Electroplating vs PVD Jewellery: What's the Difference?
Gold jewellery doesn't always mean solid gold. Many affordable gold-tone pieces are made by applying a gold-coloured layer over another metal — usually stainless steel. The two methods you'll come across most often are traditional electroplating and PVD (Physical Vapour Deposition).
They can look identical when new, and both can be genuinely excellent — but they get there in different ways, and it's worth understanding how.
What is electroplating?
Electroplating deposits a thin layer of gold onto the surface of another metal using an electrochemical process. It's the finishing method that's been used in jewellery-making for generations, and it's still exactly how a huge amount of fine and fashion jewellery is made today — including many pieces sold at far higher price points than ours.
Done properly, electroplating produces a beautiful, durable, water-safe finish. The result depends on a few real factors:
- the base metal underneath (stainless steel performs very differently to reactive base metals like brass or copper)
- the thickness of the gold layer, measured in microns
- whether a nickel or other barrier layer is used before plating
- the quality and consistency of the plating process itself
A well-electroplated piece on a stainless steel base can hold its colour and resist tarnishing for a long time with normal care. A poorly plated piece on a low-quality base metal will fade quickly — but that's a quality issue, not something inherent to electroplating as a method.
What is PVD?
PVD stands for Physical Vapour Deposition. Instead of an electrochemical bath, PVD applies the coating material in a controlled vacuum environment, where it bonds directly to the surface of the metal underneath.
When applied to stainless steel, PVD tends to create a very tightly bonded, scratch-resistant gold-tone finish, and it's become popular in modern jewellery for that reason.
So which one is better?
Neither method is simply "better" — they're different processes with different strengths, and the honest answer is that a well-executed job matters far more than which method was used.
- PVD tends to have a slight edge on raw scratch resistance and colour consistency straight out of the box, because the coating bonds so tightly to the metal.
- Electroplating has a long track record, works beautifully on a quality stainless steel base, and — because it's a more established, widely available process — often allows for excellent finishes at accessible prices.
Both can be genuinely water-safe and long-wearing. Both can fade if the base metal is poor, the coating is too thin, or the piece is exposed to harsh chemicals, chlorine or heavy friction over time. That's simply how any coated metal surface behaves — see Can You Shower With Stainless Steel Jewellery? for more on that.
Does gold-tone jewellery tarnish?
The stainless steel underneath is naturally corrosion-resistant either way, and a well-applied coating — PVD or electroplated — adds a further layer of protection on top of that. This means quality gold-tone stainless steel jewellery tends to resist tarnishing and fading noticeably better than cheap plated alternatives on reactive base metals.
Perfume, chlorine, strong cleaning products and repeated friction can still gradually affect either finish. Care matters regardless of which coating method was used — we cover the specifics in How to Keep Gold-Tone Jewellery Looking Good.
What should you actually look for when buying gold-tone jewellery?
Don't judge a piece only by the words "gold plated" or "PVD coated" — both labels can describe excellent jewellery or poor jewellery. Instead, look for:
- The base metal — stainless steel (ideally 316L) performs very differently from softer or more reactive metals
- Material transparency — a brand that tells you exactly what your jewellery is made from, rather than relying on vague "gold" language
- Care guidance — reputable brands are clear about how their pieces should be treated
Our Sena Layered Line Ring and Luma Cube Chain Necklace are both built on a premium stainless steel base, which is the part that actually does the heavy lifting for durability — whichever gold-tone process finishes them.
Our approach at Tamola
Tamola is built around stainless steel jewellery made for everyday wear, and clear material information is part of that. We'd rather tell you plainly what a piece is made from and how it's finished than lean on vague luxury language — because affordable jewellery should still feel considered, whichever coating process brought it to life.