Does Gold-Plated Jewellery Tarnish? What Actually Happens

Short answer: yes, eventually — but "tarnish" is doing a lot of work in that sentence, and most of what causes it is avoidable.

Gold plating is a thin layer of real gold — in our pieces, 18K — bonded over a base metal. It isn't the gold that tarnishes. It's what happens to it: the plating wearing thin from friction, or the base metal underneath reacting to moisture, oils, and chemicals that reach it through hairline gaps. Slow that contact down, and a well-made plated piece holds its colour for years, not months.

What actually shortens the life of gold-plated jewellery

• Water, especially chlorinated or salt water. Take pieces off before showering, swimming, or the beach. Sweat counts too — worth removing earrings before a workout.
• Perfume, lotion, and hairspray. Apply these first, let them settle, then put jewellery on last.
• Friction. Constant contact with skin, clothing, or other jewellery wears plating thin faster than almost anything else. This is mostly unavoidable with everyday wear — it's why we plate at 18K rather than a thinner flash coat, to give it more to wear through.
• Harsh storage. Piled loose in a drawer, pieces scratch each other's plating. A soft pouch or lined box, each piece separate, makes a real difference.

Cleaning, simply

A soft, dry cloth after wearing is usually enough. If a piece needs more, lukewarm water with a drop of mild soap, a very soft brush, then dry immediately and thoroughly — never soak, and never use an ultrasonic cleaner or anything abrasive on plated pieces.

None of this is high-maintenance. It's the same handful of habits — on last, off first, dry and separate — that most jewellery, plated or not, rewards over time. It's also why we finish our earring posts in S925 sterling silver rather than base metal: the part that sits against your skin longest is the part most worth getting right.

Looking for pieces built with this in mind? The Pearl and Vintage collections are where we've leaned hardest into everyday-durable materials.