Imitation jewellery — also sold as fashion jewellery, artificial jewellery or one-gram gold jewellery — is jewellery that reproduces the look of gold without the gold price. The design work, the stone setting and the finish are the same craft used on precious pieces; only the base metal differs.
A piece starts as a brass or copper-alloy body, cast or hand-assembled. It is then electroplated with a thin layer of gold — measured in microns — and set with synthetic stones: American Diamond (AD), coloured glass or resin stones standing in for ruby and emerald, and faux pearls. Some pieces are finished matte or given an antique wash so the recesses read darker, which is what gives temple jewellery its depth.
Solid gold is gold all the way through, priced by weight and purity. Gold-filled has a thick bonded gold layer, typically 5% of the item's weight. Imitation jewellery is electroplated: the gold layer is measured in microns rather than as a share of weight. That is why an imitation haram can cost a few hundred rupees where a gold one costs lakhs — and why the plating, not the metal underneath, determines how it ages.
With everyday wear and reasonable care, micron gold plating holds its colour for a long stretch, then gradually dulls at the points that rub — clasp edges, the inside of a bangle, the back of a pendant. Water, perfume, sweat and cosmetics accelerate that. Plating can be renewed; the base piece does not need replacing.
Imitation jewellery makes sense when you want to wear the piece rather than store it. It suits everyday wear, festival and wedding dressing where a full gold set would sit in a locker, travel where you would rather not carry gold, and building variety — several designs for the price of none in gold.
In common usage, yes. "One gram gold" describes gold-plated imitation jewellery where roughly a gram of gold is used across the plating. Both terms describe a plated alloy base, not solid gold.
Most people wear it without any reaction. Irritation, when it happens, usually comes from nickel in the base alloy or from moisture trapped under a piece worn continuously. Removing jewellery before bathing and letting skin dry avoids most of it.
Yes. Re-plating restores the gold layer on a piece whose finish has worn. Saandhavi Jewels offers re-plating for older pieces.
How to Care for Gold-Plated Jewellery