PUBLISHED ONJuly 09, 2026 7:18 AMBYSean LerIf you're thinking of getting yourself or your loved ones a piece of jewellery marketed as gold-wrapped silver (GWS), you may want to take a closer look before making a purchase.
GWS refers to silver jewellery that has a layer of gold mechanically pressed or wrapped around a silver core.
In a joint media release on Thursday (July 9), the Consumer Association of Singapore (Case), the Singapore Jewellers Association (SJA) and the Singapore Pawnbrokers' Association (SPA) warned consumers about the ambiguous marketing of jewellery labelled as "gold-wrapped" amid rising gold prices.
Case said it commissioned a mystery shopping exercise and tested three sample GWS pieces. It found that the thickness of the exterior layer of gold "differed substantially" between the samples.
Case raised concerns that consumers have no way of knowing the thickness of the exterior gold content of their GWS purchases and cannot independently verify the thickness of the exterior gold layer by themselves.
Noting that some products sold as GWS may in fact be merely gold-plated, SJA president Ho Nai Chuen said rising gold prices have created opportunities for misleading and deceptive sales practices.
"Products marketed under ambiguous trade names such as 'GWS', as well as counterfeit gold, can mislead consumers into believing they are purchasing genuine gold jewellery," he added.
Together with SJA and SPA, Case is now urging manufacturers or retailers of GWS to disclose the gold-coating thickness at the point of sale.
This includes providing independent certification to substantiate their claims, as part of industry practice.
Explaining the consumer watchdog's decision, Case president Melvin Yong said that terms such as "gold-wrapped" can be misleading if sellers do not explain how much gold is actually present on the item or provide proper proof to back up their claims.
"Clear information helps consumers make informed choices, protects them from misleading claims, and strengthens trust in honest businesses and Singapore's jewellery industry," Yong said.
He also encouraged consumers to request for independent certification or assay reports to substantiate the marketing claims made by manufacturers or retailers before making their purchase.
Where possible, consumers should also buy from jewellers under the CaseTrust-SJA accreditation scheme.
Under the scheme, jewellers are required to sell gold jewellery tested by recognised laboratories.
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