Gold plating is a method of covering another type of metal (base metal) with a very thin film of pure gold (usually 18K gold) by electroplating it. There is usually around 0.5 - 6 microns of gold on plated jewellery, which is in fact an ultra thin layer! The main downside of plated jewellery is that the gold finish won’t last - it can chip, fade and tarnish easily. Sometimes all it takes is a finger swipe to remove the gold. Often, even brand new gold plated jewellery is not made well enough to pass for solid gold, which makes it look fake. The gold content on plated items is so little, it is virtually worthless. As a result, gold plated jewellery is usually the most affordable (some brands, however, may charge you nearly as much for gold plated jewellery as other brands charge for solid gold jewellery). So, while it is very cheap to manufacture, it is still not nearly as cheap for customers to buy. Gold plated jewellery will also have to be thrown away very soon because its appearance will become inappropriate. Generally, because of its very limited lifespan gold plated jewellery cannot be considered a wise investment. Additionally, it creates a lot of unnecessary waste for the planet.
Gold-filled jewellery is jewellery composed of a solid layer of gold (typically at least 5% of the item's total weight) mechanically bonded to a base metal. The related terms rolled gold plate and gold overlay may be used if the layer of gold is less than 5% of the item's weight. Most high quality gold-filled pieces have the same appearance as solid high karat gold. Gold-filled jewellery, even with daily wear, can last 10 to 30 years, but the layer of gold will eventually wear off exposing the metal underneath. Gold-filled jewellery may sound like a good idea but in reality it can be so pricey that for slightly more one could afford a solid gold piece. Gold-filled jewellery can't really be passed on to next generations or remade into new jewellery. Eventually, gold-filled jewellery will drop its value to 0 and end up like gold plated jewellery on a landfill.
9K and 10K gold is an alloy of pure gold with other metals (see this article). It's cheaper than higher karat gold (e.g. 14K or 18K), but still quite pricey. The main drawbacks of low karat gold is that due to small content of gold, pieces made of 9K or 10K gold will tarnish and discolour, they can also cause allergic reactions/irritation to the skin because of high content of metals rather than gold. We consider 9K and 10K gold to be a waste of pure gold, because while it contains some gold, it doesn't behave like it. In fact, there are base metals that can also give a look similar to gold (e.g. brass), so why to waste pure gold then? 9K and 10K gold jewellery may also look cheap and it often ends up in a landfill too due small gold content.
Solid 14K or 18K gold jewellery is the most valuable form of jewellery you can buy (besides platinum). Purity of gold is expressed as karats with the purest form of gold being expressed as 24K (it is very yellow in colour and very soft in texture). Due to softness, it is preferable to mix pure 24K gold with other metals to make it more durable and suitable for the purposes of wearing it as jewellery. That is how 14K and 18K gold was created. High karat gold will last you a very long time without changing its appearance and it will hold its value for years to come, it can also be recycled for eternity. Solid gold is the most superior metal because of its durability, value and qualities such as being hypoallergenic. However, solid high karat gold is more expensive than gold plated/filled base metals or lower karat gold. That is indeed the only plausible explanation to why those alternatives were created in the first place.
At Valeria's Secret we only make solid 14K and 18K gold or Platinum fine jewellery and sell it at very affordable prices. We do not want to compromise on quality, there is plenty of other non essential things than can be sacrificed instead. Not all jewellery can be called fine jewellery, as the definition of 'fine' means to be of superior or best quality and we truly aim to make only fine jewellery. The price, however, does not have to define the quality here, and we are fully aware of that. What high price often means is that customers have no choice but to pay for the brand name, marketing expenses and other costs associated with operating the brand. Brands could also choose to be more customer friendly by charging "fairer" prices, most of them don't see a 'reasonable explanation' to do that though (why charge less if we we can charge more, they ask). Valeria's Secret is fundamentally different in that regard. We do not want to offer cheaper alternatives of gold to reduce the price because we know that they are not ethical and were created to cut the costs of manufacturers rather than with genuine care for the planet or customers. We also know how very sad it is when your favourite piece of jewellery changes its appearance and turns into a worthless ugly piece. We do not want our customers to have such experiences. We are against the waste of gold and other metals, so we only use solid 14K or 18K gold because we want our pieces to last a lifetime and beyond but they still do not have to cost you a fortune!
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