When I first started beading, I bought plated findings, because I wasn't ready to invest in either sterling silver, or gold filled/solid gold.  Now, I am ready, but the expense is still a concern.

 My question is, have you used plated findings?  How did they wear over time?  With gold, did they actually flake, etc.?

My silver plated clasps have certainly tarnished...although I haven't tried polishing them up yet, not sure if they will come back to their original look.

Thanks in advance for your replies..I appreciate the info.

Anyone?  :-)

Hi Audrey,

The decision of whether to use plated or sterling silver findings is a personal one. Sterling silver and gold-filled findings do hold up better in the long run, but they are also more expensive. It ultimately comes down to what your personal priorities are and who you're making the jewelry for. Depending on who your audience is, plated might be better than sterling or vice versa.

Lindsay

Edited: I'm sorry, I said "gold-plated" instead of  "gold-filled" before.

 

I use plated findings all of the time now.  I started out only using sterling but have found that Blue Moon Beads make great plated findings.  I have a polishing cloth that I use on them that will take the tarnish right off and make them shine beautifully.  I also like to use rubber coated tools like needle nose pliers and chain nose pliers when working with metal findings.  1) so they dont scratch the pieces and 2) so that they dont cause the plating to crack and flake.  You just have to be a little more delicate when working with plated components.

Hope that helps.

Thank you.  The suggestion of coated tools is a great one.

 I am going to be selling my work in a retail setting..so I am wary of using plated materials.  So far, I have only sold to friends and family, or their friends, so if anything goes wrong, I know about it.  Once I am selling from a shop, I may never hear about a defect, know what I mean?

I think I will go ahead and use some plated findings that I have here, and wear them...see what I think personally and go from there.

 Thanks for your input!! 

Hi Audrey,

If you're going to sell your jewelry, I'd consider including a description that tells your customers the findings are plated. It's just a suggestion, but I think it will help cover you. At least if you run into any problems, you can say that you fully disclosed what the materials are made of.

Also, if you're going to be selling, you might want to take a good look at your target market and consider if they will be willing to pay a little extra for the SS or gold-filled findings. If you think that they'll pay extra for it, then that might be the way to go. You can add the extra cost to the pieces (so you won't be making less money), and you'll have less worry about customers coming back in the future with complaints. On the other hand, your customers might prefer the plated findings if the price is slightly lower — it's completely your call.

Lindsay
 

I dont know if any of you are familiar with Kirks Folly Jewelry out of Rhode Island.

Most of their pieces are gold and silver plated and they have become one of the most successful jewelry companies in the world.  Just goes to show that there is a huge audience out there who love "plated" jewelry just as much as the real stuff and sometimes more so.

I think the key for success is not so much about what your materials are made of, but how diverse and your creative your creations can be.

:-)

Audrey,

There is nothing "wrong" with using plated findings (if they are good quality) in jewelry you are selling. HOWEVER - if you are selling your jewelry, you should disclose exactly what you've used in making it. Findings, stones, beads, crystals - all should be identified. If you are selling it, you are presenting yourself as a PROFESSIONAL and should use professional standards for everything you make/sell. It will make a difference. 

One of my favorite examples for all of the above is a holiday catalog from a well-known museum that sells a set made with coin pearls, garnet rounds (about 6 or so in the necklace) and gold PLATED spacers and findings for nearly $350 for the set of earrings, bracelet and necklace!!! Most people would skip right over the "plated" in the description, but to someone "in the biz", it gets your attention!

There are very good plated findings on the market as well as some junk. The best way to check the quality is to make something with the findings you like and don't just wear it - ABUSE it! Do everything you couldn't imagine someone doing to a piece of jewelry.  

I have copper chain in my store that people always ask "Will the color come off or turn green?" I took a small chunk that was left over from a spool of chain and I carried it in my pocket literally 24/7 for a couple of months. Also in my pocket are an ever changing variety of change, beads, broken beads, tools, keys, screws, nails, pens and more. The chain went through the wash at least once as well as becoming part of a "chemical experiment" conducted by our dogs (don't ask!). When all was said and done, I cleaned the chain with a little lemon juice and salt and buffed it a little with an old t-shirt and the only difference between it and the new-on-the-roll chain was that my experimental piece had darkened slightly - which should be expected anyway.

