The gold on a plated piece is deposited atom by atom through electroplating, which is why the surface has the same character as solid gold to the eye and to the touch.
Skilled Craftsmanship
Fine enameling is a technique that rejects shortcuts. Metal preparation, firing temperatures, and layering sequence must all be correct, and the skills required to hold those variables in parallel take years to develop and can't be abbreviated in the finished work.
Meet The Maker
The animal motifs that became house identities (Cartier's panther, Bulgari's serpent, Van Cleef & Arpels' bird of paradise) got there through sustained commitment. Each one required decades of technically serious interpretation before the animal and house the name became inseparable.