Is it worth buying gold-plated silver: features, pros and cons

Jewelry and products made from precious metals have always been an indicator of luxury. Since ancient times, they have been used to add exclusivity to a home and as gifts that show a level of respect and seriousness. Spoons for the birth of a child are in great demand, as a symbol of a happy, satisfying life; figurines covered with gold will always be the center of attention. The value of gifts has been preserved to the present day. But due to the high price, it is not always possible to buy gold products. That is why the technology of plating cheaper silver items with gold was developed. This is an excellent alternative to expensive precious metal, with no obvious differences in appearance, at a more convenient price.

No. 1. Is it possible to gild silver and how to do it?

It is foolish to look for an answer to the question of whether silver can be plated with gold, since it is obvious. For example, in a jewelry store’s catalog of 32,000 items, there are a thousand with gold plated items. However, gilding has always been a popular way to reduce the cost of jewelry without compromising its appearance. Clay, marble and metal surfaces were gilded both in Ancient Greece (this is mentioned by Homer) and in pagan Rus'. There are two known methods of gilding metals:

Mechanical gilding (leaf). Objects are covered with thin gold plates. To keep the plates in place, they are “set” on an adhesive base or driven into the surface. Gold is a soft and durable metal that can be rolled out down to a micrometer.

Galvanic and electrochemical gilding. After the discovery of electroplating in the 20th century, electrochemical gilding replaced mechanical gilding. It involves placing a metal piece of jewelry in a solution of gold salts and passing a current through it. Metal particles settle on the jewelry, forming a durable layer. Electrochemical metallization allows you to coat jewelry with a finely porous gold layer: it requires a gold-containing gel and a power source. Such a layer wears out four times slower than a galvanic layer.

Gilding silver takes from minutes to an hour if the jeweler uses the second group of methods. The resulting gilding is durable and uniform.

Recoating

If you still decide not to part with your jewelry and leave it with gold plating, you can turn to specialists for help. Using a special device, a new coating is applied in a matter of minutes. How much does it cost to apply the coating? The cost of gilding is considerable; gilding one ring will cost about 350 rubles, and chains - from 2000 rubles. The price depends on the grade of gold used and the thickness of the applied coating.

As you can see, high quality gold-plated silver should cost significantly more. Re-gilding has other advantages. You can apply gold in a different shade, such as white, red or pink. When electroplated, the gold layer has high adhesion to the surface being treated. After repeated restoration, the product will look completely new.

To restore the coating, you need to choose only a professional master. The work must be done very efficiently, with knowledge of all the nuances and technological details.

Gilded silver looks beautiful and, when handled with care, pleases the eye for a long time. It is not intended for everyday wear, so if your favorite item no longer looks neat, it is better to remove or restore such coating.

No. 2. How silver jewelry is coated (assays)

If they try to sell you silver with gilding without hallmark at all, don’t even think about agreeing. They are trying to fool you. You can distinguish gold jewelry from silver with gilding by cost and, of course, purity . In Russia, jewelry is not marked with a separate hallmark of gilding, but if you come across a piece of jewelry with a golden sheen and hallmark of silver (a rectangle with top and bottom rounded edges), then you have gilding. On jewelry originating from Europe or the USA, gilding is also marked.

Gold plating structure. Simple gilding consists only of a layer of gold, while reliable and durable plating consists of layers of copper, nickel and 999-carat gold. To protect the gilding from being wiped off, it is covered with a layer of varnish or glass.

Gold plating samples. In jewelry, silver is plated with gold. Silver of the 925th standard, 916th or 875th (USSR standard) behaves best. Such marks will appear on the product in the stamp rectangle. 916 is most likely cutlery silver. Jewelry is plated with 999, 750 or 585 gold. Since gilding is marked abroad, on the product you will find hallmarks of 24, 18 or 14 carat gold. The method of gilding is also indicated in the form of an abbreviation.

Gold plating of 999 purity with a thickness of 3 microns lasts longer. The thickness of the gilding layer, the method of its application and the purity of gold are indicated on the jewelry tag.

Gilding technology

Gilded silver is achieved by coating items with a thin layer of 2 to 15 microns of gold . The quality, strength and durability of the product depend on the density of the coating. Most often, high-carat gold is used - 750 or 999 - to avoid corrosion, which silver is prone to.

