Finishing, or plating, is a common treatment with sterling silver or bronze jewelry. Plating is used to extend the life and sheen of the jewelry, but can also be used for anti-tarnish properties. After sizing or buffing a piece of jewelry with a machine, it must be re-plated to restore the finish. Read on for more information about common plating methods.
Platinum Plating:
Platinum can be used as a finish coating over sterling silver or copper alloys. Its bright, pure luster enhances the brilliance of gemstones and does not discolor or oxidize. Platinum plating is also characterized by its good resistance to surface abrasion, making jewelry pieces more durable against everyday and long-term wear. Over time, platinum plating will wear off and therefore will require re-plating.
Palladium:
A selection of our jewelry is made of sterling palladium alloy. Palladium is a member of the platinum group of precious metals. By replacing a portion of the copper content used in standard sterling silver with palladium, this proprietary formula renders a precious metal with superior performance attributes. Sterling palladium is five times more tarnish-resistant than standard sterling silver and has strength similar to that of 14K gold.
Palladium has been used as a precious metal in jewelry since 1939, originally as an alternative to platinum for making white gold. Its naturally white color requires no rhodium plating. Additionally, palladium is proportionally much lighter than platinum and is ideal for use in heavier gemstone jewelry. It is a more expensive alloy than nickel, but it seldom causes the allergic reactions that nickel alloy can.
Rhodium Plating:
Rhodium plating is a complex and laborious process that enhances the luster and beauty and extends the life of silver. A member of the platinum metal group, rhodium is often used as a finishing touch on silver jewelry. It's a shiny silvery metal with a very white and reflective appearance, much like mercury. It's also very hard, so it withstands much wear and tear, resists natural tarnishing and wonderfully mimics the brilliant finish of freshly polished silver.
Rhodium plating is used to increase the strength, durability, and bright look of silver, platinum and white gold. It is important to note, however, that rhodium plate on rings will wear off with time and will require re-plating.
Vermeil Plating:
Pronounced "vermay," vermeil is an electroplating process in which 14K gold or higher is coated over sterling silver. Officially designated by the jewelry industry, items may only be sold as vermeil if they have a minimum thickness of 100 millionths of an inch (2.5 microns) of gold over the silver. Regular gold plating is less than 2.5 microns.
The "vermeil" technique of plating sterling silver with gold originated in France in the 1750s. It differs from "gold filled" or "gold plated" in terms of the thickness or thinness of the microns over sterling silver. "Gold filled" pieces have a much thicker layer, between 15 and 45 microns, which is mechanically bonded to the base metal with heat and pressure. Vermeil is a more expensive version of "gold plated". It does not wear off as quickly as gold plating does. However, over time, vermeil wears off and therefore will require re-plating.
Gold/Platinum Embraced Silver or Bronze:
Our platinum and gold embraced collections feature layers of platinum or gold over sterling silver or bronze for a lustrous, radiant finish everywhere you look and touch.
Gold Plating:
Gold plated jewelry, sometimes referred to as "gold overlay", is formed by joining a metal with an outer layer of gold through a process of precisely controlled heat, pressure and time. This creation begins by carefully fitting a sheet of gold to an underlying metal. These metals are then placed in an airtight environment where edges are covered with a paste to prevent oxidation and scaling. The metals are quickly heated and then hydraulically pressed with approximately 2,500 pounds per square inch.
The welded metals are then moved to a rolling mill which compresses the metals into a sheet. Typically the gold layer is comprised of gold between 10K and 18K. Its thickness will vary depending on the piece being made. Total gold content must be at least 1/20th of the weight of the finished form.