Gold-plated Jewellery

Gold-plated jewellery refers to jewellery that has a gold plating of 0.5 microns* thick. By law it is not required to have a base metal of sterling silver however at Dainty By Kate we believe in only suppling pieces that are the hypoallergenic and nickel free. Gold-plated pieces are a lot cheaper than other gold jewellery as there is only a thin layer of gold and therefore it has less valuable. Gold-plated are great pieces for girls on a budget who still want to purchase jewellery pieces that look like expensive gold but doesn’t have the matching price tag! However, due to only having a thin layer of gold these pieces gold is subjected to quicker wear compared to gold vermeil.   

Micron: a metric unit of measurement where one micron is equivalent to one one-thousandth of a millimetre [1 micron (1μ) = 1/1000 mm]

How to Care for Gold Plated Jewellery:

As gold plated pieces are less durable than other metals we offer, it’s important to avoid any friction or rubbing that may sped up the process of the gold wearing away.

We also recommend you:

1. Remove your jewellery before swimming in the ocean or chlorine pools
2. Remove your jewellery before exercising or any activity where you sweat as your sweat creates a chemical reaction with the gold
3. Put your jewellery on after your morning routine aka after you’ve showered and applied any lotions or perfume as these chemicals may also tarnish your precious pieces
4. When not wearing your pieces store them out of direct sunlight. We recommend storing your jewellery in our velvet pouches and jewellery boxes that you received with your order.
5. To clean your jewellery, we suggest using the pink microfiber cleaning cloth to gently* buff your pieces.

* Please be careful with this as over time you may rub of the gold plating but cleaning your pieces helps to remove any excess moisture or oils that may tarnish your jewellery.

Gold Vermeil Jewellery

Gold vermeil jewellery is legally regulated and has to meet all three conditions to be considered ‘gold vermeil’. These conditions are:

1. Have sterling silver as its base material. Sterling silver is an alloy made of 92.5% pure silver and 7.5% other materials, and is a standard material used in high quality jewellery (versus, e.g., brass or copper).
   2. Be plated in gold that is at least 10k (10 karats). That means the gold is at least 41.7% gold content.
   3. Have gold plating that is at least 2.5 microns thick. A micron is 1/1000th of a millimetre.

Source: Federal Trade Commission

Gold vermeil jewellery will last a lot longer than gold plated pieces, but not as long as solid gold. Since the gold plating is a lot thicker, these pieces are more durable and less likely to lose their gold appearance.  If you don’t have the budget for solid gold, gold vermeil jewellery has a great balance of long-lasting wear and affordability. 

1. Remove your jewellery before swimming in the ocean - please note that brief contact with water will not tarnish your pieces but may cause them to lose their colour and shine over time
2. Never wear your pieces in chlorine pools
3. Remove your jewellery before exercising or any activity where you sweat as your sweat creates a chemical reaction with the gold
4. Put your jewellery on after your morning routine aka after you’ve showered and applied any lotions or perfume as these chemicals may also tarnish your precious pieces
5. When not wearing your pieces store them out of direct sunlight. We recommend storing your jewellery in our velvet pouches and jewellery boxes that you received with your order.
6. To clean your jewellery, we suggest using the pink microfiber cleaning cloth to gently* buff your pieces.

* Please be careful with this as over time you may rub of the gold plating but cleaning your pieces helps to remove any excess moisture or oils that may tarnish your jewellery.

925 Sterling Silver

925 sterling silver, is a metal alloy used in jewellery and is made of 92.5% silver (Ag), and 7.5% copper (Cu). Pure silver is very soft and therefore cannot be used to make jewellery on its own. By binding it to other metals such as copper it makes the silver harder, more resistant and durable but without compromising on its colour. All our pieces are stamped with 925 which will always indicate 92.5% silver purity.

1. Sterling Silver is sensitive to water due to its copper component. We recommend avoiding wearing your pieces in the water as it will oxidize your jewellery over time. But please note that water will not tarnish your 925 sterling silver pieces, they may just lose their shine.
2. The oils in your skin help keep sterling silver from oxidizing faster so wear your silver jewellery often. When you are not wearing your pieces, please store them in your original Dainty By Kate jewellery box or velvet pouch, which keeps them out of direct sunlight. 
3. Never allow sterling silver to come into contact with chlorine or any household chemicals, as this will tarnish the silver jewellery.
4. If you notice your pieces are looking a little dull, or have a greyish/ black tint to them, use the pink microfibre polishing cloth to clean them.

316L Stainless Steel 

316L Stainless steel is a highly resistant alloy, meaning it is made with a number of different metals, but is composed of steel, 20% of chromium and a tiny bit of nickel. Compared to other metals used in jewellery, stainless steel is the strongest, most hyperallergic (despite its nickel component) and doesn’t tarnish.

Stainless steel will maintain its shape even with regular wear and active lifestyle, and is scratch resistant. The chromium prevents the jewellery from tarnishing and rusting and also doesn’t react with other chemicals such as chlorine, salt and sulfuric acid.

How to Care for 316L Stainless Steel:

Stainless steel is the easiest metal to look after as it doesn’t require you to be cautious around water.  But here are some tips to make sure your pieces will last and look the best they can.

1. When not wearing your pieces please store then, please store them in your original Dainty By Kate jewellery box or velvet pouch, which keeps them out of direct sunlight. 
2. It is best to avoid harsh cleaning products such as bleach
3. Clean your jewellery using the pink microfibre polishing cloth

G23 Titanium

Titanium is a natural element which has a silver colour and when polished can look very similar to platinum (a very expensive metal). Titanium is the hardest natural metal in the world; however, it is very lightweight (45% lighter than surgical steel). This means it won’t pull or weigh down on your piercing holes, which can cause irritation and pain. It is also completely nickel free, which is usually the metal in jewellery that causes allergic reactions.  Titanium is classified as biocompatible which means it is safe to use/ come into contact with the human body, which makes it 100% hypoallergenic. This is why many medical implants are made out of this metal and also the reason why many piercers will choose to use titanium jewellery for new piercings. In simplest terms, titanium jewellery provides those with sensitive skin peace of mind, that their body will not react to the jewellery.

We offer a range of titanium pieces at Dainty By Kate which you shop at here. Since titanium can also be plated without effecting the safety of the material, you can pieces in 14k gold plated.  Our titanium pieces are G23 grade which is also referred to as Implant Grade 23 Titanium (Ti6AL4V ELI), this means that our pieces are made of the highest quality hypo-allergenic titanium.

How to Care for G23 Titanium:

G23 Titanium is the easiest metal to look after as it doesn’t require you to be cautious around water.  But here are some tips to make sure your pieces will last and look the best they can.

1. When not wearing your pieces please store then, please store them in your original Dainty By Kate jewellery box or velvet pouch, which keeps them out of direct sunlight. 
2. It is best to avoid harsh cleaning products such as bleach
3. Clean your jewellery using the pink microfibre polishing cloth