What Does 14K GE ESPO Mean?

The designation 14K GE ESPO refers to the quality and designer of a piece of jewelry. The 14K means the gold in the piece is of 14-carat purity. GE means the layer of gold is plated onto a base metal using an electrolytic process. ESPO means the jewelry was designed by Joseph Esposito.

Pure gold is 24 carats, but it is seldom used in making jewelry because it is too soft. Though mixing gold with other materials makes it harder and more durable, the process also decreases its value. Gold that is 14 carats is 14 parts of gold and 10 parts of another metal. Electroplating uses electrical current to cause a thin layer of gold to adhere to the base metal. Federal Trade Commission regulations stipulate that for a piece of jewelry to be designated as gold electroplated, the gold layer must be at least 0.175 microns, or about 7 millionths of an inch, thick.

Designer Joseph Esposito created the Esposito Sterling Signatures collection of jewelry, which is sold exclusively on the QVC television network and the QVC website. He is descended from four generations of jewelers. In 1911, Joseph’s great-grandfather moved the family company from Italy to Rhode Island. Joseph Esposito runs the company and oversees the designing of the jewelry collections.