Gold-Plated, 925 Silver, Brass, Steel: Reading Jewellery Metals

Why the words matter

On a jewellery listing, one word can change the price several times over: “gold”, “gold-plated”, “gilt”. Some terms are regulated by law, others are sales wording. Knowing how to read these words protects you from disappointment, without any need to cast suspicion on anyone: a brass piece honestly described as gilt is a good purchase at its price.

This page is a reading guide. For the detailed composition of each metal, you can complement it with our page on silver, steel, brass.

Solid gold: karats and parts per thousand

Pure gold (24 karat) is too soft for jewellery: it is alloyed with other metals. The fineness expresses the proportion of gold in parts per thousand; the karat expresses the same thing out of 24. In France, the legal standards for gold are 999, 916, 750, 585 and 375 parts per thousand.

Calculation: 18 karat = 18 ÷ 24 = 0.75, that is 750 parts per thousand. For 14 karat, 14 ÷ 24 gives 583; the legal standard adopted in France is 585. “Solid” gold means the piece is made entirely of a gold alloy at one of these standards, and is not simply coated. Note: white gold is an alloy of gold with other metals, which may contain nickel; see nickel allergy.

Silver: 925, 800, “solid”, rhodium-plated

Pure silver (999) is too soft. 925 silver (or sterling silver) contains 92.5% silver, the rest being most often copper; the French legal standards are 999, 925 and 800. “Solid silver” means the piece is not simply plated. Silver tarnishes on contact with sulfur in the air and with sweat: this is normal and can be reversed by gentle polishing.

Rhodium-plated silver is covered with a thin layer of rhodium, a metal from the platinum group, which gives a white shine and limits tarnishing. The layer eventually wears off. A piece described as “silver-plated metal”, “silver tone” or “silvered” is not silver: it is a base metal coated with a silver layer.

Plated, filled, vermeil, gilt: how thick is the gold?

According to the DGCCRF sheet on jewellery labeling, the terms “gold-plated”, “filled” and “vermeil” are regulated: they require a minimum amount of gold deposited on a base metal, with a maker's mark. The thresholds used are 3 microns of gold for gold plating and 5 microns for vermeil (gold over silver, with gold of at least 750 parts per thousand). A micron is one thousandth of a millimeter. If the gold layer is thinner than 3 microns, the piece may only be sold under the terms “gilt” or “platinum-finished”.

These figures come from an administrative sheet that we have read ourselves, but we have not been able to review the text of the French General Tax Code (Code général des impôts) that sets them: ask the seller for the gold thickness and the nature of the base metal. Lifespans are orders of magnitude, which depend on sweat, friction and care.

Brass, steel, titanium: metals without precious metal

• Brass. An alloy of copper and zinc. It can darken or leave a greenish mark on the skin (a reaction between copper and sweat), which is harmless in itself. Very common in costume jewellery, often plated.
• Stainless steel (for example 316L). An alloy mainly of iron, chromium and nickel; it does not tarnish and resists water. “Surgical steel” is mainly a sales term. It contains nickel, firmly bound within the alloy.
• Nickel silver (copper-nickel-zinc alloy). Despite its sometimes misleading name (“German silver”, “nickel silver”), it contains no silver, but it does contain nickel. Avoid it if you have an allergy.
• Titanium, niobium. Metals well tolerated by sensitive skin, rarer in stone jewellery.
• Zinc alloys. Light, cast, often brittle. Common in costume pendants.

Questions to ask before buying

1. What is the setting made of: solid or plated? On which base metal?
2. How thick is the gold layer, in microns?
3. Is the fineness stated (925, 750) and is a maker's mark visible?
4. Are the clasp and chain made of the same material as the setting?
5. Does the product comply with the European limits on nickel, lead and cadmium?
6. Who is the seller and what do they offer in case of a return?

A good seller answers without difficulty. For our products, the material is stated on the listing; see our commitments.

What you cannot check yourself

No home test replaces a laboratory analysis. “File” tests, “acid” tests or “flame” tests are dangerous and damage the piece; do not carry them out. A magnet proves nothing: gold and silver are not magnetic, but many costume metals are not magnetic either. For a valuable piece, go to a jeweller or a laboratory. For stones, see real or fake stone.

Frequently asked questions

Also read

The meanings mentioned belong to tradition and symbolism. They are neither promises of results nor medical advice. Back to Buying guides and gift ideas.