Gold-filled is the best alternative to solid gold. Unlike gold plating, which is a essentially trace amounts of gold chemically and electrically bonded to base metal, gold-filled metals have a thick layer of real gold that is bonded to base metal (usually brass) when the metal is originally formed (or milled). This creates a much thicker and more durable layer of gold on the outside. Think of it as gold-filled-with-base-metal. Everything you see on the outside of a gold-filled piece of jewelry is real gold!Most gold-filled metals are labeled 14/20, meaning the gold is 14k gold, and comprises 1/20th of the entire volume of metal. This means that the outermost 5% of gold-filled is real gold, and the inner 95% is base metal. Not surprisingly, solid 14k gold is about 20x the cost of 14/20 gold-filled. Because of these reasons, gold-filled makes a great affordable alternative to solid gold. Where it is especially cost effective is in necklace chains — the links in necklaces often wear down over time, because the links rub against each other every time the chain moves. It’s possible that solid gold chains are more durable than gold-filled, but not 20x more durable. Also, a solid gold chain can oftentimes cost more money than the gold pendant you pair it with, because of the large amount of gold needed to make a chain. Thus, gold-filled chains can be great companion pieces to solid gold pendants.