What is Gold Plating?

Gold plating……sometimes we hear that term and images of gaudy, poor quality jewelry just seconds away from turning green comes to mind.  However, that’s far from the whole story.  Gold plating, when done in the correct way, allows consumers to experience the rich color and luster of gold jewelry, but at a fraction of the price.  It’s a great option for pieces that may not be your forever style, but they’re just right for right now.  That’s why fashion jewelry is often plated with gold as the styles change with the current trend and there’s no need to break the bank. 

There are certainly varying levels of quality when it comes to gold plating.  The process is referred to as electroplating, and it’s used in many industries.  Gold plating is essentially applying a very thin layer of gold over a base metal, commonly brass or bronze.  For jewelry items, the piece is manufactured in the base metal and then thoroughly cleaned to ensure a smooth surface.  Because brass and bronze both contain copper, which is very reactive, a barrier layer is usually added to the piece prior to plating.  This helps to prevent the jewelry from tarnishing over time. 

This is only a temporary fix as the base metal will eventually tarnish and as the gold plating wears away the discoloration will show through.  As a note, nickel can still be used in the United States as a barrier metal, however due concerns over nickel allergies, it is illegal to use in the European Union and white bronze is sometimes used instead.  Once the barrier is in place, the piece is thoroughly cleaned again and it is ready for plating. The plating is applied to the jewelry by immersing it into a chemical solution specific to the application and then subjecting the items an electric current. 

The Federal Trade Commission requires that the plating applied to a piece of jewelry be at least 0.175 microns.  You can read their guidelines here.  As a point of reference, the average width of a human hair is 50 microns.  The karatage of the gold and the thickness of the applied layer would depend on the designer.  The average thickness for jewelry can run anywhere from 1-5 microns, the thicker the layer the longer it will last.  For costume jewelry the plating material is typically 10k gold while a fashion jewelry designer would likely use 18k gold.  Disclosure of gold plating is a legal requirement, and it is often detailed in the “Description” of the item online. 

The reality of gold plating is that it will wear off over time.  We have all seen older married couples whose rings are worn thin from years and years of exposure to the elements.  The same thing happens with all gold jewelry, and with plating, there’s just not that much material there to begin with.  The amount of time you have to enjoy the piece will depend on the thickness of the original layer of plating and the quality of the application.  Any porosity or microscopic holes in the gold layer exposes the base metal to air and bodily fluid which will cause it to tarnish faster.  As the gold wears away, that tarnish will start to be visible on the piece of jewelry.  High-quality gold-plated jewelry can last for years, while low quality can be useless in a few months. 

Hopefully now you can show with confidence and look for descriptions on the material of construction for the jewelry you are considering so you know what you’re paying for.  So many of us purchase jewelry online sight unseen, and all that glitters isn’t gold. As always, we love to hear from you so contact us with any questions……or funny stories!