Walk into any jewellery store and you will find gold plated pieces at every price point. Some cost fifty dirhams. Some cost five hundred. They can look identical in a photograph. But hold them side by side, and you will feel the difference immediately — if you know what to look for.
Gold plating is not a single process. It is a spectrum — from the cheapest mass-produced fashion jewellery to carefully engineered, multi-layer precious metal construction. Where a piece sits on that spectrum determines how it looks, how it wears, how it ages, and how it feels against your skin.
Here is what makes ours different.
The Problem With Standard Gold Plating
Most gold plated jewellery starts with a base of brass or copper. These are inexpensive industrial metals chosen for one reason: cost. The gold is electroplated on top, often in a very thin layer, and the piece is finished.
The result looks beautiful in the display case. But brass and copper are reactive metals. They oxidise. They tarnish. They can turn skin green. And once the thin gold layer wears through — which it will, because there is nothing substantial underneath to support it — what is left is a base metal that has no business being against your skin.
This is the industry standard. We refused it.
Our Foundation: 925 Sterling Silver
Every Tatreez gold plated piece begins with a base of 925 sterling silver — 92.5% pure silver, the same material used in fine silver jewellery worldwide. Sterling silver is a precious metal. It is hypoallergenic, dense, and structurally superior to brass or copper as a foundation for plating.
A sterling silver base means the piece has real weight and substance from the inside out. It means that even in the unlikely event the gold finish wears over many years of daily use, what remains underneath is still a precious metal piece. Nothing cheap. Nothing that will harm your skin.
The Palladium Layer — Where the Science Comes In
Between the sterling silver base and the 18k gold finish sits a layer that most jewellery brands never mention, because most jewellery brands do not include it: palladium.
Palladium is a rare precious metal from the platinum family — the same group of metals as platinum, rhodium, and iridium. It is naturally white, extraordinarily resistant to corrosion, and does not tarnish. Unlike silver, which reacts with oxygen and sulphur in the air, palladium is chemically stable — its natural lustre remains intact over time without any additional treatment.
In our plating process, palladium is bonded to the sterling silver base before the gold is applied. This does several critical things:
- It stops oxidation at the source. The palladium layer creates a barrier between the silver and the environment, preventing tarnishing and ensuring the piece maintains its finish far longer than standard silver-based plating.
- It locks the gold in place. Palladium provides a superior bonding surface for the gold layer, meaning the 18k finish adheres more strongly and wears more evenly.
- It makes the piece fully hypoallergenic. Palladium contains no nickel, no irritants, and causes no skin reactions even for the most sensitive skin.
- It adds durability. Palladium is harder and more scratch-resistant than gold, silver, or brass — adding structural integrity that standard plating simply does not have.
Three Layers of Precious Metal
The result is a piece built from three layers of precious metal — sterling silver, palladium, and 18k gold — each chosen deliberately, each serving a specific purpose, each contributing to a piece that wears, looks, and feels unlike standard gold plated jewellery.
This is what we mean when we say our gold plated pieces are not standard. The gold on the outside is the same 18k warmth you see. But what it sits on — and what sits between — is where the difference lies.
You deserve to know exactly what you are wearing. This is it.