What Is A Gold Plated Chain?
A gold plated chain is a piece of metal jewellery with a thin layer of gold plating bound onto the base metal. The process was founded by Luigi Brunatelli an Itallian alchemist.
Gold plating is often used for costume jewellery or to create pieces that mimic solid gold jewellery.
The differences between solid gold jewellery and gold plated jewellery is extremely hard to tell, and with it being a fraction of the cost provides an affordable alternative.
Try guess the visual differences between our Rio 18k gold plated rope chain we offer at Sky Austria and another brands solid 18ct gold rope chain.
Photo by Fjewellery
How Much Is A Gold Plated Chain?
The price of your gold plated jewellery entirely depends on the amount of gold that is used. A general rule is that bonded gold jewellery is almost always cheaper than gold filled jewellery. If you are looking for a piece that will retain its value, then you should opt for solid gold chains.
Gold Plated Anubis Necklace by Sky Austria
How Long Do Gold Plated Chains Last?
Gold plating was designed to be permanent, however like most plated jewellery eventually fading will occur due to rough exposure. How long gold plated pieces last depends on the thickness of the plating, quality of the jewellery as a whole and the colour of the base metal.
Overtime the shininess will fade with time, however with proper care your gold plated chains can last for up to two years.
If your pieces start to tarnish the best way to deal with it is to have them replated, but because plated chains are extremely affordable it's probably worth just getting a new piece as a whole.
Do Gold Plated Chains Turn Green?
Inevitable wear of the gold plating over the base metal is expected however the process of chains turning green or leaving green marks on your neck depends on the base metal material.
Jewellery that utilises copper base materials will often cause the chain or wearer to experience green discoloration once the metal plating is worn out.
At Sky Austria we provide a solution to this problem and use a stainless steel base material under our gold plating to prevent this from ever happening.
Photo by Bellatory
Do Gold Plated Chains Fade?
Any chain that is plated will eventually fade as the layer material used is often thin. When exposed to wear and tear it will start to loose its shininess.
However gold plating on stainless steel base materials seems to be long lasting, with it lasting up to 2 years before the gold plating tarnishes and wears down.
It goes back to how often you wear it and the frequency of contact your chain has to the outside world and the elements.
Photo by Quick Jewellery Repairs
Can I Shower With A Gold Plated Chain?
Gold plated chains can withstand occasional showers and water exposure, however we don't recommend it if you are looking to maximise the life span of your plated piece as water contact can overtime cause the gold layer to wear off.
However personally I wear all Sky Austria's pendants and chains in the shower and they have lasted me ever since first putting them on.
Where To Buy Gold Plated Chains?
There are plenty of great places to buy gold plated chains online, of course we have to recommend our chains as they have been tested by ourselves to be long lasting, non tarnishing and super durable for wear on a daily.
What more, at Sky Austria we even have a range of gold plated pendants including our original Anubis and Katana pendant designs that you can pair with our gold plated chains to elevate your outfit even more.
Learn more about chain necklaces including what they are, the different types, sizing and more by reading our necklace chain guide.