TEYING BUYER GUIDE · UPDATED OCTOBER 6, 2026

What You Can Legally Call Gold-Plated Jewelry: FTC Jewelry Guides for Brands

The FTC Jewelry Guides (16 CFR Part 23) decide which words — gold-tone, gold plated, vermeil — your jewelry listings may use. This guide maps plating tiers to defensible claims and explains why "waterproof" is the claim that gets brands in trouble.

By Qiu Qiu, Founder and Design Lead at TEYING · October 6, 2026

The short answer: the coating sets the vocabulary

The FTC Jewelry Guides — 16 CFR Part 23 — are the rules behind the words on your product page. The core idea is simple: durability of the coating sets the vocabulary you may use. Plating too thin to give reasonable durability cannot be sold as "gold plated." A finish that cannot survive a shower cannot be called "waterproof," "shower-safe," or "sweat-proof." Those are durability claims, and flash plating under 0.5 micron marketed that way is misleading under §23.1 of the Guides.

One piece of legal plumbing worth knowing: the Guides are not a standalone statute. They are FTC guidance the agency uses as a reference when applying Section 5 of the FTC Act, which is the provision that makes a misleading claim actionable. Platforms fold the same standard into their own rules — TikTok Shop's current policy bars listings that violate the Jewelry Guides. Platform rules change, the Guides change rarely; check both before you publish.

The tiers, and the words that go with them

Flash plating, under 0.5 micron: color claims only

A flash coat is a color, not a protective plating. The defensible language is gold-tone, gold-colored, or gold finish. "Gold plated" is not available at this thickness under the reasonable-durability standard, and the waterproof family — waterproof, shower-safe, sweat-proof — runs straight into §23.1.

0.5 to 1 micron: light-wear "gold plated" with honest care notes

At this range "gold plated" holds up when the thickness is documented, provided the wear expectations are honest. Pair the claim with care wording — remove before swimming, avoid perfume — and skip the waterproof family entirely.

1 to 2 microns: daily-wear "gold plated"

This is the standard daily-wear tier for plated fashion jewelry, and the thickness data behind it supports the durability claim. Waterproof wording still needs testing behind it for the exact finish you ship; most plated brands are safer with care-based phrasing.

Vermeil: 2.5 microns of gold over 925 sterling silver

"Vermeil" is a defined construction, not a marketing upgrade: 2.5 microns of gold over 925 sterling silver. Calling plated brass "vermeil" is not a stretch of wording; it is a different product.

PVD: name the process

PVD is a different coating process, so name it — "gold PVD finish" or "gold-tone PVD." Do not borrow the vocabulary of the tiers above; describe what the piece actually is.

The word boundaries, in one line each

• Gold-tone: describes color, makes no plating claim. Safe for any gold-colored finish.
• Gold plated: claims a gold coating of reasonable durability. The thickness documentation has to back it.
• Vermeil: 2.5 microns of gold over 925 sterling silver. A construction spec, not a finish.

What backs the words: documentation

Claims get defended with paper, not confidence. Ask the factory for plating thickness data — XRF measurement per batch — and keep it with the listing records. If a claim is ever challenged by the FTC, a platform, or a competitor complaint, the thickness report is the document that answers it.

The following is an illustrative procurement scenario, not a claim about a named customer or a published TEYING order.

A brand listed a $22 plated-brass necklace as "18k gold plated, waterproof, shower-safe." The order spec, though, was flash plating — under half a micron — chosen to hit the price point. Two claims failed at once: "gold plated" outran the durability of the coating, and "waterproof" on flash plating is the exact example §23.1 points to. The relaunch used the same product with different words: gold-tone finish, care instructions instead of waterproof promises, and the plating report kept with the listing records.

What the factory should hand you

At TEYING, plating runs four layers — a nickel barrier, a copper layer, the gold layer, and a protective top coat — and the thickness range is stated per order. Before writing listing copy, ask any factory two questions: what thickness range does this finish carry, and can I have the measurement data per batch. A supplier who cannot answer both is not one to build durability claims on.

The words on a listing should match what the factory can document. Send the finish and the claim you want to make through the TEYING quote form and the plating thickness can be confirmed against it.

FAQ

Can I call thin gold plating "gold plated"?

Only if the coating meets the reasonable-durability standard the Guides describe. Flash plating under half a micron generally does not, which is why gold-tone or gold-colored is the defensible wording at that thickness.

Is "waterproof" allowed on gold-plated jewelry?

Treat it as a durability claim that needs support. On flash plating it is the example §23.1 flags as misleading; on any plated piece, make the claim only with testing behind the exact finish you ship. "Remove before swimming" is easier to defend than "waterproof."

What is the difference between gold plated and vermeil?

Vermeil is a defined construction: 2.5 microns of gold over 925 sterling silver. Gold plated covers a range of gold coatings that pass the durability standard. Plated brass sold as vermeil is a materials mismatch, not a wording choice.

Is PVD gold the same as gold plating?

No. PVD is a different coating process, and honest copy names it — gold PVD finish. The terms gold plated and vermeil describe constructions; use them only when the construction matches.

Who checks jewelry marketing claims?

In the US, the FTC enforces Section 5 of the FTC Act, with the Jewelry Guides as its reference for jewelry wording. Platforms add their own layer: TikTok Shop's current rules bar listings that violate the Guides, and platform policy changes over time.

Claims that survive a challenge are boring, specific, and documented. Send the product and the wording you plan to use through the TEYING quote form, and the finish details can come back in writing.