Xuping
A Chinese fashion-jewellery brand whose name is now used generically in India for gold-plated copper-alloy imitation pieces.
Xuping is a manufacturer in Guangdong. In Indian wholesale the name has become a category, the way a brand name sometimes becomes the product.
The construction is consistent: a copper alloy body, gold or rhodium plating, and cubic zirconia stones.
It is honest fashion jewellery. It contains no gold beyond the plating, cannot be hallmarked, and has no resale value.
When you are buying
If a piece is described as Xuping, imported imitation or one gram gold, price it as costume jewellery. The plating is usually decent, but you are buying a finish over copper.
Gold Plating
A thin layer of gold deposited over a base metal. Gives the colour of gold at a fraction of the cost, and wears off over time.
Micron Plating
The thickness of a plated layer, in thousandths of a millimetre. The single number that determines how long a finish lasts.
Gold Polish
An Indian trade term for a thin gold-coloured plating over base metal. Not a purity, and not solid gold.
Cubic Zirconia
A hard, brilliant lab-made stone used as a diamond substitute. Called American diamond throughout the Indian trade.
Brass
A copper and zinc alloy with a warm gold tone. Strong and inexpensive, but it tarnishes and can react with skin.