Common Misconceptions About Gold Plated Silver Jewelry

Myth: Gold plated silver jewellery lacks the look & feel of real gold & may lead to embarrassment 

We get such questions asked a lot - "Will it resemble authentic gold jewelry or present a fake/counterfeit appearance? As someone who has only worn real gold jewelry, I cannot jeopardize my self-esteem in public." 

For most women who have only worn solid gold jewelry in the past, this predicament is understandable. It is a bit like the unease within someone who has always travelled first class and is now considering the economy class to save some money. Let us acknowledge that for most people, the perceived approval of their appearance in social settings holds significant sway over their sense of self-worth. 

Mass produced jewellery, like plain bangles, chains etc or even semi-machine made jewelry like diamond or cz jewellery should obviously have no visual difference when made in solid gold versus when made on silver base. Why? The manufacturing process involves low human labor. However, when it comes to hand-made jewelry and especially manual stone studded jewelry like jadau, the number one factor dictating final visual appearance is the quality of the craftsmanship rendered by all the karigars involved. 

We are committed to make all our jewelry with same care and dedication. There is no special "A" team for 22k gold and a lesser skilled "B" team here for silver jewelry with gold plating. We believe this to be our top strength as achieving a genuine gold-like appearance and feel requires the identical procedures and expertise as deployed in making gold jewelry.

 Our gold plated jewelry visually matches our solid gold pieces so closely that even professional jewellers can't tell the difference, especially in actual wear lighting conditions!. Checkout some sample comparative images.

Please note that we are not trying to make a case here to dump gold jewelry altogether and opt for gold plated silver, but strictly from a financial value point of view devoid of emotions and sentiments, the benefits of gold plated silver easily outweigh the solid gold. 

Myth: Gold plated silver jewelry is not a good financial investment compared to solid gold jewelry

Buying gold is a time tested investment to preserve purchasing power against inflation. Therefore, buying gold ornaments not only offers an avenue for investment but also satisfies the desire for personal adornment.

Let us dig a little deeper into the investment part. When you buy gold jewelry, you pay a premium over and above the actual investment into the pure gold component - that is, the stones, making charges etc. This premium typically ranges from a lowly 3-8% for machine made jewelry items like chains, plain bangles etc and can go upto 15-25% of the total cost for the more labor intensive jewelleries (like ours). 

To drive home the point, let us take an example wherein we have one pair of bangles in 22k gold for $4500 and another one made on silver base with gold plating for $600.

Gold Plated Silver Bangles Price: US $600 Visit Product Page	22k Gold Bangles Price: US$ 4,500 Visit Product Page

Now suppose you have $4,500 in your purse and its a given that both the above options give you very similar looking bangles (see the above visual comparison). Which option gives you a greater investment exposure into gold?

One option you have is to buy that 22k gold bangle for $4,500 which includes say a 20% premium on making charges, stone cost etc. That means $3,600 of the $4,500 got parked into gold as investment and 900$ got spent irreversibly to pay for the "bangles" that you shall be occassionaly wearing on your wrist and most of the times, it shall be in a locker/vault. Visualize this option as follows: $4,500 spent from your purse out of which $3,600 in the form of gold investment is sitting on your left palm and on the right palm are "bangles" that now holds zero financial value.

The other option, you have is to buy the gold plated silver bangle for $600 and park away the balance $3900 into solid pure gold or a gold ETF. Visualize this option as follows: $4,500 came out from your purse. $3900 in the form of gold investment is sitting on your left palm and on the right palm is "bangle" that still holds non-zero resale value because of the silver metal component. 

If the underlying fact that both the 22k gold and the gold plated silver bangle have the same visual and aesthetic feel holds true (and its not a trivial "IF" that is prevalent)  then it should be easy to conclude that the gold plated silver one is the winning investment!

Myth: Gold Plated Silver Jewelry is Not Durable and is Subject to Eventual Tarnishing/blackening

Contrary to popular belief, gold plated jewelry can be surprisingly durable if properly cared for. While the gold layer may wear off over time with frequent use, gentle cleaning and maintenance can help prolong its lifespan before requiring re-gold plating.

Like our 22k gold, our gold plated silver jewellery is also washable. This enables the elimination of chemical contaminants (from pollution, sweat etc) that may blemish the surface with a brief rinse under the tap, subsequent drying, and storage in ziplocks. Read more about what causes tarnishing of silver based jewellery and how to easily avoid it.

Note: Not all gold plated jewellery sold in the marketplace is washable - especially the kundan/polki type. Infact, bringing water in contact with such jewellery will rapidly hasten its demise!

Treat your gold plated pieces with care, and they will continue to shine for years to come. The high quality stone materials used in our gold plated silver jewelry allow re-gold plating as many times as required at a nominal cost. Our gold plated silver jewellery has indeed been made to last forever.