Is your gold real? What does “18k gold-plated” mean?

Most of our gold-tone jewelry is 18k gold-plated over 316L stainless steel — not solid gold, and we’re always upfront about that.

Here’s what that means:

• 18k gold-plated = a real layer of 18k gold bonded to the surface of a durable base metal. On our core pieces that base is 316L stainless steel, and the gold is applied by PVD (physical vapor deposition), which bonds it at a molecular level so it resists wear far better than cheap electroplating.
• The result is the look of gold with everyday durability — it resists tarnish and water, unlike gold-plated brass. See gold that doesn’t tarnish.
• Some pieces use nickel-free 925 silver or PVD-plated copper instead — full details in what our jewelry is made of.

This is what we mean by affordable luxury: a real metal core and a real gold layer, without solid-gold prices.