Gold accessories are considered the most popular jewelry in recent times. But the cost of this precious metal is growing every year, and therefore not every person can afford to buy an expensive product. If jewelry is worn only on holidays, then there is no point in spending a lot of money on it. There is an alternative to expensive accessories that also look prestigious and stylish.
Gold-plated silver jewelry is a popular type of jewelry that costs much less than gold jewelry. But keep in mind that such jewelry is short-lived and wears out over time, so you won’t be able to wear it all the time. Many buyers are interested in the question: how long does the gilding effect on accessories last? In this article we will tell you how long gilding on silver lasts and how you can clean the product yourself.
Gold-plated elements are used on decorative items, furniture, works of art, building facades, and tableware. They are used to make paintings, art objects, and figurines. Spraying is also used for the manufacture of religious paraphernalia, tableware, mechanical engineering, and dentistry.
International standards for gilding silver set the shade 4N. Dinner sets look very harmonious and are suitable for any interior. The devices themselves are convenient and light, due to the fact that they are based on silver.
How to identify gold-plated silver
Visually, gilded silver does not differ from gold, and therefore it is difficult for an ordinary buyer in a store to distinguish between real gold and gilding. The original accessory is indicated by the presence of a stamp. By looking at the sample, you can immediately discern what metal the jewelry is made of. Even if an additional coating is used on a silver accessory, the silver standard will always be on it, because this is the main metal. Often the standard on silver jewelry is 875 or 925. On gold jewelry you can see a stamp with the following numbers: 585, 375, 750.
Please note that jewelry purchased abroad has different markings. Most often you can see the following samples:
- KGP;
- HGE;
- Golgmult.
It will not be possible to examine the sample with the naked eye; this will require a magnifying glass. You should not buy jewelry from dubious workshops; scammers often solder a stamp with a counterfeit mark and the average person cannot notice it. You need to purchase jewelry only in stores with a good reputation and where there are the necessary certificates indicating quality products.
One of the disadvantages of such jewelry is the high risk of encountering a fake. Therefore, you need to purchase products only from trusted places.
Why does the gold plating wear off?
Do not think that gilding is erased by contact with water. No, even if left in water for a long time, the decoration will not lose its appearance and the spray will adhere perfectly. But you still need to wash your hands without rings, so that the gilding does not wear off due to friction and hygiene products.
Gilding on silver will sooner or later be erased from mechanical damage and prolonged wear; it is very resistant to scratches, so you need to store accessories in special boxes. The metal binds to the treated surface during gilding at the molecular level - this explains that abrasion is possible only from mechanical movements.
When in contact with substances containing sweat, the precious metal causes oxidation. Therefore, during sports and hormonal changes in the body, it is not recommended to wear jewelry. When cleaning the house, washing, or using cosmetics, you need to remove accessories to prevent contact with aggressive substances.
Sometimes in jewelry stores you can see goods from which the gilding has worn off and dark spots have appeared. The material darkens from frequent fitting of jewelry, contact with skin and friction against clothing.
Do not think that the darkening of the jewelry is caused by its contamination. The coating begins to wear off when exposed to oxygen, and therefore this jewelry is not suitable for wearing every day.
Unfavorable factors that shorten the service life of gold-plated accessories include:
- chemistry;
- sweat and other secretions from the human body;
- high humidity;
- friction;
- Sun rays;
- lack of care.
How to maintain color and shine?
Simple tips will help preserve the color and shine of jewelry; it is recommended to remove jewelry before:
- taking a bath or shower;
- sports training;
- cleaning, washing.
Jewelry should be protected from moisture, so remove it before going to the bathroom or shower. Soap solution can negatively affect the condition of the gilding and damage the coating.
Gold plating is susceptible to friction; over the years, the coating may become thinner, so you should not wear items made of gold-plated silver during active sports.
Aggressive reagents act on the coating, damaging it. As a result, dark spots appear on the jewelry, which will be difficult to get rid of.
