Under United States’ law the price of gold is set at $35 per “fine” or 24-karat ounce. This price is carefully controlled and is applicable to gold used for monetary transactions between countries. A free market in gold also exists in which the price wedding band sets fluctuates somewhat. Except in periods of heavy speculation or international monetary stress the free price hovers close to the controlled price. Because gold is expensive there is a large demand for “gold-filled” and “gold-plated” objects, which cost less but maintain the appearance and wear-resistance of gold. The two terms—filled and plated—are somewhat confusing to the jewelry buying public. In simplest terms, the difference lies in the thickness of the coating of gold applied to a base of some other metal, such as copper. Plating can apply a layer of gold as thin as %oo,ooo of an inch. Because this layer is so thin, the jewelry item will have the appearance of gold, but it will not survive much abrasion or hard wear. A matching wedding bands gold-filled object has a much thicker coating. It may bear a notation such as 1/10—14K. This means that the surface layer is 14-karat gold and that it makes up one-tenth of the total weight of the metal. This is a much more durable coat, suitable for most jewelry work.