Monrich vs Craftd London: Which Tarnishes First?

Both used the same base material: 316L stainless steel. Both claimed to be 18K gold plated. Both shipped in nice boxes from UK warehouses. The only meaningful difference, the one that nobody puts on their product page, was the plating thickness.

Six months later one of the chains had a silver patch the size of a 5p coin. The other looked identical to the day I unboxed it.

This is the side-by-side that explains how the two brands position. I run Monrich, so the disclosure is on the table. The notes below come from my own observation of pieces from both brands and from public product information.

You can see the current waterproof chains for men line-up for reference as you read.

TL;DR

Bottom line: if you want declared plating thickness with a written 12-month tarnish guarantee and permanent BOGO, Monrich is the closer fit. If you want a broader catalogue and an extended returns window, Craftd is the wider choice.

Materials comparison

This is where the entire comparison lives.

Same base

Both brands use 316L stainless steel as the base material. 316L is the corrosion-resistant grade of stainless used for medical implants, marine applications, and watch cases. It’s hypoallergenic and does not corrode in normal wear conditions.

Different plating

• Craftd London: 18K gold electroplating. Plating thickness is not declared publicly. Electroplating in the UK D2C category typically sits in the 0.3-0.5 micron range.
• Monrich: 18K gold via Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) ion plating. Plating thickness is declared at 1-2 microns. This is 3-5x thicker than typical electroplating.

Why this matters

PVD plating is the technology used in watch industry (Rolex, Omega use PVD for gold-tone watches), aerospace, and tooling because of its durability. Electroplating is faster and cheaper to apply but wears off proportionally faster.

As a general industry rule, plating lifespan scales with thickness. Sub-micron electroplating typically lives on a shorter cycle than a 1-2 micron PVD coat under the same wear conditions. Monrich publishes the 1-2 micron PVD spec on every piece and backs it with a written 12-month tarnish guarantee.

This is the technical reason Monrich is comfortable publishing a 12-month tarnish guarantee in writing across the full catalogue.

Tarnish test side-by-side

What plating thickness actually buys you under daily wear conditions (gym, shower exposure, parfum, office use).

4mm Cuban chain

• Monrich: 1-2 micron PVD published on the spec. 12-month tarnish guarantee in writing if visible plating wear shows on the link joints within twelve months of normal wear.
• Industry context: thinner electroplated coats live on a shorter cycle, with the link joints and clasp the typical first wear points on any Cuban chain.

Signet ring

• Monrich: PVD on the polished face and inner band. The 12-month guarantee covers both surfaces under normal wear.
• Industry context: the inner band and the flat top edge are the first contact points on any plated ring, regardless of brand.

ID bracelet

• Monrich: same 1-2 micron PVD across the engraved plate and the chain links.
• Industry context: the plate is usually the longest-lived surface; chain link friction is where any plated piece shows time first.

Plating thickness scales lifespan in a fairly linear way. Monrich publishes the number on every piece and backs it with a 12-month tarnish guarantee so the comparison is transparent.

Price comparison

Headline prices are similar. The Monrich Buy One Get One Free offer is permanent, not seasonal. Effective per-piece price ends up at half of Craftd for paired purchases.

For a buyer building a 2-piece rotation, total spend: - 2x Craftd Cuban chains: £158 - 2x Monrich Cuban chains: £79 (one free)

That’s a 50% saving on equivalent quality with thicker plating and longer guaranteed lifespan.

Catalogue and styles

• Craftd London: 200+ pieces across chains, rings, bracelets, pendants, earrings, watches, gift sets.
• Monrich: 30+ pieces, focused on the core men’s staples: Cuban chains, rope chains, tennis chains, signet rings, ID bracelets, dog tags, crosses, cufflinks.

If you want maximum variety of styles, Craftd has more options. If you want a curated selection of the men’s staples done well, Monrich is intentionally smaller.

Shipping and returns

Craftd’s 60-day returns is genuinely the longest in the UK D2C men’s jewellery space. Monrich operates on the 14-day Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 baseline with extension flexibility on request.

Customer experience

Both brands operate similar tiers of UK D2C customer service: - Response time: 18-36 hours typical - Replacement / refund processing: 5-14 days - Customer service team size: small at Monrich (founder-adjacent), larger at Craftd (mature operation)

Craftd’s CS is more “templated” (volume-driven). Monrich’s CS is more direct (closer to founder for now, given smaller scale).

Who should buy Craftd?

• You want the widest variety of styles and lengths in one place
• You value the extended 60-day return window
• You want a brand with strong UK ad-led brand recognition
• Catalogue breadth matters more to you than published plating spec

Who should buy Monrich?

• You want classic men’s staples done well: Cuban chain, signet, dog tag, cross, ID bracelet
• You want declared PVD plating with a 12-month tarnish guarantee in writing
• You want to build a 2-3 piece rotation efficiently (BOGO halves the spend)
• You optimise for piece lifespan over catalogue variety