This is Jill Maurer with Your Jewelry Minute,
and today I'm answering the question, "What is plated or gold plated jewelry?". Gold plated jewelry is made from a base metal. And that base metal can be silver, copper,
or just about anything. And it has a very very thin layer, and I mean
microscopically thin layer of gold over the top of it. And the reason for doing this is to give the
look of gold jewelry without having the expense. It is not gold jewelry, but it does look like
gold jewelry. If you scratch electroplated jewelry, it will
show that base metal through, and over time the base metal will start coming through the
gold.
The molecules of the base metal bleed up through
the gold, and it will tarnish eventually. It will not stay gold. The good news is it can be re-electroplated. You can have it done again. It's important to know that this layer of
gold is very very thin because some people will market and they'll say it's 24 karat
gold plated. There's really not much of a difference in
gold between 24 karat gold plated and 14 karat gold plated, so don't buy into that. It is not gold jewelry, but it does give you
a wonderful look. If the gold is specifically plated over silver,
we call that vermeil. That is what is known as vermeil jewelry. So that was Your Jewelry Minute to answer
you question, "What is gold plated jewelry?". Until next time!.