What is PVD gold?

PVD gold ✨ 

 

Hypoallergenic - Anti tarnish - Waterproof - Sweat Proof - Lotion & perfume proof jewellery

 

All of our NAKED collection is curated out of 18K PVD gold. The base metal we use for our PVD gold jewellery is 316L stainless steel. The L in ‘316L’ stands for low carbon, it is a medical grade metal and is often used for piercings. It is the only steel allowed to come into contact with wounds due to its extremely low (less than 0.05%) nickel, these properties also mean 316L stainless steel contain low irritant metals making it a form of hypoallergenic jewellery. 

Unlike other plated jewellery PVD plating is a vacuum coating that offers a lot of scratch resistance and durability. During the PVD process part of the gold layer is absorbed into the base metal, in our situation the stainless steel. To explain simplistically the difference between PVD gold and gold plated is to imagine buttering a slice of toast. PVD gold is when the butter melts and is absorbed by the warm slice of toast and gold plating is like buttering a cold slice of toast where the butter will sit and lay on top of the bread opposed to within’ the bread. Thus giving the gold content on the item of jewellery a more resilient wear due to it’s properties being within the base metal rather than only bonded on top of. 

 

Due to the composition of 316L stainless steel it is an anti-tarnish, anti-rust alloy, meaning overtime your jewellery will not discolour and turn a dark grey/ black colour which is a result of an oxidation process. Due to it’s low copper content the metal will not discolour to a greeny/ blue colour known as patina and leave similar coloured residues on your skin. 

In a nut shell PVD gold is perfect for those GOLD everyday wearers as it provides extremely good resistance to many environmental factors faced when wearing jewellery.

 

Despite their level of durability we do recommend following the few care tips to prevent any damages to your PVD gold piece:

 

  • Remove when activities can cause scratches and damages to protect the durable coating. Unlike other gold plated items, scratches on PVD gold will not reveal the base metal but will overtime eat into the durability of the protective exterior coating and result in the reduction of gold appearance.

 

  • Remove/ protect by wearing rubber gloves or similar against any abrasive cleaning agents and chemicals, again to protect the durable exterior coating and gold appearance. 

 

  • Handle with care and remove during any strenuous exercises or activities to avoid deforming and damaging the jewellery structure. Some PVD jewellery may include gemstones or be of a finer structure so pay particular care to each individual piece.

  • Regularly clean your jewellery to avoid build up of dirt. To do so gently wipe your item of jewellery with a microfibre cloth/ jewellery cleaning cloth or similar to remove any dirt and oils that can accumulate over time. Avoid any harsh chemicals or sterling silver cleaners as these can cause damage to the gold and other metals.
     
  • If dirt has built up and become lodged in certain areas of your jewellery we recommend using a very soft bristle toothbrush and some warm, mild soapy water to clean the item.

 

  • Long term exposure to extreme temperatures and chemicals such as perfumes, hairspray, lotions and haircare products can, over time cause discolouration. We recommend removing in these situations if you want extreme longevity for your jewellery. 

  • If your jewellery includes stones be aware that exposure to chemicals and lifestyle activities can damage them before the gold appearance/ metal itself is affected. More on gemstone care can be read on a separate subsection on this page.
  • Although our jewellery is waterproof excessive water exposure overtime could risk your jewellery to discolouration and reduction of gold plating. To avoid this happening try to limit unnecessary wear in water.