But using the term "gold" in the title is not dishonest - it is creating a title to attract someone searching for the item you are selling. Remember - gold is a material, but it is also a color.
Actually it is considered unfair or deceptive by the FTC, you cannot
use the word gold without indicating the karat fineness in front of
the word gold to describe any jewelry item unless the item you are
describing is 24K. This applies not only to marking the work but
also to any description of the item. This includes your web and
internet descriptions. You cannot say gold chains you must say “14K
gold chains"or"14 karat gold chains” to describe a 14k chain. If the
product is gold fill it must state it like this “14 Karat Gold
Filled,” "14 Kt. Gold Filled, “14K G. F.”.
Here is the applicable text from the FTC Guides
723.4 Misrepresentation as to gold content.
(a) It is unfair or deceptive to misrepresent the presence of gold
or gold alloy in an industry product, or the quantity or karat
fineness of gold or gold alloy contained in the product, or the
karat fineness, thickness, weight ratio, or manner of application of
any gold or gold alloy plating, covering, or coating on any surface
of an industry product or part thereof.
(b) The following are examples of markings or descriptions that may
be 2See 723.4(c) for examples of acceptable markings and
descriptions.
(1) Use of the word “Gold” or any abbreviation, without
qualification, to describe all or part of an industry product, which
is not composed throughout of fine (24 karat) gold.
(2) Use of the word “Gold” or any abbreviation to describe all or
part of an industry product composed throughout of an alloy of gold,
unless a correct designation of the karat fineness of the alloy
immediately precedes the word “Gold” or its abbreviation, and such
fineness designation is of at least equal conspicuousness.
(3) Use of the word “Gold” or any abbreviation to describe all or
part of an industry product that is not composed throughout of gold
or a gold alloy, but is surface-plated or coated with gold alloy,
unless the word “Gold” or its abbreviation is adequately qualified
to indicate that the product or part is only surface-plated.
(4) Use of the term “Gold Plate,” “Gold Plated,” or any abbreviation
to describe all or part of an industry product unless such product
or part contains a surface-plating of gold alloy, applied by any
process, which is of such thickness and extent of surface coverage
that reasonable durability is assured.
(5) Use of the terms “Gold Filled,” “Rolled Gold Plate,” “Rolled
Gold Plated,” “Gold Overlay,” or any abbreviation to describe all or
part of an industry product unless such product or part contains a
surface-plating of gold alloy applied by a mechanical process and of
such thickness and extent of surface coverage that reasonable
durability is assured, and unless the term is immediately preceded
by a correct designation of the karat fineness of the alloy that is
of at least equal conspicuousness as the term used.
(6) Use of the terms “Gold Plate,” “Gold Plated,” “Gold Filled,”
“Rolled Gold Plate,” “Rolled Gold Plated,” “Gold Overlay,” or any
abbreviation to describe a product in which the layer of gold
plating has been covered with a base metal (such as nickel), which
is covered with a thin wash of gold, unless there is a disclosure
that the primary gold coating is covered with a base metal, which is
gold washed.
(7) Use of the term “Gold Electroplate,” “Gold Electroplated,” or
any abbreviation to describe all or part of an industry product
unless such product or part is electroplated with gold or a gold
alloy and such electroplating is of such karat fineness, thickness,
and extent of surface coverage that reasonable durability is
assured.
(8) Use of any name, terminology, or other term to misrepresent that
an industry product is equal or superior to, or different than, a
known and established type of industry product with reference to its
gold content or method of manufacture.
(9) Use of the word “Gold” or any abbreviation, or of a quality mark
implying gold content (e. g., 9 karat), to describe all or part of
an industry product that is composed throughout of an alloy of gold
of less than 10 karat fineness.
Note to paragraph (b) 723.4: The provisions regarding the use of the
word “Gold,” or any abbreviation, as described above, are applicable
to “Duragold,” "Diragold, “Noblegold,” “Goldine,” “Layered Gold,” or
any words or terms of similar meaning.
(c) The following are examples of markings and descriptions that are
consistent with the principles described above:
(1) An industry product or part thereof, composed throughout of an
alloy of gold of not less than 10 karat fineness, may be marked and
described as “Gold” when such word “Gold,” wherever appearing, is
immediately preceded by a correct designation of the karat fineness
of the alloy, and such karat designation is of equal conspicuousness
as the word “Gold” (for example, “14 Karat Gold,” "14 K. Gold,“or"14
Kt. Gold”). Such product may also be marked and described by a
designation of the karat fineness of the gold alloy unaccompanied by
the word “Gold” (for example, “14 Karat,” "14 Kt.,“or"14 K.”).
Note to paragraph (c)(1): Use of the term “Gold” or any abbreviation
to describe all or part of a product that is composed throughout of
gold alloy, but contains a hollow center or interior, may mislead
consumers, unless the fact that the product contains a hollow center
is disclosed in immediate proximity to the term "Gold " or its
abbreviation (for example, "14 Karat Gold-Hollow Center,“or"14 K.
