If you've shopped for gold jewelry online, you've seen these terms: gold plated, gold filled, gold vermeil, 18K solid gold. They sound similar. They are not.
Here's what each actually means — and why it matters for how long your piece will last.
Gold plated
A thin layer of gold (usually 0.05–0.5 microns) bonded to a base metal — typically brass or copper. Cheap to produce. Tarnishes within weeks of regular wear. Fades in water.
Gold filled
A thicker layer of gold (legally must be 5% of the total weight) mechanically bonded to a brass core. Lasts longer than plated, but still wears through eventually. Hard to make in delicate designs.
Gold vermeil
Like gold plated, but the base is sterling silver and the gold layer must be at least 2.5 microns thick. Higher quality, but vermeil can still tarnish over time and the silver underneath reacts with skin in some people.
18K solid gold
Real, solid 18K gold throughout. Doesn't tarnish, lasts forever. Also costs $500–$5,000+ per piece. Not realistic for daily wear.
What NORA uses: PVD-bonded 18K gold on stainless steel
Our pieces use a different process entirely. The base is surgical-grade stainless steel (not brass, not silver, not anything that reacts with skin). The 18K gold layer is bonded via PVD — Physical Vapor Deposition — which welds the gold to the steel at a molecular level inside a vacuum chamber.
The result lasts 5–10× longer than traditional plating. It won't tarnish. It won't fade in water. It won't react with sensitive skin. And it's affordable because the base material is steel, not pure gold.
Think of it as the practical alternative to solid gold for everyday wear. You get the color, the weight, the look — without the four-figure price tag and without the "take it off in the shower" anxiety.
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