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IP Jewelry is an acronym for two things. Ion Plating or Immitation Plating and the two can and often do confuse the consumer.
ION PLATING (applied with ION Vacuum)
• Five to eight times more durable than traditional methods.
• Less material is required for coating, lowering prices.
• Available in many attractive colors such as black rose gold, and yellow gold.
• The finish can be highly polished or matte, and options in-between.
• Stainless steel and even Tungsten Carbide can easily be plated with this method which will hold it's color longer than traditional electrolysis methods.
• Is utilized to apply immitation and real gold.
ELECTROLYSIS PLATING (Pen Plating or Full Submersion Bath)
• Thicker Gold Plating
• Only involves plating with Real Gold and Real Precious Metals, not immitation!
• Requires a special wet out process like woods nickel strike if you want to plate to certain metals like stainless steel but doesn't hold nearly as well especially on Tungsten Carbide compared to an Ion application.
• Suitable for even a hobbyist to apply gold or other precious metals unlike the ION Vacuum which typically runs well over $40,000 USD to purchase one thus typically only owned by manufacturers.
CAVEAT EMPTOR
Many unscrupulous jewelers will sell jewelry claiming it to be IP plated and lead the consumer to believe it is "real gold" when in fact it is "Immitation Plating" and legal when stamped or sold using IP in it's name (ie. 24k IP Gold). This could mean immitation or real so you either need to trust your dealer, or ask for proof of application process that includes a written statement guaranteeing it to be real gold.
It's kind of like how White Gold is often sold as more valuable than yellow gold which was done for many years and at some shops still is but white gold is really a very low content of gold purity with a very high content of either silver or palladium and the darker yellow you go, the higher purity of gold you are recieving. Hope this helps!
Michael Baker, Jeweler
Patriot Coin Rings
What else can I help you with?
What is Gold GE in jewelry?
GE means Gold Electro-Plated or Gold Plated.
Can you change gold plated jewelry to gold jewelry?
No, gold plated jewelry cannot be changed to solid gold jewelry. Gold plated jewelry has a thin layer of gold deposited on a base metal. To have solid gold jewelry, you would need to purchase pieces that are made entirely of gold.
What is RGP?
RGP stands for rolled gold plated. An 18 RGP mark on jewelry means the jewelry is not a real 18k gold but only gold plated.
Can you change gold-plated jewelry to silver-plated jewelry?
If it's really gold-plated ( 10K / 14K / 18K ....) you don't want to plate it with silver for the gold using is the value of the jewelry. Do u mean yellow gold plated to white gold plated? If that's what you want, the answer is yes! You can have it plated to your desired color without changing the gold content!
How can I tell if GOLD SHIELD trademark jewelry is gold or gold plated?
You can check for a hallmark on the jewelry piece that indicates the gold content, such as "14k" for 14 karat gold. You can also have the jewelry piece tested by a professional jeweler to determine if it is solid gold or gold-plated.
Will gold plated jewelry stick to magnet?
No, gold plated jewelry contains a very thin layer of gold over another metal. Since gold itself is not magnetic, the magnet will not be attracted to the gold plating.
Is gold plated jewelry magnetic?
Gold plated jewelry is not magnetic because the layer of gold on the jewelry is very thin and does not contain enough ferrous material to be attracted by a magnet. Any magnetic properties would likely be from the base metal underneath the gold plating.
Is white gold plated jewelry valuable?
Sadly no
Is real carat gold superior to gold-plated jewelry in looks and durability?
Yes it is. If gold-plated jewelry is worn often, the plating will wear off and expose the base metal beneath.
Is 18k Gold plated jewelry worth anything?
18k gold plated jewelry is not worth much based on the gold amount. However, it could have design or sentimental value and be worth something to you.
What does GRP 10K mean on jewelry?
GRP stands for "gold rolled plated," meaning that the jewelry is composed of an inexpensive metal such as brass that has been plated with gold. 10K is the carats of gold in the plating, so in this case the base metal is plated with 10-carat gold.
How can I tell if a piece of jewelry is gold vs gold plated?
One way to determine if a piece of jewelry is gold or gold-plated is to look for hallmark stamps on the jewelry indicating its purity. You can also take it to a jeweler who can perform a professional assessment using acid testing or electronic testing equipment. Gold-plated jewelry will have a thin layer of gold over a base metal, while solid gold pieces will be made entirely of gold.
