You buy a gold necklace, wear it for a month, and the gold starts fading to silver at the edges — or worse, it leaves a green mark on your skin. If that sounds familiar, you've met the limits of gold plating. Here's what genuinely tarnish-free jewelry is made of, and how to spot it.
Why most “gold” jewelry tarnishes
Most affordable gold jewelry is electroplated: a microscopically thin layer of gold is deposited onto a cheap base metal. It looks great for a few weeks, but the layer is so thin it rubs and washes off, exposing the metal underneath — which then reacts with sweat, water and air. That reaction is tarnish, and the green mark is the base metal (often copper or brass) oxidising against your skin.
What “tarnish-free” actually means
Genuinely tarnish-free jewelry comes down to two things: the base metal and how the gold is bonded to it. Costiera uses 316L surgical-grade stainless steel — the same hypoallergenic metal used in medical implants — and bonds real 18k gold to it with PVD (physical vapor deposition). The gold is fused at a molecular level under heat and pressure, so it can't flake, fade or wash off the way plating does.
How to spot genuinely tarnish-free jewelry
- Look for PVD bonding — not “gold plated” or “gold filled”
- Check the base metal — 316L stainless steel is the standard to want
- It should be waterproof: a brand confident in its bond won't tell you to keep it dry
- Look for a warranty against fading
Costiera's tarnish-free pieces
Every gold piece we make is PVD 18k gold on surgical steel, backed by La Promessa — our 1-year shine guarantee. Start with our best sellers or shop the full collection.
One honest note: our evening Notte pieces are silver-tone rather than waterproof gold — and we'll always tell you which is which, right on the product page.