Proper care will help preserve the color and shine of the product; for this you will need:
Suede is used to polish jewelry; this can be done immediately after cleaning or instead of it.
In any case, the silver layer cannot be damaged, but the gold plating may wear out when in contact with aggressive agents, so jewelry should not be immersed in solutions with soap, salt and soda.
Candy bowl made of silver with gilding of individual parts
You can wipe the product with alcohol, first apply it to a cotton pad or lint-free cloth.
Dip jewelry into a solution of vinegar and water for no more than 20 minutes if the contamination is severe. If routine cleaning is required, you can simply wipe the metal surface with a cloth soaked in a vinegar solution.
Alcohol adds shine, but the products can also be placed in beer, for which one glass of this drink is enough. Decorations are immersed in beer for 15–20 minutes, no more.
What determines the quality and service life of gold coating?
In Russia, when covering silver with gold, a metal of high standard is used - at least 750. But most often this value reaches 999. There are also gold-plated products of 585 standard, equal to 14 carats, but they are extremely rare in jewelry workshops and stores. In foreign countries, metals with a value of 12 carats and below are plated for gilding.
In order for gilding to last as long as possible, the silver standard must be at least 925. The percentage of applied gold must be at least 42%, the fineness must be 99%, and the thickness of the metal must be more than 2.5 microns. If these rules are followed, the gold coating will last for several years. The thicker the coating layer, the longer the decoration does not lose its appearance.
The service life and how long jewelry is worn depends on the rules of use and storage of the jewelry. When purchased from a specialized jewelry store with the necessary quality certificates, the product will retain its presentable appearance for more than two years. The coating lasts the longest on pendants, earrings and products that are least subject to friction and contact with the skin.
It is not allowed to store accessories near heating devices or in places exposed to direct sunlight.
Customers often ask the question in stores: is gilded silver washable or not? The answer is yes. And even if proper care is taken, the coating will be erased after 2-3 years.
Precious coating: gold plating
In jewelry, gold is used as a decorative coating for silver jewelry.
Gilding is the application of a layer of high-grade metal 999.0°. In SOKOLOV gold-plated jewelry, the thickness of the gold plating reaches 5 microns. Palladium 999.0°, a noble metal of the platinum group, is used as a “layer” between silver and gold. Next, the gold itself is applied, and then a special protective coating made in Switzerland.
Benefits of gilding
As a result, gilding retains its original appearance for a long time, is absolutely safe for health and corresponds to the 4 N color stated in all current international, European and Russian state standards.
In addition to visual appeal, gold-plated products also acquire a number of functional advantages. They are less susceptible to aggressive external influences, oxidation and corrosion. In addition, gold-plated silver items are a democratic alternative to gold jewelry, since their cost is much lower than their counterparts made entirely of gold.
Methods of applying gold plating
Gilding has been known since ancient times. Even then, the precious metal was applied to domes and interior items, dishes and decorations. There were cold and hot methods of gilding. The first involved sticking or stamping thin sheets of gold leaf onto a silver, wooden or bronze base.
The hot method, the so-called fire gilding, was used in antiquity. A coating of gold and mercury was applied to the product and fired. As a result, the mercury evaporated, and the gold adhered tightly to the base. However, this method turned out to be very dangerous. Thus, when gilding the domes of St. Isaac's Cathedral, dozens of people were poisoned by hot mercury vapor, so hot gilding was soon abandoned.
Nowadays, the main methods of gilding are gilding with sodium, ether solution, contact with zinc and galvanic means.
Electroplating
It is this method of applying precious decorative coatings that is used in jewelry.
Electroplating is the process of coating the surface of one metal with another by deposition from aqueous salt solutions under the influence of an electric current. The cathode is the product to be coated, and the anode is made of metal that must be deposited on the product.
