PVD Coating vs Gold Plating: What's the Difference?

Gold-tone pieces from our collection

If you've shopped for jewellery recently, you've seen "PVD" everywhere — usually next to the word "waterproof". It's a real technology with real advantages, but the marketing around it deserves some honest unpacking. Here's what PVD actually is and how it compares to traditional gold plating.

What is PVD?

PVD stands for Physical Vapour Deposition. Inside a vacuum chamber, coating material is vaporised and bonded onto the jewellery at a molecular level, forming a thin but extremely hard and uniform layer. It's the same family of technology used to coat watch cases and even machine tools. In jewellery, PVD is most often applied over stainless steel, with a gold-coloured finish (sometimes using real gold in the process, sometimes ceramic compounds like titanium nitride that mimic gold's colour).

What is traditional gold plating?

Traditional plating (electroplating) uses an electric current to deposit a layer of real gold from a solution onto the piece — typically over brass, copper or silver. It's the classic method behind gold plated and gold vermeil jewellery, including our own 14K gold plated and 18K gold vermeil pieces. The gold is genuinely gold; the question is thickness and what's underneath.

The honest comparison

PVD coating Electroplating (plated / vermeil)
Durability Very high — harder, more scratch- and water-resistant Moderate — wears with friction and water over time
Usual base metal Stainless steel Brass, copper, or sterling silver (vermeil)
Look and feel Modern, uniform; steel weight Classic warm gold tone; precious-metal base with vermeil
Repairability Cannot easily be re-coated or resized Can be re-plated by a jeweller
Price Low to mid Low (plated) to mid (vermeil)

So is PVD "better"?

For durability against water and scratches — yes, PVD on steel is genuinely tougher, which is why it dominates the "waterproof jewellery" category. But durability isn't the only thing people value. Vermeil gives you precious metal all the way through (sterling silver under real gold) and can be renewed by re-plating; steel PVD can't be resized and, once the coating eventually wears at high-friction points, it can't practically be restored. Neither is a con — they're different tools: PVD steel for rough daily duty, plated and vermeil for a classic precious-metal piece at an accessible price. Whatever you buy, from us or anyone else, the label should tell you exactly which one you're getting — ours always does.