What does Gold Plated Jewellery really mean?

Here's an easy guide to answer every questions you have wanted to ask about Gold-Plated Jewellery.

What is Gold-Plating?

Gold plating is the process of layering a thin-plate of gold onto a base metal. This base metal can be Nickel, Brass, Copper, Stainless- steel and more. Based on the type of metal, there might also be a layer in between the base metal and gold in order to ensure that the gold-plating is perfectly done and lasts long.

Is it real gold?

Yes, the plating applied on the metal is real gold. 

Does Gold-plated jewellery have different levels or categories based on the type of gold?

The purity of the gold in gold-plated jewellery is classified exactly the same as solid gold jewellery. The purity ranges from 10 karat and the highest is 24 karat, it is this purity that gives the jewellery the beautiful golden shine. At Silvia Gnecchi, all our products are plated with the highest quality 24k gold.

Does the thickness of the plating matter?

Gold-plating ranges in thickness between 0.17 to 2.5 microns. The thickness is considered based on the kind of accessory that is gold-plated. For extremely lightweight earrings and bracelets a coating around 0.17 microns is applied. 

Usually, gold plating of 0.5 to 1.0 microns is coated on commonly- used accessories while the heavier plating of 2 - 2.5 microns is used for bigger pieces that could be more prone to fading due to the weight of the piece.

Are there any other checks I should keep in mind when buying Gold-Plated Jewellery?

Some of the base metal and layering used may cause allergies and be quick to oxidation. It is important to ensure that the seller specifies that the jewellery is Nickel-free and Hypoallergenic, as Nickel is the base metal that mostly commonly causes allergic skin reactions. 

Will the shine on gold-plated jewellery last?

In order to ensure that the gold-plated jewellery retains its shine for a longer period of usage, a safe polish coating can be applied. This satin finishing prevents the jewellery from corrosion.

Check out some of our Bestselling gold-plated jewellery here