The use of this method allows you to simultaneously reduce losses during polishing and protect products from chemical interaction with the external environment, since a layer of metal that does not enter into an oxidative reaction (for example, rhodium, gold) is fixed on the surface of the jewelry. This operation is very important when protecting silver jewelry, which is more susceptible to oxidation than others.
The essence of gilding is simple. Small baths are filled with electrolyte, where precious metals are dissolved. Jewelry is attached to special hangers and immersed in the resulting solution, after which the metals in the electrolyte settle on the items in a thin layer. This prevents the formation of oxides and reliably protects the jewelry, giving it exceptional reflectivity.
Decorative coating reliably protects jewelry from tarnishing and various minor scratches, but its main enemy is very hard materials and abrasives that can damage the gold plating.
Like any type of coating, gilding is subject to abrasion. That is why gold-plated jewelry requires the most careful handling and special care.
Caring for Gold Plated Jewelry
You can find general recommendations in the article “Caring for Jewelry,” but here we will dwell in more detail on gold plating.
Contrary to the established opinion that gilding is short-lived, it is worth noting that with proper care and careful use, a high-quality precious coating can retain its original appearance for a long time.
Gilded silver jewelry should be stored separately in a closed box. Be sure to take them off before washing, swimming, playing sports or doing any housework.
For preventative purposes, it is enough to wipe gold-plated jewelry with dry suede. To clean the coating, simply wipe the product with a cotton pad soaked in alcohol. It is completely safe for gold plating. Also, ammonia or soap solution will help improve the appearance of jewelry (a teaspoon of dishwashing detergent and a few drops of ammonia are enough for 1 liter of warm water). Leave the jewelry in the solution for no longer than half an hour, then rinse with water and wipe with a soft cloth.
Still, it is recommended to use professional cleaning products to clean gold-plated items, and once a year to take the jewelry to a jewelry workshop for preventative maintenance.
Which products hold gold plating longer?
Gold plating adheres best to jewelry with a thick layer of sputtering. Not only the durability of the accessory, but also its cost depends on this. The top layer of spraying ranges from 2 to 15 microns. But it is difficult to determine this parameter on the finished product; you need to study the product certificates before purchasing. Therefore, it is better to choose jewelry that will rarely come into contact with human skin - for example, earrings.
Gold plating wears off most quickly from rings, bracelets and chains, and lasts the longest on pendants, brooches and earrings. To preserve the gilding, the jewelry is coated with a protective layer and is wear-resistant.
Is it possible to restore gilding on silver?
If your earrings, bracelet or ring are frayed and some areas of the gilding have peeled off, they can be restored to their beautiful appearance. To do this, you need to reapply the gold plating and contact a workshop. You need to contact an experienced specialist to ensure that the product lasts at least a year. Keep in mind that not every jeweler has professional equipment for gilding. Sometimes the cost of plating jewelry with gold is higher than the price of finished silver jewelry.
Before applying gilding to the jewelry again, you need to calculate whether it will be profitable and get acquainted with the prices in several workshops.
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.
Advantages of gold-plated silver products
Accessories made of gilded silver look attractive and at first glance you cannot tell that it is not real gold. To add more shine, the jewelry is polished with an agate stone. The best way to apply gold plating is electroplating. The surface becomes homogeneous and an additional protective layer appears. In the galvanic bath, the current density and maximum temperature value are determined automatically.
The advantages of gold-plated accessories include the following features:
- beautiful appearance;
- perfect combination with stones;
- absence of allergic reactions;
- amenable to reconstruction;
- reasonable price compared to jewelry made from gold alloys;
- can be used for engraving;
- You can re-spray an unlimited number of times;
- corrosion resistance;
- the products look neat, they are light and easy to wear.
Although accessories are inert and not subject to corrosion, for example, products with sample 585 contain many impurities. Due to the fact that pure metal contains little anti-corrosion properties of the finished product are reduced.
