Bella vs Rio as gold fill chain suppliers

Jewelry Discussion
1

I’m hoping there is some gold fill wisdom out there that will help
me!

I have been looking for a specific gold fill chain which through my
searches I have found at Fire Mountain Gems, Rio Grande and Bella
Findings. My confusion is why would the price be $20.21 per foot at
Fire Mountain and $17.95 at Rio, but only $4.85 at Bella. I have
compared similar sterling chains from Bella and Rio and Bella is
only slightly more money per foot so it doesn’t seem to me that it
is because they just generally have less expensive items across the
board. What I’m wondering is if its actually not gold fill but
instead gold plate. I called them today to ask, because it does not
designate the gold fill mark on their website, which I have read
that if it is gold fill it must be specified. The man I talked to
said that it was gold fill and was 14/20, but then why doesn’t it
say that on the website!

I don’t want to look a gift horse in the mouth, but I also don’t
want to get something that isn’t going to live up to the durability
of gold fill or might let me down with my customers.

Does anyone have any experience with buying gold fill from Bella (or
somewhere else) or anything that might help me in figuring this all
out?

Amy

2

Amy,

I find that Bella has much better prices than rio or fire mountain
gems across the board. I don’t blame you for being skeptical, and I
would verify with Bella that it is gold filled. But Bella seems to
have their “sliding scale” prices down to a science. I do feel that
sometimes with other companies, especially mail order that sell to
the world at large, have a much higher starting point than those
that deal more personally with the designer one on one. I don’t have
any experience with gold fill, but I find that Bella blows the
competition out of the water on 14K…

Amery Carriere Designs
Romantic Jewelry with an Edge
www.amerycarriere.com

3

I’am not familiar with Bella who has their Phone # ??? Jeff Ellis

4

Bella Findings
607 S Hill St Ste AR6
Los Angeles, CA 90014
(213) 629-4840

5

Have you tried Halstead.com?

I used to buy gold fill items from them quite a bit years ago. They
always had the best prices.

Best of luck!