Will it Tarnish?
Gold Jewelry FAQ
You will find four different types of gold used here at Kismet Gemz being gold finished silver plated copper, gold vermeil (gold plated sterling silver), gold plated stainless steel, and gold filled.
Gold Finished Copper:
This material is only used for the cheaper wire wrapped pieces to give a cheaper option to those who don’t have a ton to spend on handmade jewelry. This wire will eventually tarnish being that it’s plated copper, but it does have a decent wear time of about 1-2 years with proper care. With this wire type refrain from getting it wet at all costs, so no showering with it, sweating, or spraying perfume on it.
Gold Vermeil:
Gold vermeil is 925 sterling silver with a thick coating of gold. Due to this being a sterling silver base it is hypoallergenic and will not irritate skin or turn your skin green. Even though this is better than gold plated copper, it can unfortunately still tarnish over time because it is a plated material. For the longest wear, it is best to keep this out of water. Gold vermeil usually lasts about a year before the plating starts to ware off.
Gold Plated Stainless Steel:
Gold Plated Stainless Steel:
Gold plated stainless steel is the best option for inexpensive gold plated jewelry. It’s quite difficult to find this material for crystal jewelry, but for other pieces it is my top choice for necklaces especially due to it being tarnish resistant and waterproof.
Gold filled:
Gold filled jewelry is the next best right after
solid gold in my opinion. It is the more expensive of the “lower quality” gold, but is also hypoallergenic and can periodically be worn in water. When taken care of gold filled jewelry can be worn for as long as 10 years.