I have a customer who has been making jewelry since he was a kid - going on 40 years or so by now - and he only uses plated findings. His pieces sell for $300 or so!

Hope this helps a little. Good Luck!

Thanks so much.  I really appreciate your replies.

 I think the folks I will be selling to will not mind the added price.  I am going to be selling down in Massachussetts(I'm in New Hampshire), in an upscale shop in a moneyed community.  If I were selling here in NH, I think I'd go with plated...people here are very frugal.

Thanks again for the info!

Aloha AudreyT!

I agree with everyone, it's a personal choice, and also that it depends on your market(s) as you've assessed.  I just wanted to add some of my personal experiences with plated findings. 

People sometimes like to know the metal content because of allergies and reactiveness to certain alloys.  For a time, I was even reacting to 14kt gold earrings and could only wear stainless steel.  Another time, I was making a necklace with a $2 gold plated hook & eye clasp.  The "gold" was worn off after I had finished handling it just to try it on for size!  This is the only time I've experienced this, but I have now also made it a point to keep my use of plated findings to items that are not handled much and make little or no contact with the skin.  Some examples, like 24kt gold plated charlottes (seed beads) as spacers to larger beads, or a cloisonne focal where the metal portions are plated.  I tend to stay away from plated wire, just because it becomes brittle fairly quickly.  I like Tierra Cast products, which are plated lead-free pewter.  I've used cones, beadcaps and multi-strand connectors with no problems.  They offer alot of nice styles that aren't readily available in the limited choices of gold-filled. 

Hope this helps!  ~alohabc 

One thing that makes a HUGE difference is how items are plated.  I've seen posts on the old forum calling anything plated "junk".  Well, there are many different plated items to choose from and some of them are plated very poorly.  Others are plated very well and will give good service for years and years.  The difference is in the plating process itself.

Plated items generally start out with a base metal, something that is inexpensive and easy to work with.  Often that base metal is brass.  Some plated items have the gold or silver plated directly to the brass.  This is called "flash" plating and the plated layer is often very thin, almost a "wash" in some cases.  These items are very commonly available, inexpensive, and may not hold up well over time.  They are what give "plated" the "junk" reputation it has with some people.  In my experience these types of items generally come from Asia.

Other plated items will have multiple layers over the base metal, including barrier layers that prevent the base metal from migrating through the plating (sometimes plating can be so thin the plating does wear away, but the base metal can also migrate through the plating, sounds crazy I know, but I've seen it happen, the barrier layers inhibit this process.) Next come the final plating layers, and they can also be multiple layers and quite thick compared to their inexpensive counterparts.  These types of plated items will often show up in very high end jewelry and it would be totally inaccurate to think of them as "junk".  In my experience, these items generally come from Europe.

Hope this helps!

I personally like using plated findings.  I too have had problems, in the early part of my jewelry making, with the plating coming off or tarnishing.  I store my favorites in my jewelry box or plastic bag to slow the process of tarnishing.  It seems to work, I have had pieces stay very shiny for years this way, without tarnishing.  I have even gone so far as to dip some pieces into my Sterling Jewelry cleaner.  Though I am sure many would not recommend this.  But, these come out nice and the finish still lasts.

In my market, I don't think it really matters much. 

I do sometimes use plated jewelry, especially with larger loopy chains that are long, because sterling would be very expensive. I have seen some of the better quality chain and I think it's just fine to use. Gold Fill can be pretty costly at times, and I'm not making much with it, because of the expense. I have opted for good gold plated.  I do use beading chain in sterling, gold fill and copper plate (haven't seen beading chain in full copper yet), because it's dainty and less costly.  In the beginning I made a necklace with gold plated beading chain and put some garnet Swarovskis on it, and after the person wore it twice it tarnished and I did not know how to clean it, or if I could.  I took the necklace back and decided not to redo it. I gave the lady her money back, because she was so picky to begin with and she really wanted gold, but didn't want to pay a jeweler the price to make it for her. I told her I thought she would be much happier getting it made in pure gold.  I felt she would not be happy with gold fill either, and she'd already frustrated me with having to see how it was going to be laid out and the exact color of the stones, etc. She was a contractor at my work who'd seen some things I done, and I honestly feel she thought she'd get something for nothing.  Now, the problem came in when I thought I'd bought gold fill beading chain, but ended up with gold plate...had I known, I never would have done that. I went back to the store and checked and it was not identifiable enough that it was the plate and not the fill, so they decided to change the markings on their chain boards. I should have known by the receipt, but that day I bought a lot of things and didn't realize.  I felt bad, but it was an honest mistake. As picky as she was about EVERYTHING, I would never have tried to scrimp on such a thing, as I know better.  The reason I decided not to make it again is because she was just waiting for me to make a mistake with something or do something she didn't like.  I'm not into making custom pieces for the most part and am not highly experienced (live and learn), and I went out of my way for her. So, it was disappointing to find out that I had the wrong type of chain, added to my frustration, etc. I know a lot more than I did six months ago even, so I am careful with my purchases and always check now to be sure. 