Gold Tubing,” when of a gold alloy tubing of such karat fineness).
Such products should not be marked or described as “solid” or as
being solidly of gold or of a gold alloy. For example, when the
composition of such a product is 14 karat gold alloy, it should not
be described or marked as either “14 Kt. Solid Gold” or as “Solid 14
Kt. Gold.”
(2) An industry product or part thereof, on which there has been
affixed on all significant surfaces, by any process, a coating,
electroplating, or deposition by any means, of gold or gold alloy of
not less than 10 karat fineness that is of substantial thickness,3
and the minimum thickness throughout of which is equivalent to
one-half micron (or approximately 20 millionths of an inch) of fine
gold,4 may be marked or described as "Gold Plate"or"Gold Plated,“or
abbreviated, as, for example, G. P. The exact thickness of the plate
may be marked on the item, if it is immediately followed by a
designation of the karat fineness of the plating which is of equal
conspicuousness as the term used (as, for example, “2 microns 12 K.
gold plate” or " 2 12 K. G. P.” for an item plated with 2 microns
of 12 karat gold.)
3The term substantial thickness means that all areas of the plating
are of such thickness as to assure a durable coverage of the base
metal to which it has been affixed. Since industry products include
items having surfaces and parts of surfaces that are subject to
different degrees of wear, the thickness of plating for all items or
for different areas of the surface of individual items does not
necessarily have to be uniform.
4A product containing 1 micron (otherwise known as 1) of 12 karat
gold is equivalent to one-half micron of 24 karat gold.
Note to paragraph (c)(2): If an industry product has a thicker
coating or electroplating of gold or gold alloy on some areas than
others, the minimum thickness of the plate should be marked.
(3) An industry product or part thereof on which there has been
affixed on all significant surfaces by soldering, brazing, welding,
or other mechanical means, a plating of gold alloy of not less than
10 karat fineness and of substantial thickness5 may be marked or
described as “Gold Filled,” “Gold Overlay,” “Rolled Gold Plate,” or
an adequate abbreviation, when such plating constitutes at least
1/8420 th of the weight of the metal in the entire article and when
the term is immediately preceded by a designation of the karat
fineness of the plating which is of equal conspicuousness as the
term used (for example, “14 Karat Gold Filled,” “14 Kt. Gold Filled,”
“14 Kt. G. F.,” “14 Kt. Gold Overlay,“or"14K. R. G.P.”). When
conforming to all such requirements except the specified minimum of
1/8420 th of the weight of the metal in the entire article, the terms
“Gold Overlay"and"Rolled Gold Plate” may be used when the karat
fineness designation is immediately preceded by a fraction accurately
disclosing the portion of the weight of the metal in the entire
article accounted for by the plating, and when such fraction is of
equal conspicuousness as the term used (for example, " 1/8440 th 12
Kt. Rolled Gold Plate” or " 1/8440 12 Kt. R. G.P.").
5See footnote 3.
(4) An industry product or part thereof, on which there has been
affixed on all significant surfaces by an electrolytic process, an
electroplating of gold, or of a gold alloy of not less than 10 karat
fineness, which has a minimum thickness throughout equivalent to.175
microns (approximately 7/1,000,000ths of an inch) of fine gold, may
be marked or described as “Gold Electroplate"or"Gold Electroplated,”
or abbreviated, as, for example, “G. E.P.” When the electroplating
meets the minimum fineness but not the minimum thickness specified
above, the marking or description may be “Gold Flashed"or"Gold
Washed.” When the electroplating is of the minimum fineness specified
above and of a minimum thickness throughout equivalent to two and one
half (21/842) microns (or approximately 100/1,000,000ths of an inch)
of fine gold, the marking or description may be “Heavy Gold
Electroplate"or"Heavy Gold Electroplated.” When electroplatings
qualify for the term “Gold Electroplate” (or “GoldElectroplated”), or
the term “Heavy Gold Electroplate” (or “Heavy Gold Electroplated”),
and have been applied by use of a particular kind of electrolytic
process, the marking may be accompanied by identification of the
process used, as for example, "Gold Electroplated (X
Process)“or"Heavy Gold Electroplated (Y Process).”
(d) The provisions of this section relating to markings and
descriptions of industry products and parts thereof are subject to
the applicable tolerances of the National Stamping Act or any
amendment thereof.6
6Under the National Stamping Act, articles or parts made of gold or
of gold alloy that contain no solder have a permissible tolerance of
three parts per thousand. If the part tested contains solder, the
permissible tolerance is seven parts per thousand. For full text,
see 15 U. S.C. 295, et seq.
Note 4 to paragraph (d): Exemptions recognized in the assay of karat
gold industry products and in the assay of gold filled, gold
overlay, and rolled gold plate industry products, and not to be
considered in any assay for quality, are listed in the appendix.