Jewelry Guide & Care
Gold Plated Jewelry:
If you want to grow your jewelry collection without paying a premium price, gold plated jewelry is for you. Gold plated jewelry is widely popular because it creates the look of real gold at a fraction of the price. For an item to be considered gold plated, it goes through a process that involves bonding a layer of gold to a base metal using an electric current (the base metals for our jewelry items can be found in the description of each product & as an FYI, sterling silver is the most hypoallergenic base metal). This layer of gold can generally be between 0.5 microns & 2.5 microns thick. With time, this gold plated layer will fade away to reveal the base metal underneath. Once this happens, it's time to replace the jewelry piece. Keep in mind that the only gold that will not tarnish with time is solid gold & this comes with a hefty price tag. All other gold will lose it's shine over time but this all depends on whether it's gold plated, vermeil, or filled.
In summary, if you love the look of gold jewelry & want to wear trendy pieces at an affordable price, gold plated jewelry is the perfect option for you.
Gold Vermeil Jewelry:
Like gold plating, gold vermeil is essentially a layer of gold over a metal base but in this case, the base metal is always sterling silver (hypoallergenic). In order for a piece to truly be classified as gold vermeil, the gold layer must be at least 2.5 microns thick. Gold vermeil jewelry typically comes at higher price tag than gold plated because of the base metal & the thickness of the gold layer. This jewelry tends to last longer than gold plated but will still need to be taken care of to avoid tarnishing over time.
In summary, gold vermeil is the same as gold plating but with a sterling silver base metal & a thicker gold layer. It is best for those who want trendy pieces at more mid-range prices.
Gold Filled Jewelry:
Rather than bonding the gold to the base metal via electric current like in gold plating, gold filled jewelry is created by sandwiching the base metal in between a layer of gold which is then bonded together using heat & pressure. The base metal in this case is typically copper or brass but because the layer of gold is thicker, it will take longer for the gold to fade away. It is still not technically solid gold so you will need to take care of these jewelry pieces in order for them to last but you won't need to be as diligent about caring for them as you would have to be with plated or vermeil. Due to the thickness of gold, gold filled jewelry tends to be less budget friendly but it is still more affordable than solid gold.
In summary, if you are looking for more long lasting but less affordable pieces, gold filled is a great option for you! It mimics solid gold & will last longer than gold plated, but it comes at a higher price point.
What We Offer:
So now that you're all caught up on the differences between plated, vermeil, & filled, you can make a more educated purchasing decision. At Amoriana Jewelry, we currently offer gold plated jewelry & we are slowly adding some gold filled pieces to the mix. Our base metals are sterling silver & brass because from the research I have done, these metals are more friendly to sensitive skin. My goal has been & always will be to bring affordable gold jewelry options to women like me who want to wear trendy, beautiful pieces that are sensitive skin approved without the hefty price tag. In the future, I hope to bring in more vermeil & filled pieces but because we are such a new small business with no investors, starting off with these higher price points wasn't something I could do financially.
Jewelry Care Tips:
To keep your gold jewelry shining, avoid getting it wet. Remove before showering and apply after lotions, creams, & perfumes have dried. The chemicals and oils in these products can cause the gold color to fade more quickly.
Keep your pieces stored away when not being worn. We recommend wrapping your items in a soft cloth, putting in a ziploc bag, or keeping them in a jewelry box to avoid collecting dust.
If you ever have any questions or concerns, send an email to hello@shopamoriana.com & I will get back to you ASAP
xoxo