At INITIALLED, we offer the majority of our jewellery in 3 options. Solid Gold, Gold Vermeil & Stainless Steel jewellery may look largely the same, there are important differences between them. These differences affect the longevity of the pieces and of course, price. Read on to learn about the differences between each offering and inform your purchases.
WHY SOLID GOLD JEWELLERY?
At Initialled we offer 3 main collections of jewellery, at varying price points. Our handmade Solid Gold and Sterling Silver pieces are the most expensive however, they are the only collections that are completely made any hand from scratch, using 100% recycled Gold & Silver, making them a unique and sustainable choice. We completely understand that this is not an affordable option for everyone, which is we why also offer the below options, and all our collections are created without physical distinction in mind.
WHAT IS GOLD VERMEIL?
In contrast to regular plated jewellery (see below), Gold Vermeil consists of a base metal of Sterling Silver (which is hypoallergenic) and is plated, in a similar way to regular gold plating, but with a very thick layer of gold (2.5 microns). This method of plating is at least 10x thicker than that used in regular plating and with proper care, these pieces can stand the test of time. One of the benefits of Gold Vermeil jewellery is that these pieces are more a more affordable option to solid gold but look just as stunning.
All of our Gold Vermeil pieces also come in Sterling Silver.
WHY STAINLESS STEEL?
We also offer the majority of our pendants and a selection of rings made from high grade Stainless Steel. If you are looking for affordable jewellery that you can wear all the time, stainless steel is a great option.
These pieces are PVD coated (physical vapor deposition), using a vaccum process, making our pieces resistant to corrosion from regular wear, sweat and lotions. This means our Stainless Steel options, are pretty life-proof and can maintain their original colours. We still recommend taking these pieces off occasionally to clean but you do not routinely need to remove these for activities such as swimming.
WHAT IS GOLD PLATED / SILVER PLATED?
We have made it our mission to bring you long lasting and cost effective jewellery and so we don’t sell regular Gold & Silver plated jewellery.
Typically, Gold Plated jewellery consists of a thin layer of gold that has been bonded to a base metal (usually something like brass or copper) via a process known as electroplating or flashplating. While the gold plating consists of real gold, the amount of gold used is low - typically under 0.5 microns of gold.
One of the benefits of plated jewellery is that it is a more affordable option however, with prolonged or continued wear, plated pieces are likely to tarnish - meaning the gold or silver may wear off - leaving the base metal easier to see. We do not recommend plated jewellery if you have sensitive skin as the base metals, when exposed, are not hypoallergenic.
