It's the question we're asked most often, and it deserves a straight answer: yes, gold plated jewellery can tarnish. But how quickly it happens, and whether it happens to you at all, depends almost entirely on three things — what's underneath the gold, how thick the plating is, and whether the piece has been sealed.

What gold plating actually is

Gold plated jewellery is not solid gold. It's a base metal with a thin layer of real gold bonded to the surface using an electric current. The gold is genuine. There just isn't very much of it.

This is why plated jewellery costs a fraction of solid gold while looking almost identical when new. It's also why quality varies so enormously between brands, and why two pieces that look the same in a photograph can behave completely differently after six months of wear.

Why cheap plated jewellery fails

Most inexpensive gold plated jewellery is built on brass or copper. Both react with air, moisture and the natural oils on your skin. As the thin gold layer wears through — and on cheap pieces it can be as little as 0.5 microns thick — the base metal underneath is exposed. It oxidises, and you get the familiar dull grey-green discolouration.

This is also where the green skin comes from. Copper reacting with sweat produces copper salts, which stain skin. It's harmless, but nobody wants it.

What makes the difference

The base metal. Gold plating over sterling silver behaves very differently from gold plating over brass. Silver is far less reactive, so even as plating wears, what's underneath is a precious metal rather than a metal that corrodes.

The thickness. Plating is measured in microns. Flash plating, common on fast-fashion jewellery, can be under 0.5 microns and wears through in weeks. Thicker plating lasts years.

The seal. This is the part most people have never heard of. A protective e-coating — a microscopically thin transparent layer applied electrically over the finished piece — acts as a barrier between the plating and the air, water and skin oils that degrade it. It's the difference between a piece that fades in a season and one that holds up.

How ANVIRA pieces are made

Every ANVIRA piece starts as genuine 925 sterling silver, not brass. Our gold pieces are then plated in 18K gold and finished with a protective e-coating.

That combination is why we offer a 12-month warranty. We're not claiming our jewellery is immortal — no plated piece is. We're saying it's built to survive normal daily wear for far longer than the plated jewellery most people have been disappointed by.

How to make plated jewellery last

Put it on last. Perfume, hairspray, moisturiser and sunscreen all attack plating. Get ready first, jewellery last.

Take it off for water. Swimming pools are the worst offender — chlorine is harsh on plating. Showering and washing up are less damaging but still add up over time.

Take it off for the gym. Sweat is slightly acidic and sits against the metal.

Store it dry and separate. A pouch or lined box, away from bathroom humidity. Pieces rubbing together in a jewellery dish scratch each other's surfaces.

Wipe it after wearing. A soft dry cloth removes skin oils before they have time to work. This takes five seconds and does more than any other single thing on this list.

Never use silver polish or dips on plated pieces. They're abrasive or chemically aggressive and will strip the gold layer straight off. A dry cloth is all you need.

The honest summary

All gold plated jewellery will eventually show wear. Anyone claiming otherwise is selling you something.

But there's an enormous gap between plating over brass with no seal, which might last a few months, and 18K gold over sterling silver with a protective coating, which worn sensibly will look good for years. The materials underneath are what decide it.

If you'd like help choosing a piece, or you have a question about caring for something you already own, email us at info@anvira.uk. We answer every message.