that gets the most wear.
Rolled gold is a term that was used in the 19th and early 20th century for "gold filled" which is a different process than gold plating. Both processes however have base metal as core.
The marks you find on metal, such as - 14 H.G.E and 18 H.G.E , (usually found on rings) are often confused for karat gold marks, when if fact H.G.E. stands for HEAVY gold electroplating.
