Not all gold jewellery is created equal. If you’ve ever had a favourite piece turn your skin green or lose its sparkle after a few wears, you’ve likely experienced the difference between high-quality materials and "fast-fashion" plating.
At SHAZOEY, transparency is part of our process. We want you to know exactly what you’re wearing and why we’ve chosen specific materials for our handcrafted collections.
Gold Plated: The Occasional Piece
Gold plating is a microscopic "skin" of gold (less than 0.05%) over a base metal like brass or copper. While budget-friendly, the gold layer is very thin and will eventually wear down. It’s best suited for costume jewellery, pieces that are worn once for an occasion, rather than pieces you plan to wear every day.
Gold Vermeil: The Luxury Choice
Gold vermeil is a high quality combination of a thick gold layer over solid Sterling Silver. This ensures every part of the piece is made from precious metals. It’s a popular choice for those who want a premium, substantial feel in their jewellery.
For our signature hand-stamped initial pendants at SHAZOEY, we wanted a more artisanal, high-end finish. Instead of traditional sterling silver, we use 99% Pure Fine Silver. Fine silver is purer than Sterling, offering a stunning lustre and better resistance to tarnish. We finish these pieces in 22-24K Pure Gold, resulting in a deep, classic hue that beautifully highlights the unique, handcrafted textures you won't find in mass-produced jewellery.
Explore our collection of Gold Vermeil Personalised Initial Necklaces, our Artisan Wishbone Necklace, and our signature Rough Diamond Rings
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SHOP GOLD VERMEIL JEWELLERY
Gold Filled: The Everyday Hero
Many people confuse Gold Filled with plating, but it is actually a much more durable material. It’s made by pressure-bonding a thick "tube" of 14K gold to a high quality jeweller's brass core.
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The Difference: Gold Filled contains 100x more gold than standard plating (at least 5% of the total weight).
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The Result: It is tarnish-resistant, hypoallergenic, and designed for daily wear. It offers the look and feel of solid gold without the luxury price tag.
At SHAZOEY, we believe you should be able to live in your jewellery. Because chains and rings experience the most friction throughout the day, we use 14K Gold Filled for these staples. This structural integrity allows our pieces to stand up to the rigours of daily life while maintaining their beautiful, golden glow for years to come.
Explore our 14K Gold Filled Gemstone Birthstone Necklaces, daily Stacking Rings, Gemstone Earrings, and Minimalist Bracelets
SHOP GOLD FILLED JEWELLERY
Solid Gold: The Forever Investment
Solid gold is the highest standard in jewellery. Because it’s gold all the way through, there are no layers to wear away and no base metal to be revealed. It is an heirloom material designed to last a lifetime and beyond.
A Note on Craftsmanship: Why We Mix Metals
You might wonder why we don't make everything in Gold Filled. The reason lies in how the metal is created. Because Gold Filled is made by bonding thick sheets of gold around a core, it only exists in the form of wire or flat sheets. This makes it perfect for our handmade chains and rings, but it cannot be melted down and 'cast' into the intricate, three-dimensional shapes of our charms and pendants.
To create our signature initial pendants and selected charms with their beautiful, finely detailed textures, we use 22-24K Gold Vermeil. This allows us to offer you the best of both worlds: a high-durability Gold Filled chain that stands up to daily wear, paired with an artisanal pendant made from high-purity silver.
Ready to find your new favourite piece? Explore our collection of 14K Gold Filled and Vermeil essentials here.