Jewelry Plating: Materials, Process & Care

At Eco Rocks Brazil, our jewelry brings together genuine Brazilian natural stones and carefully crafted metal details. Each piece is designed to highlight the individuality of the crystal while offering an elegant gold or silver finish.

Our natural stone jewelry is made with brass-based components and finished through a professional electroplating process. Depending on the design, the metal details may include caps, bezels, chains, clasps, jump rings, decorative frames, and stone settings.

The final finish is available in 18K gold plating or silver plating. Our process combines brass preparation, copper plating, a protective barrier layer, precious-metal plating, and a final protective coating.

The Jewelry Plating Process

1. Deep Cleaning and Surface Preparation

Every brass component begins with a thorough cleaning process.

The pieces go through chemical degreasing baths and ultrasonic cleaning to remove oils, dust, handling residue, polishing compounds, and any impurities that may remain on the surface.

Proper preparation is essential for high-quality gold plated jewelry and silver plated jewelry, as it helps the metal layers adhere evenly and creates a cleaner, more refined finish.

2. Copper Base Layers

After cleaning, the brass components receive copper plating through electrodeposition.

The process includes alkaline and acid copper layers, which help level the surface, improve coverage, reduce the appearance of small imperfections, and prepare the component for the following metal layers.

Copper acts as an important foundation in the plating process. It helps create a smoother surface and supports the adhesion of the final 18K gold or silver finish.

3. Nickel-Free Protective Barrier

After the copper layers, the piece receives a protective barrier layer.

This nickel-free layer is designed to help isolate the brass and copper base layers from the final precious-metal finish. It also helps improve the durability of the plating system and reduce the direct exposure of the base metal to the skin.

For customers looking for thoughtfully made brass jewelry and plated accessories, this step is an important part of the finishing process.

4. 18K Gold or Silver Flash Plating

Once the protective layers are complete, the component is placed in a plating bath containing the final precious metal.

Through a controlled electric current, particles of 18K gold or silver are deposited onto the surface of the piece. This creates the gold or silver color, brightness, and refined appearance that complete the jewelry design.

This final layer is known as flash plating because it is a thin decorative layer of precious metal. It is applied to create a sophisticated finish while enhancing the beauty of the natural stone.

The thickness of a plated layer is an important factor in jewelry manufacturing and is typically measured in microns or according to the plating supplier’s technical specifications.

Our 18K gold plated and silver plated components are not solid gold or solid silver. As with all plated jewelry, natural signs of wear may appear over time, especially in areas exposed to frequent friction, water, perspiration, perfumes, lotions, oils, cleaning products, chlorine, saltwater, and humidity.

5. Final Protective Coating

After the gold or silver plating is completed, a transparent protective lacquer is applied.

This final coating helps seal the surface and preserve the shine of the jewelry. It is designed to provide additional protection against oxidation, light scratches, and everyday wear, while maintaining the brightness of the gold or silver finish.

Although this protective layer adds resistance, proper jewelry care remains essential to preserve the plating and natural beauty of each piece over time.

Electroplated Natural Stone Jewelry

Some of our designs include metal details applied directly around the natural stone.

For these pieces, selected areas of the stone receive a conductive preparation before entering a copper electroplating process. Copper is gradually deposited in the desired areas, creating organic metal edges, frames, supports, or decorative details around the crystal.

After the copper structure is formed, it receives the same final finish in 18K gold or silver, followed by a protective coating when applicable.

Because every natural stone has its own shape, texture, mineral composition, and crystal formation, the metal contour may vary slightly from one piece to another. These variations are part of the handcrafted character of our natural stone jewelry.

Genuine Natural Stones, One-of-a-Kind Jewelry

Eco Rocks Brazil jewelry is made with genuine natural stones. Every crystal is unique and may feature variations in color, transparency, veins, inclusions, texture, size, and formation.

Small differences in the shape of the metal detail, plating coverage, stone setting, or gold and silver finish are natural characteristics of handcrafted gemstone jewelry. They are not defects, but part of what makes each piece exclusive.

Jewelry Care: How to Preserve Gold and Silver Plating

To help preserve your 18K gold plated jewelry, silver plated jewelry, and natural stone accessories, we recommend:

• Avoid contact with water, perfumes, lotions, oils, hair products, and household cleaning chemicals.
• Remove your jewelry before showering, swimming, exercising, sleeping, or visiting the beach.
• Avoid exposure to chlorine, saltwater, excessive heat, and humidity.
• Clean metal details gently with a soft, dry cloth.
• Store each piece separately in a dry place to avoid friction with other jewelry.
• Do not use abrasive products, harsh polishing cloths, chemical cleaners, or ultrasonic cleaning devices.
• Handle natural stones with care, as each mineral has its own hardness and sensitivity.

With proper care, your Eco Rocks Brazil jewelry will continue to express the beauty of natural stones, handcrafted design, and elegant 18K gold or silver plating.