Not everyone can afford gold jewellery. But now, with the availability of gold-plated jewellery, you don't have to spend a lot of money to increase your jewellery collection. Gold plating is done to keep the cost of jewellery affordable while offering them the same luster as solid gold jewellery. Gold-plated jewellery is layered with real gold; its durability depends on the plating thickness.

Types of gold plating:

Gold plating in jewellery is measured scientifically to differentiate between lower and higher-end plating. The two types of gold plating are – flash plating and micron plating. Flash plating is done to give a quick color to the jewellery. However, it is not durable for the ornaments that you wear daily.

Anything above 1 micron is considered good-quality gold plating. Flash plating is less than one micron of gold plating on jewellery.

What is 2.5micron plating?

Micron plating, unlike flash plating, is more durable. High-quality gold plating includes a solid base metal like sterling silver with 18K gold plating. The gold plating 2.5-3.0 microns thick is considered ideal for the jewellery. In 2.5 micron plating, the product is rhodium plated first for good durability and shine. This extra layer also gives better grip to the next layer. In the next step, the product is immersed in gold bath and it stays there for some time, till the thickness of the gold layer is attained as per the needed micron plating. All our heavy gold plated products have 18K 2.5 microns gold plating. We refer this as “Gold Vermeil.”

Gold Vermeil is an exceptional kind of gold plating jewellery. The process of making vermeil jewellery includes coating sterling silver using a thick gold layer which is generally 2.5 microns thick and 18K. Products with gold thickness of exact 2.5 microns can be legally called “Vermeil.”

How long will the plating last?

The answer to this question is a little tricky because it depends on your lifestyle. If you do a lot of desk work, your jewellery will not fade away quickly, but if you like to get your hands dirty in gardening or construction, your jewellery will lose its color fast.

In addition, your sweat also plays a significant role in keeping your jewellery shiny and lustrous. Some people have a high level of acid in their sweat, which can eat away the plating of your jewellery. So, jewellery starts to change its color after a certain amount of time.

How to take care of your gold-plated jewellery?

There are a few basic rules that you must follow to keep your jewellery shiny, like removing your rings and bracelets when you are cooking, cleaning, swimming, or showering. Clean your jewellery and then store it properly.

If you are buying a piece of jewellery that you have wanted to wear for decades, you should look for solid gold or 18K 2.5-micron gold-plated jewellery.

Here at Bibelot, we are committed to offering top-quality jewellery of excellent value for money. We only sell 18K 2.5-micron gold-plated jewellery because we want to give our clients nothing but the best. With just a little care, you will see your jewellery lasting for decades!