What is the warranty on The Jewelconic jewellery?

All Jewelconic pieces come with a 6-month warranty from the date of purchase covering manufacturing faults and defects, including the loss of set stones. Wear and tear, chain breakage, and tarnishing are not covered.

Is The Jewelconic jewellery waterproof?

Yes. Our pieces feature PVD coating that is 10x more durable than standard gold plating, making them waterproof and tarnish-resistant for everyday wear including swimming and showering.

Do you offer free shipping in Australia?

Yes. We offer free standard shipping on all Australian orders over $89 AUD. Standard delivery takes 2-5 business days from our Melbourne warehouse.

Can I return earrings?

Due to health and safety regulations, earrings cannot be returned under any circumstances.

What payment methods do you accept?

We accept Visa, Mastercard, Afterpay, PayPal, Apple Pay, and other major payment methods at checkout.

What is your return policy?

We offer 30-day free returns for unworn items in original packaging. Sale items and earrings are excluded. Items purchased during promotional periods are eligible for exchange or store credit only.

What is PVD coating on jewellery?

PVD (Physical Vapour Deposition) is a coating technology that bonds gold at a molecular level, making it 10x more durable than standard gold plating. Our PVD coating makes every piece waterproof, tarnish-resistant, and hypoallergenic.

How do I care for my gold vermeil jewellery?

Our PVD-coated gold vermeil pieces are waterproof and can be worn daily. To keep them shining: wipe with a soft dry microfibre cloth after wear, avoid harsh chemicals and perfumes, and store in a cool dry place away from direct sunlight.

PVD vs Gold Plating vs Gold Vermeil: What's Actually the Difference?

sararaphael
May 18
2 min read

Jewellery marketing is full of terms that sound impressive but mean very different things for the piece you actually receive. Gold plated, gold filled, gold vermeil, PVD coated — each describes a completely different process, with completely different results in terms of durability, longevity and water resistance. Here's the honest breakdown.

Standard Gold Plating

Standard gold plating deposits an extremely thin layer of gold (often 0.5 microns or less) onto a base metal — usually brass or copper. The result looks beautiful when new but typically begins to tarnish, fade or turn skin green within weeks to months depending on lifestyle. It is not water resistant. Contact with sweat, perfume, chlorine or saltwater accelerates the deterioration significantly.

Gold Filled

Gold filled jewellery has a thicker layer of gold bonded to a base metal core — typically 1/20th of the total weight must be gold by AUS standards. It lasts longer than plated, usually several years with care, but still cannot be described as waterproof and will eventually show wear at stress points like clasps and edges.

Gold Vermeil

Gold vermeil (pronounced ver-MAY) is the most regulated of the three. To qualify as vermeil under Australian and US standards, the piece must have a sterling silver base (not brass) and stainless steel, a gold purity of at least 10K, and a minimum plating thickness of 2.5 microns. This means vermeil is hypoallergenic (safe for sensitive skin), more durable than standard gold plating, and carries real material value in the silver base. The Jewelconic uses 14K and18K gold vermeil — above the minimum purity threshold.

PVD Coating — The Game Changer

PVD stands for Physical Vapour Deposition — a vacuum-based coating process where gold particles are vaporised and bonded to the metal surface at the atomic level. The result is a coating that is 4-5 times harder than traditional electroplating, with a bond so tight that the gold becomes effectively part of the metal rather than sitting on top of it. PVD-coated pieces are genuinely waterproof, scratch-resistant, and tarnish-free — which is why all Jewelconic pieces are waterproof.

Why The Jewelconic Uses 14K/18K Gold Vermeil + PVD

The combination of 18K gold vermeil (sterling silver base or stainless steel (depending if the piece is detailed or dainty) 14K/18K gold, 2.5+ micron thickness) with PVD coating gives you the best of both worlds: the regulated quality and hypoallergenic properties of vermeil, with the durability and water resistance of PVD. It is the reason our pieces can genuinely be worn in the ocean, the shower, and at the gym without issue — and why we offer a 6-month warranty on every piece.