Gold Plated Explained: Why Your Jewelry Tarnish

Many people appreciate wearing gold jewelry. For those seeking more affordable options, gold-plated jewelry offers a viable alternative. However, a common concern among wearers of gold-plated jewelry is the tarnishing that can occur over time.

This article will discuss key points regarding gold-plated jewelry, including its different types and what causes tarnishing. We’ll also look at key points in making top-quality gold-plated pieces that won’t degrade over time.

What is Gold Plated Jewelry?

Compared to solid gold jewelry, gold-plated jewelry involves covering a base piece with a layer of gold through electroplating. As typical base pieces like silver and copper usually oxidize over time, gold plating helps extend the jewelry’s service life while improving its aesthetics and durability.

Types of Gold-Plated Jewelry

The combination of unique techniques and the amount of gold used in the process command the price of every gold-plated piece. 3 types of gold-plated jewelry vary in quality and price and are used by many jewelry manufacturers. Below are the 3 main types of gold plating techniques used.

Gold Vermeil

A technique using sterling silver as a base material and putting a 2.5-micron thick gold plating. This makes a strong bond that makes it more durable while maintaining a reasonable price.

Gold Filled

Also referred to as “rolled gold plate” or “gold overlay,” a solid gold layer of at least 3 micron is bonded to the metal base via a combination of heating and rolling. Gold-filled jewelry can either be single-clad, double-clad, or wire-clad.

Gold Plated

One of the most common methods used by jewelers, the base piece is covered with a layer of gold through electroplating. The thickness of plating is usually thinner (0.03 < x ≤ 0.5 micron) and base metal may vary in the price range.

What Causes the Jewelry to Tarnish Quickly?

While there could be several reasons that can cause tarnishing, it all boils down to one thing: the overlaying material of the jewelry piece. More specifically, the electroplated piece’s thickness.

If the gold plating doesn’t meet industry standards, it won’t be thick enough to protect the jewelry piece. Add oxidation and fading caused by daily wear and tear to the mix, and consumers end up with low-quality gold-plated jewelry that will reflect your brand’s image.

Costing also influences the gold plating’s thickness. Many brands choose to cut corners to reduce production expenses, leading to jewelry pieces with a thin coat of gold that can’t do its job well. And while their customers may buy the jewelry for the design, it can lead to a bad experience for them, as the piece will turn black in no time.

What Makes Quality Gold-Plated Jewelry

With our 12 years of research, Nendine has achieved the highest standard in electroplating. Our team works with clients in the jewelry market providing high-quality products for their consumers. Here are some advantages of working with us.

Mirror-Like Surface

A mirror-like surface finish is appealing to customers and also makes it last longer as smooth surfaces are easy to clean. Polishing the base metal to a smooth surface makes an even plating surface and a better bond. This also provides a finish more appealing to many customers.

Tarnish-free

We provide high-quality gold-plating service that is resistant to scratches making it more salable to your target market. We ensure that clients receive the best gold-plated jewelry for their store free from tarnish. With our plating and manufacturing techniques, we develop a method that keeps our jewelry resistant to tarnishing.

Hypoallergenic

Many people are allergic to nickel content inside jewelry, Nendine provides nickel-free gold-plated jewelry to our clients. Our base metal complies with the CA65 rule that does not contain nickel or any metal that can cause health issues. This ensures that every piece we have is safe to wear.

Waterproof

Our high-quality jewelry has a high moisture resistance and is excellent for daily use. Our product can be worn while swimming, in the gym, or in the shower with minimal to zero discoloration.

How Quality Plating Layer It's Made in Nendine

Making quality gold-plated jewelry like vermeil gold requires a sterling silver base metal and a thick layer of gold plating. The process has three steps.

Step 1: Cleaning the Base Material

The base material comes from a lost wax process for better details. Cut from the tree, trimming, and grinding for a clean base.

Step 2: Deeping into Electrolyte Solutions

Making high-quality gold-plated jewelry requires a series of steps.

Silver plating

After the base material is processed it will undergo its first electroplating in silver to build layer.

Polishing

The jewelry is polished into a mirror finish after electroplating to ensure an even surface.

Second silver plating

After its polishing, another silver plating process is done to build another layer and ensure better quality.

Polishing after the second silver plating

Another polishing after plating makes a smooth surface and ensures a good bond for the next step

Palladium Plating

For durability and anti-oxidation, a layer of palladium is plated on the jewelry then another polishing.

Gold Vermeil

The jewelry then gets gold plated with a 2.5-micron thick layer this is to comply with the standard for gold vermeil.

Drying and Degreasing

After the plating and polishing chemicals and compounds have to be removed by cleaning and degreasing agents and dried for the next step.

Protective coating

The nano plating adds protection to the jewelry making it more durable and having a much more lasting shine.

Many factories, in order to save costs, often skip the step of polishing and re-silvering during the first layer of electroplating. Instead, they directly proceed to palladium or rhodium plating. As a result, the plating on the jewelry peels off, bubbles, and shows signs of fading and oxidation in a short period of time. This may be the reason why your jewelry loses its color after just a few days of wear.

Step 3: Quality Check

Plating Thickness Test

We test plating thickness with precision equipment to ensure quality standards are met and we provide a consistent product.

Salt Spray Test

To check for corrosion resistance, a salt test is done on every piece. The item is exposed in a salt solution for 72 hours or more depending on the standard.

Artificial Sweat Test

To test if the jewelry is safe to wear, a sweat test is done by our laboratory. It checks if the jewelry will react when exposed to artificial sweat formulated to mimic being worn.

Actionable Tips For Selecting Qualified Gold-Plated Jewelry Manufacturer

Ask them a few questions and you can judge:

• How many plating layers are there in your jewelry?

Tip: For high-quality plating, every piece undergoes several stages of plating to ensure a durable layer and better bond.

• Do you polish after silver plating?

Tip: After silver plating, they should polish the piece to ensure an even plating and a mirror-like finish. This ensures a good bond when electro-plated.

• What's the thickness of your gold vermeil jewelry?

Tip: The standard for vermeil gold is 2.5-micron in thickness. Any reputable jewelry manufacturer should comply with that standard.

• Do you offer a test report on the plating thickness?

Tip: With precision equipment, they should test the thickness of every piece for quality and consistency.