You're right. Confusion on using correct thickness terms runs rampant on the internet. In the following seemingly official definitions for Karatclad, they use 3 different unit terms on the same page, 2 of which are in error - you would think that the person who posted this would have caught the differences. One micron equals about 40 microinches (.000040", actually .00003937"). One mil equals 1000 microinches (.001"). I would guess that these unit errors originate in industry as inside-the-plant abbreviations of the correct terms "microinches" or "millionths of an inch", (these 2 terms mean the same thing). Millionths is abbreviated "mils" and microinches is abbreviated "microns." These abbreviations may work while verbally communicating inside of a plating shop but they are wrong in the real world. Another reason may lie in the huge advent of "texting", which makes great use of abbreviations and acronyms.
These definitions below use:
100 microinches (
correct) which would be = 0.000100"
100 microns (
incorrect) which would actually be = 0.004000" - 40 times too thick
100 mils (
incorrect) which is = 0.100" - 1000 times too thick
As in the 1st 2 quotes below, 100 microinches is about 14 times thicker than standard gold electroplate (correct) on jewelry which has to be at least 7 microinches in order to call it "gold electroplate."
"Karatclad is a trademark for a very thick gold electroplating process; this type of plating is about 14 times thicker than standard electroplating." All About Jewels (http://www.enchantedlearning.com/jewel) correct
"Heavy gold electroplate that is 14 times thicker than is required by marking regulations for conventional gold electroplate. The first heavy gold electroplate, with consistent high karat non tarnishing brilliance, color uniformity and higher hardness is known by its trademark 'Karatclad'." Lenim.com correct
"Registered trade name for heavy gold electroplate of at least 100 microns thick and meeting Federal Trade Commission regulations. (Antique Jewl University) incorrect
— Karat Clad. A registered trade name for heavy gold electroplate, meeting Federal Trade Commission regulations for gold coating at least 100 microinches thick." Donald S. McNeil (ed.). Jewelers' Dictionary. Jewelers' Circular-Keystone (3rd) 1976 correct
"Indicates a heavy gold deposit, 100 mils, that is a composite metal of two or more layers that have been electrolytically bonded together." Tanury Industries - Plating (website) incorrect
Source: http://www.jewels-gems-clocks-watches.com/gemdict_en/index.php?le=K&la=E&entry=115178
Here's the real FTC regulations, which are the only ones that count. At 100 microinches minimum, Karatclad is considered the same as "Heavy Gold Electroplate" or, as it's often stamped, "HGE" or "H.G.E."
(4) An industry product or part thereof, on which there has been affixed on all significant surfaces by an electrolytic process, an electroplating of gold, or of a gold alloy of not less than 10 karat fineness, which has a minimum thickness throughout equivalent to .175 microns (approximately 7/1,000,000ths of an inch) of fine gold, may be marked or described as "Gold Electroplate" or "Gold Electroplated," or abbreviated, as, for example, "G.E.P." When the electroplating meets the minimum fineness but not the minimum thickness specified above, the marking or description may be "Gold Flashed" or "Gold Washed." When the electroplating is of the minimum fineness specified above and of a minimum thickness throughout equivalent to two and one half (2 1/2) microns (or approximately 100/1,000,000ths of an inch) of fine gold, the marking or description may be "Heavy Gold Electroplate" or "Heavy Gold Electroplated." When electroplatings qualify for the term "Gold Electroplate" (or "Gold Electroplated"), or the term "Heavy Gold Electroplate" (or "Heavy Gold Electroplated"), and have been applied by use of a particular kind of electrolytic process, the marking may be accompanied by identification of the process used, as for example, "Gold Electroplated (X Process)" or "Heavy Gold Electroplated (Y Process)."
Source: http://www.ftc.gov/enforcement/rules/trade-regulations-rules-and-industry-guides/guides-jewelry-precious-metals-and
I didn't realize that some of the Karatclad jewelry was marked as 18K, so, in that case, my statement concerning the purity of at least 99% would be be error. However, 18K is not necessarily 75% gold when it comes to decorative gold plating. Plated gold alloys are generally lighter in color than their cast counterparts. Therefore, to get an 18K cast color, the gold content may actually be 22-23 karat. Usually, when plated jewelry is marked 14K or 18K, that indicates the color and not necessarily the metal composition.