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Two pieces of jewellery can look identical on the day they ship and behave completely differently " after six months, and the difference is almost always the plating. This guide is the specification " conversation we have with buyers, written down so you can put it into your own purchase order.
Why “gold plated” is not a specification
It says nothing you can hold anyone to. The two things that actually determine lifespan are " the plating method and the thickness in microns. A quotation that states only the colour " is telling you the appearance and hiding the durability, which is fine for a one-season trend piece " and unacceptable for anything sold as everyday wear.
So the first sentence of your specification should be a number: “0.5 µm rhodium over " a brass base”, or “1 µm PVD gold on 316L”. If a supplier cannot " give you that number, the answer is not that they have a secret process — it is that the " thickness varies and they would rather not commit.
PVD, ion plating and electroplating
Electroplating is the traditional method: the piece goes into a bath and an electric current " deposits metal onto it. It is cheap, it gives rich colour, and because the deposit builds in a bath " you can lay it on thick — several microns is achievable. The catch is that the coating is " softer than a vacuum-deposited one and tends to lift at sharp edges, which is exactly where a ring " or a clasp wears first.
PVD vaporises the coating metal in a vacuum chamber so it deposits onto the surface at a molecular " level. The layer is thinner, but it is considerably harder and more abrasion-resistant, which is why " it has become the default for 316L stainless steel. Ion plating is a high-energy variant used when " you need saturated colour — jet black, rainbow, deep navy — rather than a metal tone.
| PVD (vacuum) | Ion plating (IP) | Electroplating (water) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| How it works | Coating metal is vaporised in a vacuum and deposited onto the piece | A high-energy form of PVD used for strong colours | The piece is dipped in a chemical bath and a current deposits the metal |
| Typical thickness | Thin, but hard and bonded at a molecular level | Thin to medium | Can be built up thick — up to several microns |
| Wear behaviour | Best abrasion resistance of the three | Hard, smooth, good colour retention | Softer; more prone to lifting at sharp edges |
| Colour range | Gold, rose gold, black, steel tones | Jet black, rainbow, deep navy and other saturated colours | Gold, rose gold, rhodium, silver |
| Best for | 316L sold as everyday or waterproof | Colour-led lines and black finishes | Deep colour or a heavier micron count |
| Watch out for | Very thin layers can still wear at the sharpest edges | Needs a well-prepared base to bond | Edge lifting is the usual failure mode |
Which finish for which piece
- Rhodium over silver or brass — bright white, and it is the standard anti-tarnish " answer for silver. It also protects stone seats, which is why a pavé piece is usually rhodium " plated over the setting.
- 18K gold tone on 316L via PVD — the most durable gold look we make, and the right " choice for anything the customer will not take off.
- Rose gold — needs a slightly thicker layer than yellow gold to hold its pink tone " over time. If a rose gold piece is sold as everyday wear, specify the thicker option and put the " number on the quotation.
- Black and steel blue — ion plating territory. Very hard, very colour-stable, and the " finish that sells a men's line without a precious metal.
- E-coat (clear lacquer) — an optional top layer that adds wear resistance and protects " an unplated copper or brass surface from leaving a trace on skin. It costs a little and slightly " softens the depth of colour, so we quote it as its own line rather than adding it by default.
The wording to put in your purchase order
Copy this list into your enquiry. It is roughly what a factory needs in order to quote a plating " line you can check on delivery:
- Base metal and alloy (e.g. 316L stainless steel, or brass)
- Plating method (PVD, ion plating or electroplating)
- Target thickness in microns, with a tolerance
- Colour and, if relevant, a reference sample
- Which surfaces must be plated — including the inside of a band and the earring posts
- Whether a clear top coat is wanted
- Testing required for the destination market, and on how many styles
Given those seven lines, a quotation becomes checkable. Without them, you are comparing colours.
Testing, and what we will not claim
For Europe, the test that matters most is EN 1811 nickel release, which measures how much " nickel leaves the surface rather than how much the alloy contains. The threshold for items in " prolonged skin contact is 0.5 µg/cm²/week. REACH and RoHS declarations, salt-spray " testing and third-party laboratory testing with an independent lab can all be arranged.
What we will not do is tell you that a certificate covers every style you buy. Scope depends on the " exact alloy, the plating and the market, so the correct procedure is: name the styles in scope, and " ask for the current report for those. Testing is quoted as its own line because the cost depends on " how many styles are involved.
The plating conversation in one line. Decide the lifespan you " are selling, then buy the micron figure that delivers it — and put both on the product page. " Customers forgive a one-season piece described as one. They do not forgive a piece described as " waterproof that stops being gold in a month.