TESTING YOUR METAL
The most common platings for precious metals are Gold Plating
for silver items and Rhodium Plating for silver and white gold.
Gold plated silver, usually a high carat gold, is referred to as
gilding, or vermeil, and gives the appearance of gold but at less
cost.*
Most white gold jewellery you can buy is rhodium plated to give
it a high white and re ective shine. Plating will wear over time
and need re-plating by a jeweller.
Platinum is a relatively new metal, but considerably more
expensive due to its rarity. It was discovered during the 16th
century, but not used in jewellery making for another couple of
hundred years. Again, there are di erent grades of platinum but
it isn't referred to in carats. The most common alloy used for
jewellery is 95% platinum to 5% other metals, marked simply as
platinum .950.
Plating
Plating is done to enhance the nished item, make it appear
more precious, protect softer metals, or simply enhance the
colour. It can also be used on base metals, such as copper,
brass and nickel to mimic precious metals and increase their
value.
Platinum
*Vermeil is a traditional luxury material used for table plate,
toilet services and grand decorative pieces. Vermeil is a French
word which came into English use, mostly in America in the 19th
century. It is a combination of sterling silver, gold and other
precious metals used as a component in jewellery. A typical
example is sterling silver coated with 14k gold. Source Wikipedia