925 is most often used . It is almost impossible to visually distinguish the jewelry from real gold ones. With proper storage and use, gilding remains in its original condition for a long time. They are endowed with the same shine and durability as the real thing. But in some cases, the use of such items is much more rational. Unfortunately, jewelry that is in constant contact with the body falls into poor condition earlier than those that do not have contact.

In order to make a conclusion whether or not to purchase things with gold plated, it is necessary to consider all the possible positive and negative qualities of work using such technology.

No. 3. How long does gold plating last on silver?

As you already know, the average lifespan of gold plating is two years of constant wear. This means that wedding rings, crosses and chains will have to be updated. In this case, silver will gradually appear through the gold layer - first at the joints, edges of jewelry or places of constant contact with the edge of clothing. It is the uneven color fade that irritates jewelry owners.

The most durable gilding is a layer of 3 microns of 999-carat gold applied to 925-carat silver. Gold adheres securely to silver, is resistant to household chemicals and friction, it is difficult to scratch, does not crumble or peel.

How to wear gold plated? How long gilding on silver lasts depends on how it is handled. To extend the life of the gold plating, remove jewelry when playing sports, before swimming pools and saunas, when cleaning, and when sleeping.

Cleaning gold plated jewelry. It is not difficult to damage the gold layer on silver - for example, with a rough brush or abrasive.
Wipe off small stains with an alcohol solution or vinegar on a cotton swab, and large stains with a toothbrush and paste or saline solution.

What determines the quality and service life of gold coating?

In our country, when plating products with gold, high-grade metal is always used, above 750 fineness, but most often - 999. It is somewhat less common to find plating with gold of 14 carats, or 585 fineness. Abroad, both 12-carat gold and lower, 8-9 carats, are used for this purpose. This factor has a significant impact on the strength of the coating and service life. In addition, depending on the sample, the coating may have different colors.

Gold Plated Silver Stud Earrings

Experts believe that the main condition for high-quality gilding is that the silver on which the coating is applied must have a purity of at least 925, and the applied gold must be at least 42%. The thickness of the applied gold should be more than 2.5 microns, and the fineness should be 999. Under such conditions, the gold plating will last a long time and reliably.

No. 4. The advantage of silver with gold plated

Gold looks more impressive than silver - it is visible from afar, it shimmers brighter, and looks more expensive. And since there is no visual difference between gold and gilding, the latter is a good attempt to save money. Rings of the same weight made of silver and gold are sold in stores with a price difference of up to 4 times! Although in jewelry everything depends on the skill of the jeweler, the stones and the volume of the series.

Among the advantages of gilding are the chemical resistance of the product, protection from cracks, corrosion and tarnishing, as well as low price and visual appeal. Unlike gold jewelry, gold-plated pendants are worn anywhere and anytime. Business ethics does not prohibit this. Gold-plated rings are a budget alternative to silver “engagement rings,” which are unacceptable at a wedding. Silver is given as a gift at an engagement party.

Gilding also has disadvantages. The main one is fragility. You can treat a gold-plated bracelet with care, but it will not become a family heirloom - your grandchildren will get a silver item. Gold coating is afraid of contact with abrasives - since a layer of several micrometers is easily damaged.

Gold plating also peels off unevenly, so you may not be happy with the appearance of the jewelry long before the gilding comes off completely. But don’t panic - it’s easy to restore its layer in a jewelry workshop. The operation will cost from 500 rubles.

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We recommend that you familiarize yourself with the catalogs:

• Gold plated rings
• Earrings with gold plated
• Pendants with gold plated
• Gold plated chains
• Gold plated bracelets

Removing gold plating

The easiest way to solve this problem is to take the product to a workshop. But you don’t always want to spend time on this, and then the question arises whether it can be done on your own. For this procedure, two methods can be used: mechanical and electrochemical. Before choosing the appropriate technology, familiarize yourself with all the pros and cons of this method.

Removing gold plating using a chemical method involves using aqua regia. The main objective of this method is to avoid damage to the base metal, that is, silver, while removing the top layer.

This is done as follows. First, all parts where silver is visible are coated with a protective coating. Next, the product is sent to a porcelain cup with aqua regia and heated. The gilding is slowly starting to come off. Once dark spots of silver chloride begin to appear, you need to remove the jewelry from the solution. Then you need to wash it with ammonia and remove the remaining gold plating with a brush.

