Know Your Jewelry: A Guide to Metals and Plating
Style Dots just released its all-new Water-Resistant Jemma Jewelry Line. With chains, bracelets, rings, earrings, charms, and slides, this new line is perfect for the woman with an adventurous spirit.
But what does water-resistant mean? A quick Google search only adds to the confusion with hundreds of different definitions all contradicting each other.
So we’ve put together this guide to understanding metals and plating. This will let you know—based on your jewelry’s composition—if it’s safe for the water or not!
But first, a note about caratage: Caratage is the purity measurement of gold alloyed with other metals; the higher the caratage, the purer the gold: 24 carat gold is pure gold with no other metals; 18k gold contains 75% gold and 25% other metals. While the minimum cartage required to be considered gold varies by country, it’s most often 10k.
Don’t Get Wet: Metals and Plating That Are Not Water Resistant
The following metals and platings are not recommended for use in water; to preserve the life of your jewelry, you should take it off before swimming, showering, doing the dishes, etc.
Standard Silver and Gold Plating
This method of plating metals with a gold or silver color does not actually contain any real gold or real silver. Instead, a thin layer of gold- or silver-colored plating liquid is chemically or electrochemically deposited onto the surface of another metal, usually a metal alloy or brass.
Most often used for fashion jewelry, this form of plating is also called flash plating. The plating is less than 1 micron thick and will tarnish if exposed to water.
If you need to clean it (all jewelry needs regular cleaning!), you can clean it with a polishing cloth. It’s generally bright gold or bright silver in color.
Style Dots .990 Silver Plating & Gold Plating
Many of Style Dots interchangeable jewelry foundations are made with .990 silver plating or gold plating. This method of plating deposits a thick layer of silver- or gold-colored plating on the surface of another metal—again, most often a metal alloy or brass—by chemical or electrochemical plating. The plating is less than 1 micron thick, except for our Gold Diamondette products, which have a plating thickness of 2 microns.
While this plating liquid does contain a very small amount of fine silver or real gold, it is not safe to wear this jewelry in the shower, pools, or the ocean as it can tarnish. You can clean your silver- or gold-plated jewelry with a polishing cloth. Generally, it’s bright silver or bright gold in color.
Gold Vermeil
Gold vermeil is a combination of a sterling silver core with a real gold plating; however, to be called vermeil, the gold layer must be (1) above 2.5 microns in thickness; and (2) 10 carats* or higher.
The vermeil plating is created by electroplating the silver item with gold, a chemical process that uses an electrical current to bind the two metals together.
To clean your gold vermeil jewelry, use a polishing cloth or toothpaste. While gold vermeil does contain real gold and sterling silver, it’s not recommended that you wear it in the shower, pool, or ocean, as the chemicals could cause it to tarnish.
The color of gold vermeil varies, depending on the gold plating caratage.
Life Your Best Life: Metals and Plating That Are Water Resistant
When your jewelry is made with these metals and plating, you can go on your adventures without worrying about taking your jewelry off first. However, to preserve the life of your jewelry, it’s always best to clean it often and avoid harsh chemicals!
Real Gold
Real gold is determined by its caratage, or the measurement of how much pure gold is mixed with other metals.
If you have a piece of jewelry that is 24k gold, that means it is pure gold without other metals mixed in. A piece of jewelry that is 18k gold means your jewelry contains 75% gold and 25% other metals. Generally, an item must be at least 10k to be considered real gold.
You should clean your real gold jewelry with warm water and liquid dish soap. Its color will vary depending on the caratage.
Sterling Silver
To be considered sterling silver, the alloy must contain 92.5% silver and 7.5% other materials, usually copper. The sterling silver standard has a minimum fineness of 92.5. Fine silver, 99.9% pure, is generally too soft for producing functional objects like jewelry.
While you can wear your sterling silver in water, you should be careful of exposing it to saltwater and harsh chemicals, which can lead to tarnishing. Be sure to clean your sterling silver often with a polishing cloth, toothpaste, or baking soda.
The color of sterling silver is considered a true silver.
Stainless Steel
Stainless steel doesn’t tarnish and it can withstand most daily activities without corroding or getting scratched. It’s hypoallergenic and very durable. It has a layer of chromium that prevents oxidation, rust, and discoloration.
You can wear your stainless steel jewelry in the shower, swimming pool, or ocean. However, repeatedly exposing your jewelry to chlorine and saltwater can cause corrosion over time. So you should clean your stainless steel jewelry regularly, especially after swimming.
To clean your stainless steel jewelry, use warm water and liquid soap. Stainless steel is considered to be a true silver color.
PVD Gold-Plated Stainless Steel
PVD, or physical vapor deposition, is a process used to coat stainless steel. This technique involves “blasting” the gold onto the metal at a high temperature. The gold moves from a condensed vapor state to a thin solid film.
PVD plating is much more durable than chemical or electrochemical plating. Like regular stainless steel, PVD gold-plated stainless steel is hypoallergenic and extremely durable. You can also wear your PVD gold-plated stainless steel in the shower, swimming pool, or ocean.
But like regular stainless steel, repeatedly exposing your jewelry to chlorine and saltwater can cause corrosion over time. So you should clean your PVD gold-plated stainless steel jewelry regularly, especially after swimming.
You can clean your jewelry with warm water and liquid dish soap. Its color will vary depending on the gold’s caratage.
That’s it! Everything you need to know about metals and plating in your jewelry and how to care for it.