Some kitchen utensils, such as tea cups, are decorated with golden streaks. Sometimes, the seller asserts that these streaks are of pure gold and therefore they are expensive. At other times, however, the price does not reflect that these streaks are of gold because they are cheap. What is the Sharee‘ah ruling on using such utensils?

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His Slave and Messenger.

If it is evident that the utensils are gilded, it is unlawful to use them unless the layer is very little so that when the utensil is exposed to fire, the layer becomes undistinguished and wears away. In the latter case, this is pardonable.

Allaah Knows best.