Silver product before and after gilding

Removing gold plating using the electrochemical method involves using an electrolytic bath and a copper plate. The electrolyte, which in this case serves as the anode, is a 7% solution of potassium cyanide in distilled water. The copper plate is used as the cathode. After treatment, the product is removed from the bath and washed with a stream of water. Remains of gilding are also removed with a brush.

In both the first and second methods, not all of the coating is removed. Removing gold plating at home is completely possible if you purchase: a power supply with adjustable voltage and polarity, battery electrolyte, distilled water and thiourea. Prepare an electrolyte and a glass jar, where you place the anode with decoration and a steel cathode. Apply 3.5 volts to them. Do not open the can during the reaction as hydrogen sulfide will be released.

What do you need to know about foreign gilding?

Imported gold-plated products have slightly different markings. The most common sample designations are:

• KGP – gold plating from 12 to 24 carats.
• HGE is an electroplated finish measured in carats.
• Goldmult is a German coating that indicates not only the markings, but also the thickness of the gold layer.

This knowledge will help you decide on the choice of imported gold-plated silver.

What is gold plating and why is it applied?

Gilding is a coating of high-grade gold that is applied to the surface of a selected item at home or by a professional jeweler in a workshop. The item being processed can be made of any metal, but in most cases silver is used for this.

Gilding is done:

• to give a golden hue and emphasize the individuality of the product;
• updating the appearance of items;
• durability of a metal item.

How the process works

Before gilding silver items at home, it is important to ensure your own safety, for which this is perfect:

• rubber shoes;
• gloves;
• glasses for eye protection;
• apron.

Regardless of the method used, restoring silver at home always consists of the following steps:

• metal surface preparation;
• spraying or other coating;
• final processing.

Gilding metal is not enough. I recommend creating a protective layer on gold-plated silver. Nitrocellulose varnish is suitable for this.

How to care?

We have already mentioned several times in the article that such products need to be properly cared for. This is a very important aspect of the product’s operation; it determines how long the decoration will retain its original appearance.

First of all, you need to determine the reasons that may contribute to the darkening or abrasion of the gold layer:

• the effect of aggressive substances - these can be hygiene products, cosmetics;
• improper care;
• constant friction against each other or any other surface;
• frequent contact with water.

Experts recommend that before taking water treatments or going to bed, be sure to remove your jewelry.

It is also advisable to store them in a separate special box to reduce the possibility of friction.

Proper care and wearing of gold-plated jewelry will preserve its color and shine. But if the decoration nevertheless darkens, and over time this cannot be avoided, do not despair. There are several effective methods that will help you clean items from blackness at home quickly and effectively.

Method for cleaning gold plating

Before you begin cleaning gold-plated jewelry, you need to properly prepare it for the procedure. To do this, gilded objects are carefully wiped with a dry rag - wool, suede, or felt are suitable. To clean off fat deposits, you need to additionally use turpentine or an alcohol solution - a small amount of the chosen product is applied to a soft material or cotton pad and wiped over the jewelry. For final cleaning, alcohol will be enough, but you can use traditional methods:

1. To add shine and remove any plaque, it is recommended to immerse the jewelry in beer for 15-20 minutes and wipe dry. To clean a classic set with this method, 1 glass of drink will be enough.
2. If you rub the gold plating on your jewelry with egg white, the shine will return. To perform the manipulation, you need to separate the protein, moisten a rag or sponge and carefully rub the entire surface. The remains will cover the material with a protective film.
3. Beaten egg yolk with 1 tbsp. sorrel decoction will restore the shine of the jewel. After treating with this composition, you need to rinse the jewelry in water and rub it with a rag.
4. By using wine alcohol, darkened areas on the coating are eliminated and all types of contaminants are removed. To clean, soak a sponge or rag in the product and rub the surface.

Attention! You can use vinegar for items coated with a thin layer of gold, but complete immersion in a 9% solution is acceptable for up to 20 minutes for heavily soiled items. When the duration of the procedure is disrupted, the gilding may wear off. If you plan to do simple cleaning, you can simply wipe it with a sponge or rag.

