For children, perhaps over age 3 to teens, these 8mm internal huggie/hoops are the perfect every-day-wear earrings. What is IP Gold? Ion plating makes the gold plating more durable, more wear resistant, and also has a higher brightness. Ion plating involves adding of a titanium nitride layer, which has a high chemical stability, to the component to be plated. To this is added a gold coating, normally not exceeding 0.3 urn in thickness. It is considered so durable as to be permanent.