Unplated jewelry castings: what they are and what happens after they leave the factory
Published on by Felipe · 3 min read
An unplated piece is the jewelry before plating. Knowing where the factory's work ends and the plating shop's begins prevents wrong lead times, hidden costs and frustrated customers.
If you buy finished jewelry, you only see the result: the gold or silver piece, packaged, with display-case shine. If you buy from the factory, you see the piece before that. That is the unplated jewelry casting: the shape already defined in metal, still without the plating that gives it color and final finish.
At FGF we have made these castings in brass and silver in Limeira since 1998. For anyone starting to buy direct from the factory, the first question is usually simple: what exactly do I receive, and what is still left to do?
What an unplated piece is
It is the piece with its design, volume and fittings ready, straight out of casting. It already has the shape the consumer will recognize in the display case. What it does not have yet is the metal layer applied during plating, or the lacquer or protective coat the plating shop adds.
That is why the color of an unplated piece is the color of the base metal. An unplated brass ring has the yellowish, dull tone of brass. It only turns gold, rhodium or rose after plating.
Where the factory's work ends
FGF delivers the unplated piece. Plating, finishing, stone setting (when the design has stones) and packaging are handled by the customer and the partners they choose. This split seems obvious to anyone already in the trade, but it catches a lot of people off guard on their first order.
In practice, it changes three things in your planning:
- Lead time. The date the piece reaches your display is the factory's lead time plus the plating shop's. If you only ask about one of them, your calendar comes up short.
- Cost. The price of the unplated piece does not include plating. The final cost of the piece depends on the layer, the type of plating and the finishing you order.
- Color and durability guarantee. The plating shop is the one responsible for layer thickness and how well the plating holds up. A good casting helps the plating settle well, but it does not replace a well-done plating job.
Why buy unplated
Buying unplated gives you control. You choose the plating, the tone, the layer thickness and the finishing that fit your brand's positioning. Two brands can start from the same unplated piece and end up with very different results on display.
It also helps with inventory. With unplated pieces on hand, you can plate part of the batch in gold and part in silver as sales respond, instead of betting everything on one color.
What to check when the pieces arrive
Before you send the batch to plating, take the time to check a few things:
- Whether the model and quantity match the order.
- Whether the design matches what was approved, especially small details such as prongs, jump rings and clasps.
- Whether the surface is even in the areas that will show after plating.
Any issue at this stage is cheaper to solve before the plating shop than after.
Who buying unplated makes sense for
Retailers, wholesalers, private-label brands and jewelry assemblers who already have, or are building, a relationship with a plating shop. If you do not have that partner yet, start there. A frank conversation with the plating shop about lead time, layer and minimum volume makes your casting order much easier to plan.
If you want to understand how FGF works with customers who buy from the line and with those who develop their own pieces, see the How to buy page or talk to our sales team.