Jewelry metals lose their shine and brightness of color over time, and the film of gold-plated products is no exception. In order for the coating to be removed from the product, it must be mechanically damaged. If the care meets the standard, then it is impossible to determine by its appearance that the item is classified as silver. When a noticeable stain appears on the jewelry after a short period of use - the gilding in this place has worn off, it is better to return it to the store or take it to a jeweler to check the alloy.

Types of electroplated gold plating

Today, the main methods of gilding are gilding with sodium, ether solution, and contact with zinc. But the most effective is the galvanic method. It is most suitable for decorating jewelry. To apply gold particles to the surface of silver, it is dipped into an aqueous solution of salts and subjected to electric current. The product to be coated is the cathode, and the anode is gold particles.

If silver jewelry is subject to chemical changes (oxidized), then gold-plated products are protected from them. The gilding process is something like this:

1. Electrolyte is poured into small containers.
2. Gold is dissolved in it.
3. The jewelry is immersed in this solution and left for some time.
4. Oxides begin to settle in a thin layer on the products.
5. Take out the jewelry, wait for it to dry, polish it or cover it with a protective layer.

In industry, electroplating is used to produce a product with a layer of gold. The gold plating can be pink, imitating 585-carat metal. Such products are almost impossible to distinguish from gold ones. There is also a yellow galvanized coating. It contains not only gold, but also nickel. This yellow color resembles pure gold.

Reviews of gold-plated 925 silver “Sunlight”

Recently, consumers are increasingly choosing silver. Therefore, reviews about gilded silver: whether this coating is erased or not is interesting to know for many.

An excellent company producing coated silver is Sunlight. Earrings are considered the most durable to wear. Many customers wear them without taking them off for several months. Then you just need to wipe them with alcohol and they will shine like new again.

Reviews of Sunlight gold-plated silver indicate that the company constantly holds various promotions with gifts and sends SMS messages to customers with offers. Everyone is pleased to receive a small bonus. Sometimes there are discounts on jewelry up to 50%. The company offers both the simplest models of gold-plated jewelry and more luxurious options.

Why does the gold plating wear off?

The film that covers silver is thin, it can be damaged under unfavorable factors:

1. Contact with water.
2. Contact with aggressive substances.
3. Improper care of the product.
4. Friction on the surface of the human body.

When worn every day, it is worth taking care of the jewelry so that it does not quickly lose its color and shine.

Excessive humidity promotes the oxidation of silver, since this metal is afraid of moisture. High-quality silver is inert, but the alloy is prepared not only from this component; copper and nickel are also used, which are used to dilute the silver. If the alloy contains too much copper or other metals, the jewelry will turn yellow, blacken and become coated.

Aggressive substances or reagents that accelerate the oxidation process are cleaning products, laundry products, and even some cosmetics. Therefore, before dressing for the evening, you should take off your jewelry and put it in a box.

The gilding layer can also wear off due to increased friction, so jewelry should be removed before playing sports.

Rules for using gold-plated products

The durability of gold-plated items depends on their proper use and storage conditions.

Recommendations for use, following which you can enjoy the beauty of gold-plated products for many years:

• Are you going to take a bath or shower? Be sure to remove earrings and other gold-plated jewelry. It is important to prevent them from coming into contact with soapy water;
• store items in closed boxes, caskets, avoiding exposure to sunlight and moisture. To prevent jewelry from being scratched, you need to place each item in a soft fabric bag or place it in separate chests;
• gilding a product with a thick layer of metal is not enough; it is important to clean it properly;
• Do not store gold-plated jewelry in the kitchen, bathroom or other rooms in high humidity conditions.

Cleaning

To clean a gold-plated item at home without damaging the coating, you will need:

• suede cloth;
• vinegar;
• ethanol.

Suede is useful for polishing silver. It is used immediately after cleaning to give things shine. If a piece of jewelry that has been successfully gilded is worn every day, you should wipe it with a cloth every evening before placing it in the box.

Small stains can be removed with ethyl alcohol. Silver is treated with a cotton pad soaked in the substance. An aqueous solution of vinegar will help remove significant stains; just place a silver item in it for a quarter of an hour.

Under no circumstances do I recommend immersing silver in a soap or soda solution: in such conditions, the decorative coating will be irrevocably damaged.

Choosing the right gold plated jewelry

So, what do you need to know about choosing gold plated products? The material that is sprayed is of primary importance in this matter. It is important that it is 925 silver. This fact speaks volumes about the value of the product. Sometimes spraying can be applied to aluminum, copper, and tin. Such works are valued even cheaper than silver ones.

