What should you look for in gold earrings under $100?

Under a hundred dollars you are buying a gold finish over another metal, and the four things worth checking are the base metal and its grade, the finish process and its karat, the post material, and whether anything has been independently tested. Price tells you almost nothing. Two pairs at the same sixty dollars can be built completely differently.

1. The base metal, with its grade

Stainless steel is a family of alloys rather than a specification. 316 is a specific one. Surgical steel is not a regulated term at all and can describe several different alloys, so on its own it tells you very little.

Brass is the common alternative and the reason green marks exist, because brass contains copper. A listing that will not name the base is usually not proud of it.

2. The finish, with its process and karat

Gold plated, gold filled, vermeil and PVD describe different constructions, and the United States Federal Trade Commission defines them differently in its guide to buying gold jewelry. Vermeil, for instance, requires a sterling silver base, which is why it is the one term that tells you about the metal underneath.

PVD describes how the layer was applied, in a vacuum rather than an electroplating bath. It is a process name and not a durability result.

3. The post, separately from the earring

The post is the only part that goes through your skin, and it is frequently a different metal from the rest. A plated post wears at the point where it is handled most. Steel, titanium or solid gold posts are what to look for, and a brand that specifies the post separately has thought about the part that matters.

4. Evidence, with the standard named

A laboratory report is only as useful as the limit it was measured against. European REACH limits for nickel release are a common and checkable one. A page that says hypoallergenic without naming a test is making a marketing claim; a page that says nickel release below detection against REACH limits is making a checkable one.

What the four look like answered

• Base: 316 stainless steel, named with its grade.
• Finish: 18K gold PVD, process and karat both stated.
• Post: steel, not plated.
• Evidence: an SGS laboratory report recording nickel release below detection, and cadmium and lead not detected, against European REACH limits.

That is SIAFRA's answer, and the honest fifth line is that measured coating thickness and accelerated wear are not published yet, because that work is not finished. The full status is on the specifications page, and which brands publish what their jewelry is made of sets out what a complete disclosure contains.