Jewellery should be chosen not only for how it looks, but for how you actually want to wear it. That's the thinking behind splitting MNML into 2 collections — Moments and Elements — each built from different materials, finished in different ways, for different kinds of wear.
So, what's the difference?
| Moments | Elements | |
|---|---|---|
| Base material | 925 Sterling Silver | Titanium / Stainless Steel |
| Gold finish | Rhodium Plating | PVD Gold Coating |
| Silver / white finish | Rhodium Plating | Titanium / Stainless Steel |
| Feel | Precious & jewellery-led | Durable & everyday |
| Designed for | Meaningful moments | Everyday movement |
Moments: 925 sterling silver + rhodium plating
Moments is built on 925 sterling silver — a precious metal that's been the standard for fine, wearable jewellery for a long time. For the bright, reflective silver and white-metal finish, Moments pieces are then finished with rhodium plating.
A platinum-family metal, not just polished silver
Rhodium is a precious metal from the platinum family, known for its bright, highly reflective surface. Plating sterling silver with rhodium gives it the clean, polished look often associated with white gold — brighter and more resistant to everyday dulling than bare silver alone.
925 Sterling Silver → Rhodium Plating → Bright white-metal finish
Rhodium plating is still a surface finish, so like any plated jewellery, it can wear over time depending on how often a piece is worn and how it's cared for. Moments is built around the pieces meant to mark something — the people, milestones, and memories worth that extra bit of care.
Elements: titanium/stainless steel + PVD coating
Elements takes a different approach entirely. Instead of sterling silver, Elements uses titanium and stainless steel — chosen specifically for durability and everyday wear rather than a precious-metal finish. For gold-coloured Elements pieces, that's achieved with PVD (Physical Vapour Deposition) coating.
A durable coating process, not plating in the traditional sense
PVD deposits a thin, durable coating onto the metal's surface in a controlled environment. The resulting finish is designed to hold up to everyday wear meaningfully better than conventional decorative plating.
Titanium / Stainless Steel → PVD Gold Coating → Gold finish
Gold fill and gold vermeil both describe specific processes applied over particular base metals (a bonded gold layer over a base metal core, or electroplating over sterling silver). Elements pieces are neither — they're PVD-coated titanium or stainless steel, a distinct process built for the durability the Elements collection is designed around.
Elements is built for the jewellery that needs to keep up — easy to wear, easy to style, and designed to move through daily life without special handling.
Where does vermeil fit into this?
Vermeil comes up a lot in these conversations, so it's worth placing alongside rhodium and PVD even though it isn't part of either MNML collection. It's a third, separate process — not better or worse, just different.
| Rhodium Plating | PVD Gold Coating | Gold Vermeil | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Used by MNML | Yes — Moments | Yes — Elements | No |
| Base metal it's applied to | 925 sterling silver | Titanium / stainless steel | 925 sterling silver |
| What it deposits | Rhodium (platinum-family metal) | PVD (Physical Vapour Deposition) coating. | Genuine gold. An electroplating process deposits a gold layer that must be at least 2.5 microns thick. |
| Typical finish colour | Bright white/silver | Gold | Gold |
| Regulated minimum thickness | No industry-wide standard | No industry-wide standard | Yes — 2.5 microns, 10k+ gold |
Vermeil and PVD gold coating can look identical once a piece is finished — both put a gold surface over a silver-toned base. The difference is the process and what it means for durability: vermeil's minimum thickness is legally regulated, while PVD is a different deposition method entirely, applied here over titanium or stainless steel rather than silver. Neither is the other one wearing a different name — they're genuinely different techniques.
Two materials, two finishes, both built with intention.
Frequently asked questions
What is rhodium plating?
Rhodium is a precious metal from the platinum family, known for its bright, reflective finish. Plating sterling silver with rhodium gives it a clean, polished look similar to white gold, and is used on MNML's Moments collection.
What is PVD gold coating?
PVD (Physical Vapour Deposition) is a coating process that deposits a thin, durable layer onto a metal's surface in a controlled environment, producing a finish designed to be more wear-resistant than conventional decorative plating. It's used on MNML's Elements collection.
Is MNML's Elements collection gold fill or gold vermeil?
No — Elements gold-coloured pieces are PVD-coated titanium or stainless steel, a distinct coating process rather than gold fill (a bonded gold layer over a base metal) or gold vermeil (electroplating over sterling silver).
Does rhodium plating wear off?
Yes — like any plated finish, rhodium plating is a surface layer and can wear over time depending on wear frequency and care, though it's more resistant to dulling than bare polished silver.
What's the difference between Moments and Elements?
Moments is built on 925 sterling silver finished with rhodium plating for a precious, jewellery-led feel suited to meaningful pieces. Elements is built on titanium and stainless steel, finished with PVD gold coating where applicable, designed for durability and everyday wear.
How is gold vermeil different from PVD gold coating?
Gold vermeil is electroplated gold over a sterling silver base with a legally regulated minimum thickness (2.5 microns, 10k+ gold). PVD gold coating uses a different deposition process entirely, applied here over titanium or stainless steel rather than silver, with no industry-wide minimum thickness standard.
Is rhodium plating the same as gold vermeil?
No — rhodium plating deposits a platinum-family metal onto sterling silver for a bright white finish, while gold vermeil deposits gold onto sterling silver for a gold finish. Both use a silver base, but the metal applied and the resulting colour are different.
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