I'm glad to hear many of you talk about the types of plating, what to look for, and that you are using plated things, because a few times I was out here and everyone only used silver and gold fill and it seemed taboo to use anything else. I will now also check into Blue Moon Beads, so thanks for that heads up.

The Gem Faire is here this weekend, so I 'm really excited to attend and buy items for future projects. Now, if I could just feel confident enough to do wire wrapping on my own. I don't know why I'm so hesitant. I think I'll go to my local bead store and ask them to teach me some basics as I really like to be shown in person. I'm not one of those who can just read and do. :  But, I'm being long winded and don't post much, so thanks for listening to my banter!

Hi AudreyT

i use plated findings all the time but apply three coats of allergy jewelry shield and none of my customers have not yet compained  (sp) so try that

KiwiBeader:

Hi AudreyT

i use plated findings all the time but apply three coats of allergy jewelry shield and none of my customers have not yet compained  (sp) so try that

 

I've never heard of an allergy jewelry shield - can you give me more information or a brand name so that I can look into it?  Thanks!

Linda

Hi Audrey,

I only use sterling silver...but as eveyone has said it is a personal preference. 

I have had bad luck in the past with plated findings so I have been using sterling silver and gold filled, but like others have stated, they can be expensive.  I also use some tierra cast, which is a rhodium-plated lead-free pewter...it looks just like sterling and doesn't tarnish.

I have a couple bags of gold plated clasps and earring wires that I cannot use because they turned dark and when I tried to clean them the gold began to rub off!!  This has happened several times to me so lately I have been trying to avoid plated findings.

I agree with others who say you should definitely let your customers know what kind of metal you are using.  There are some people who want nothing but sterling and gold filled (I have a few customers like that) and others for whom it doesn't matter.  

While I prefer to use sterling and gold filled, there are some craft shows around here where the prices of my pieces would be too high.  For example, I make rosaries in addition to jewelry and when I make one with faceted Czech beads and sterling findings, it cost me about $40-50 for supplies.  The same rosary with plated findings cost less that half that.  It is hard to sell a rosary for $150 at a craft show, but a $50 rosary would be quite a bit more marketable.

For those who have found good quality plated findings, could you post links to the suppliers you use (besides Blue Mud...I have used them for sterling and Swarovski but not for plated findings...I will give them a try)?  I would love to keep my costs down while still making quality jewelry. 

 

I agree about TierraCast beads and findings ~ they are the BEST.  They are lead-free pewter, tested and proven to be the highest quality metal, and they are so finely made that the the silver and rhodium finishes are indistinguishable from the finest sterling silver.  And then there is the gold ~ the answer to a prayer for many people who want to work with gold.  If that's not enough, there's also the copper line... .

TierraCast products are unparalleled in their quality and you also have the confidence of knowing that the products are safe, and were made by an adult paid a decent wage in California instead of (possibly) a child working in a sweatshop in a 3rd World country, which is often the case of sterling silver products.

Bottom line ~ once you work with TierraCast products you will be a believer.  Our jewelry designer has been the #1 jewelry seller at every show she has attended and her products are primarily TierraCast products paired with crystal.

For silver, I use sterling and for gold, I use gold-filled. I do use copper plated lead free pewter and have been very happy with them. I get too many customers concerned about metal allergies to use plated for earrings. I will use plated for some chain. I wish there was more assortment in the tarnish resistant argentium silver, also still a little pricey.

Hi, I have used silver plated findings, but not gold.  Yes, they do tarnish quickly, more so than stirling.  I have had no problem with the plating wearing or flaking off after polishing them.  BUT, because they tarnish so quickly I have started to spray them with Krylon clear coat, never have to polish again.  Hope this helps, Petal