In present day, most people consider gold chains a luxury - reserved for those able to afford their outlandish price tags. When gold plated chains were initially introduced, it appeared as though the doors had opened for those unable to afford traditional Gold Chain chains. It turned out that the situation was anything but picture-perfect. A large number of the consumers who had originally purchased the plated chains complained of discoloration after regular use. Such discoloration was absolutely unacceptable, for it revealed the underlying metal which the chain was actually composed of.
Fortunately, some chain manufacturers decided to clean up their act and equip their chains with a thicker plate. This thicker plate completely eliminated tarnishing problems and provided consumers with a long-lasting, authentic looking chain. Moisture buildup and temperature changes were no longer issues that plagued plated jewellery owners.
There a plethora of different gold plated chains currently available on the market, however, 18k gold plated chains allot consumers the most "bang for their buck." For starters, these chains feature a plate made of very pure gold. The alloy Figaro Chain which is used to plate these chains contains a very high concentration of gold in addition to a smaller concentration of another metal. Since gold is soft by nature, the presence of another metal works to increase the rigidity and durability of the plating. In the overall scheme of things, this equates to longer-lasting jewellery which consumers can enjoy on a constant basis - without fear of running into problems.
The high karat rating of these chains also translates into more color depth. You will find that your plated chain will, in many instances, look better than an actual gold chain. Most people will have an extremely difficult time trying to differentiate your 18k gold plated chain from an actual chain manufactured of gold.
Gold plated chains come in an array of different styles to please a spectrum of different tastes. Some popular chains feature the curb, figaro, marina, rope, Solid Link Chain and belcher styles. Regardless of what style you choose to sport, your 18k gold plated chain will look shockingly similar to a gold chain of a comparable style.