At Regal Jewelry, we offer high-quality, full-service jewelry manufacturing. With our extensive jewelry knowledge and meticulous artisans, our final polishing and plating processes ensure a shiny and smooth jewelry surface. In this blog, we share the definitions and differences of gold plating, vermeil, and gold-filled jewelry.
Understanding Gold Plating
Gold-plated jewelry refers to jewelry made from various base metals (such as sterling silver, or brass), which is then electroplated with a layer of gold to give it that lustrous gold color and protection. The thickness of the gold layer that is plated on top varies according to each country's regulations and customer preferences. However, the gold layer's thickness is usually required to be equal to or greater than 0.5 microns. A thinner layer of gold plating may need gentler and more delicate care.
The Allure of Vermeil Jewelry
The vermeil technique is a subset of gold plating, with a specific base metal and plating thickness requirement. Vermeil jewelry requires a gold thickness of at least 2.5 microns, plated on sterling silver (92.5%) jewelry. Vermeil jewelry is recognized for its high quality and durability, as the gold thickness requirement is higher than most other plated jewelry specifications.
What is Gold Filled?
Gold-filled jewelry is crafted by bonding a thick layer of gold to a base metal, for instance, brass or copper, through a mechanical process that involves heat, such as soldering or welding, and pressure. With a minimum of 5% gold applied to the base metal, gold-filled pieces are known for their durability.
At Regal Jewelry, we provide a comprehensive plating service. From flash plating to vermeil plating, our service is tailored to meet customers' thickness and gold content requirements. Our expertise extends to crafting one-tone, two-tone, and tri-tone plating designs, all of which can be customized to align with your specific preferences. With quality assurance stations at each production process, including quality checks after plating and final quality assurance before shipping, our customers can rest assured that they will receive the finest jewelry pieces.
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