Is Your “Gold Plated” Jewellery Really Gold Plated?

Have you ever bought gold-plated jewellery only to have it change colour in weeks, sometimes even days? Well, you're not alone. The jewellery isn't how you wear it, but how it was made in the first place. We recently discovered something shocking about the industry standard for gold plating, which explains a lot.

Many pieces marketed as gold-plated are actually coated with just 0.03 microns of gold. That’s barely more than a misting, and not nearly enough to handle daily wear. To be considered true gold plating, not just a gold flash, the jewellery must have at least;0.50 microns of gold layered over a base metal. Anything less doesn’t meet the minimum durability standard.

At Ella & Faith London, we don’t believe in shortcuts. All our gold-plated pieces are created with a minimum of 0.50 microns, so you can wear your jewellery with confidence, without worrying it’ll fade in a week. We’ll always tell you the plating type and metal base in our product descriptions. Because you deserve to know what you’re buying, protect yourself while shopping online, and check if the brand discloses the gold thickness (in Microns). Avoid phrases like “gold tone” or “gilt” if you want long-lasting jewellery, and if the price is too good to be true, it probably is.