How can you determine what kind of jewelry you have in front of you: made of gilded silver or another metal? First, examine the product from all sides, find the brand and markings. To do this, familiarize yourself with silver hallmarks and hallmark standards in advance. In the Russian Federation, the following standards are established for silver: 999, 960, 925, 875, 830, 800. Most often, 925 silver is used for gilding. Since Soviet times, a mark in the form of a barrel has been used on silver jewelry.

Sources

• https://zolotoe-runo-sl.ru/dragocennye-kamni/pozolota-na-serebre.html
• https://zhazhdazolota.ru/serebro/kak-pozolotit-serebro-v-domashnikh-usloviyakh
• https://FB.ru/article/408985/pozolochennoe-serebro-otzyivyi-printsip-naneseniya-stoykost-pozolotyi-osobennosti-uhoda-rekomendatsii-i-otzyivyi-yuvelirov
• https://met-all.org/obrabotka/prochie/zolochenie-domashnih-usloviyah-pozolota-galvanicheskoe.html
• https://vplate.ru/serebro/pozolochennoe/
• https://hozsekretiki.ru/garderob/aksessuary/pozolochennoe-serebro-stiraetsya-ili-net.html
• https://vplate.ru/serebro/zolochenie/
• https://DedPodaril.com/serebro/vidy/pozolochennoe-serebro-stiraetsya-ili-net.html
• https://HochuZoloto.com/prochee/skolko-derzhitsya-pozolota-na-serebre.html

Preparing a composition for gilding at home

You can prepare the solution for gilding yourself.

To do this, mix:

• water (1500 ml);
• gold chloride (10 g);
• potassium cyanide (30 g);
• salt (20 g);
• soda (20 g).

To obtain a thinner layer of gold plating you will need:

• water (2 l);
• gold chloride (15 g);
• yellow blood salt (65 g);
• carbonic potassium salt (65 g);
• table salt (65 g).

All components must be well dissolved, otherwise the gilding layer will be uneven, and even thorough polishing will not help. When the product is immersed in liquid, it is necessary to lower a zinc stick into the container (zinc contact method).

History of the use of silver in various fields

In Rus', too, the healing and neutralizing power of silver objects was noticed quite a long time ago. So, in churches, holy water was poured and stored in silver vessels specially cast for this purpose. And the phenomenon associated with a silver spoon in a glass of water has been known to everyone since the days of studying at school from a life safety course.

It is thanks to its unique properties that silver began to appear in a huge number of objects surrounding humans. Ancient and modern scientists, inventors and jewelry makers try to cleanse the world around a person who owns one or another silver item. Gradually, silver could be found in almost all cutlery, dishes, mirrors, and, of course, jewelry. Elements of silver were added to fabrics, which made it possible to decorate even clothes and shoes.

Today, silver can be found in a variety of medical devices; it is used in the food industry (for example, silver is part of some food additives with indicator E), in the laboratory industry (for the manufacture of various vessels for melting alkalis or other metals). In electrical engineering, it is also impossible to do without silver, which is part of copper conductors and various waveguides. Among other things, in some chemical reactions it is impossible to do without silver molecules. This metal (more precisely, silver nitrate) is also used to create photographs.

Application of zinc contact

To obtain a thicker gold-plated layer, a zinc contact is used. Using this method, you can, for example, coat silver with a layer of gold. For gilding, a composition is prepared from the following components:

• gold chloride – 15 grams;
• carbonic potassium salt – 65 grams;
• yellow blood salt – 65 grams;
• table salt – 65 grams;
• water – 2 l.

It will take some time to dissolve all components of the composition

Products made of copper and brass are plated with gold in a solution of the following composition:

• gold chloride – 2 grams;
• caustic potassium – 6 grams;
• potassium cyanide – 32 grams;
• sodium phosphorus salt – 10 grams;
• water – 2 l.

Objects on the surface of which it is necessary to apply a layer of gilding are thoroughly cleaned of dirt and grease, then they are placed in a preheated gilding composition. The products already there are connected to a zinc rod, which acts as a contact.

Compositions of degreasing solutions

In order for the gilding applied to the surface of products made of steel, zinc and tin to be of high quality and have good adhesion, they must be subjected to a copper plating procedure before gilding.