Many brand stores sell gold-plated jewelry. One of the popular ones is the Sokolov company. In store catalogs you can find products for any budget for adults and children, there are even products with large cubic zirconia. Products from the sokolov factory can also be seen in other modern stores.
How to extend the life of gilded silver
In order for gold-plated products to retain their original appearance for as long as possible, you must follow these tips and properly care for them:
- before going to the bathhouse, sauna or gym, remove jewelry from your body;
- avoid intense friction;
- Do not store accessories in cardboard boxes that emit sulfur;
- do not allow contact with household chemicals;
- Remove rings while cleaning and wear gloves.
These tips will help ensure that your jewelry lasts for a long time. Do not forget about the correct storage system for gold-plated jewelry. To do this, you need to get a small box, which will be lined with soft fabric. If there are few accessories, they can be stored in small velvet bags.
In order to extend the life of a solid silver plated item, you will need the following ingredients:
- Vinegar. The essence is used for severe contamination. You cannot use a 100% product; 9% vinegar is suitable for cleaning. For a liter of water, 30 ml of table vinegar is enough. Place the jewelry in the resulting mixture and leave for 25 minutes. After this, the accessory must be washed in running water.
- Ethanol. This method is great for regularly wiping away dust, sweat and dirt. You need to use cotton pads or a soft, lint-free cloth moistened with the product.
- Beer. This ingredient is used to restore shine to a product. First you need to prepare 1 glass of the drink and keep the accessory in it for no more than 20 minutes. After this procedure, gold-plated items should be washed and wiped with a suede cloth.
- Ammonia. This treatment option is suitable for gentle cleaning of products that have become covered with a green coating. You need to heat a liter of water, add 10 ml. dishwashing detergent and 5-6 drops of ammonia. The next step is to immerse the contaminated items in the solution for half an hour, rinse thoroughly under running water and wipe dry with suede.
Is gold-plated silver washable or not and how to care for it
An excellent way to pamper yourself with jewelry with your favorite gold glitter at an affordable price is to purchase gold-plated silver. At the same time, it is very difficult to visually distinguish a gold-plated product from a gold one. But many customers are interested in: is gold-plated silver erased or not, is the gold-plated film damaged during wear? Without going into too much detail about the application, you need to remember that gold plating is simply a very thin top layer on silver jewelry. Like any coating, it will wear off sooner or later, of course.
How quickly the gilding on silver wears off depends on how carefully you wear the jewelry.
The average lifespan of gold plating is two years of constant wear.
To delay this moment, you need to treat gold-plated jewelry very carefully, care must be very thorough, otherwise the gilding will quickly wear off, and the silver in shabby areas will become covered with a dark patina.
Spray erasing occurs for a number of reasons:
- Long-term wearing. Friction against the body, friction against clothing, against all kinds of surfaces (such as a table, fork, bag, etc.) - The use of aggressive substances and reagents that accelerate the oxidation process - these are cleaning products, laundry products and cosmetics. Therefore, before dressing for the evening, you should take off your jewelry and put it in a box. A ring worn on hands smeared with cream is doomed to oxidize. When removing nail polish, drops of acetone lead to the same result. The same will happen when spirits enter...
— Storage near heating devices and in places exposed to direct sunlight. You cannot store gold-plated silver in boxes made of cardboard, as the packaging can release, for example, sulfur, which adversely affects gold-plated jewelry.
— Gold-plated jewelry is “afraid” of high humidity. Therefore, the bathroom is the worst place to store jewelry. You should not wear such jewelry in the rain, and wash your hands while wearing rings.
- Taking medications. Some medications contain substances that can adversely affect the appearance of gold-plated silver jewelry. — Mechanical damage: impacts, scratches, — Incorrect (rough) cleaning of products.. — Leather characteristics. Fatty discharge The last reason is the most common. The more often an alloyed precious metal is exposed to sweat, the faster it oxidizes. Therefore, the same product serves one owner for a long time and quickly becomes dark for another.
