gold is one of the oldest materials in human history. it's been worn, traded, worshipped, and fought over for thousands of years. and yet, for most of us, the gold we wear every day is not quite what it seems.
here's what's actually going on — and why it matters more than most brands will tell you.
what does the karat number actually mean?
pure gold is 24 karat — 999 parts gold out of 1000. in europe you'll often see this written as a number stamped on fine jewelry: 999 for 24k, 750 for 18k (75% gold), 585 for 14k (58.5% gold). same gold, different notation — and the kind of thing you've probably noticed on a piece without ever knowing what it meant.
the higher the karat, the purer and softer the gold. lower karats are harder because they contain more alloy metals — which is why most solid fine jewelry is made in 18k or 14k.
for plating, the karat logic shifts. what determines durability in a plated piece is not the karat but the thickness of the layer. a thicker 24k plating will outlast a thinner 18k plating every time.
at les solides, we plate with 24k gold — the purest form. we chose it for its richness and warmth of color. 24k gold has a depth and saturation that lower karats simply can't match. paired with our fairtrade recycled sourcing, it's a choice we're very deliberate about.
then there's color. yellow gold is the classic — warm, timeless, the natural color of gold. rose gold gets its blush tone from a higher copper content. white gold is alloyed with palladium or silver and often rhodium-plated for its cool finish.
why fairtrade gold matters
most people don't think about where their gold comes from. they should.
gold mining is one of the most environmentally and socially complex industries in the world. small-scale and artisanal mining — which accounts for around 20% of global gold production — often operates without regulation, exposing miners to dangerous conditions and communities to environmental damage.
fairtrade gold changes that. it means the gold has been sourced from certified small-scale miners who receive a fair price for their work, operate under safe conditions, and meet strict environmental standards. buying fairtrade gold supports communities directly and ensures the material your jewelry is made from didn't cause harm along the way.
it's a choice that costs more. we think it's worth it.
gold plating vs. gold vermeil — what's the difference?
this is where most brands go quiet. so let's be specific.
gold plating is a thin layer of gold applied over a base metal — often brass or copper. the industry standard sits between 0.5 and 1 micron in thickness — and flash plating, the cheapest option, can be as thin as 0.17 microns. at that thickness, the gold layer wears off quickly, sometimes within weeks of regular wear.
gold vermeil is different in two important ways: the base metal must be sterling silver (not brass or copper), and the gold layer must meet a minimum thickness standard. vermeil requires at least 2.5 microns of gold — significantly more than standard plating.
that extra thickness is what makes vermeil worth the name. it lasts longer, feels more substantial, and behaves more like solid gold over time.
and then there's what we do.
at les solides, we plate at 3 microns as standard. our rings — which take the most daily wear and friction — are plated at 4 microns.
in practice, most of the market plates at 0.3 to 1 micron to keep costs down. that means our plating is up to 10 times thicker than what you'll find in standard gold plated jewelry.
we use 24k recycled fairtrade gold. we plate over 925 sterling silver. and we plate thicker than we have to — because it's the right thing to do for a piece that's meant to be worn every day for years.
re-plating — for your pieces
even the best vermeil will eventually show wear. that's not a flaw — it's just the nature of a surface finish on a metal that moves with you.
when that happens, we can re-plate it.
we offer a gold vermeil re-plating service in our zurich store — for les solides pieces and for pieces from other brands too. bring in a necklace, a ring, a pair of earrings that have lost their shine, and we'll restore them.
because good jewelry deserves to last.