Why does a silver item plated with rose gold turn green?
Any shades are a sign of an oxidizing ligature. The greenish color comes from copper oxide. That is why, when oxidizing, red gold with a high content of copper alloy turns green more often than others. (Ligature is an alloy that changes the color of the precious metal)
on a silver ring will be erased faster . But the gilding on earrings will last much longer.
Chains and bracelets will also quickly lose their gilding, since when worn they rub off on the skin and clothes. Plus, the chain links rub against each other, which also wears off the gold plating very quickly.
Sooner or later, any owner of gold-plated silver jewelry is faced with tarnishing. This often looks like heavy contamination.
How to maintain color and shine? It is recommended to remove jewelry before:
- going to the bathroom, bathhouse or shower to protect from moisture and soapy water, which can negatively affect the condition of the gilding and damage the coating:
— sports training;
- cleaning, laundry
Gold-plated items should be stored in a box.
Proper care will help preserve the color and shine of the product; for this you will need:
Suede leather. Ethanol. Vinegar. To effectively remove stains caused by grease and dust, simply wipe the product with alcohol, previously applied to a cotton pad, sponge or lint-free cloth.
To cleanse stronger stains, you can use vinegar essence, after diluting it with water. A 9% composition is suitable for cleaning. It is recommended to pour 30 ml of table vinegar into 1 liter of water, keep the jewelry in this solution for ¼ hour and rinse it with tap water.
If routine cleaning is required, you can simply wipe the metal surface with a cloth soaked in a vinegar solution.
To restore shine to faded items, you can place them in beer, for which one glass of this drink is enough. Decorations are immersed in beer for 15–20 minutes, no more. After this, it is washed with tap water and cleaned with a suede cloth.
If the jewelry is so dirty that it has already turned green, then it can be cleaned with a solution of soapy water and ammonia. To prepare the composition, you need to pour 5-10 ml of dishwashing detergent into 1 liter of heated water and add 5-6 drops of ammonia solution. Gilded objects are kept in the product for half an hour. After washing under running water, the products are dried and rubbed with suede.
Suede is used to polish jewelry; this can be done immediately after cleaning or instead of it.
Of course, the best way to clean gold-plated items is to have them professionally cleaned by a jewelry workshop. Don’t be too lazy to give your ring or earrings to an experienced craftsman once a year.
Even gold loses its luster and color over the years, and it is even easier to damage the gilded film. If you take proper care of your jewelry, it will last a long time and the coating will not wear off quickly.
How to clean gold plated silver
In order to remove gold plating, it is best to contact a jewelry maker. Symptoms that indicate that the metal is oxidizing are a change in shade. Most often the product becomes green or dark gray. This often manifests itself on jewelry that contains red gold. In order to remove gilding from silver, you can use mechanical and electromechanical methods at home.
The chemical method involves the use of aqua regia. But during the work you need to be careful not to damage the silver layer of the product. Before cleaning, you need to coat all parts where silver is visible with a protective coating. Then the jewelry needs to be placed in a porcelain container, pour vodka into it and heat it up a little. Gradually the gilding will begin to come off on its own. When gray spots begin to appear on the product, it must be removed from the container. After this, the accessory is washed with water, ammonia is applied to it, and the remaining gilding is removed with a brush.
Electrochemical technology requires the creation of an electrolyte - a 7% solution of potassium cyanide in distilled water. A copper plate is also required for cleaning. The product must be treated in an electrolyte bath and then rinsed thoroughly. If there are silver residues left, they can be cleaned with a brush.
Never try to rub gold plated with powder, salt, mustard or other improvised ingredients. In this case, there is a high risk that you will erase the entire coating. It is better to contact a jeweler who can clean and polish the product.
Gold-plated jewelry has reasonable prices and a large assortment. With proper care, such products retain their original appearance and shine for a long time. Reviews about such accessories are only positive: buyers are attracted by the low cost and beautiful appearance.
