5 Things You Need to Know About Gold Plating
Gold-plated jewelry offers a budget-friendly option for purchasing gold jewelry. It helps you achieve the style of your dreams at more affordable prices. Gold plating comes in varying quality levels, depending largely on the thickness and purity of the gold plating, the base metal used for the piece, and the quality of the craftsmanship. Once plated, it is almost impossible to distinguish real gold from gold-plated jewelry just by looking at it.
Not sure if gold-plated jewelry is right for you?
In this guide, we have outlined 5 things you need to know about gold plating before you buy.
1) What is gold plating?
Gold plating is a process in which a thin layer of gold is bonded to a base metal. Plating is quite common in the jewelry world, with gold and rhodium being two popular types.
2) What is the gold plating process?
Plating jewelry with gold is an easy process, but it requires several steps. The jewelry piece must first be thoroughly cleaned and stripped of all contaminants. This is very important because dirt and oil on the base metal will prevent the gold layer from adhering properly. Steam cleaning, ultrasonic cleaning, and electro-cleaning are some of the methods used to clean the base metal for the best results.
Next, a thin layer of high-quality nickel is plated onto the base metal. This is to protect the gold layer from being affected by the base metal in any way.
For the final layer, the jewelry is dipped into gold plating baths, and a positive electrical charge is used to fuse the gold to the base metal. Once the gold plating thickness is reached, the jewelry is hung to dry.
3) Is gold plating real gold?
Yes, gold plating is real gold. The higher the purity of the gold, the more it resembles the color of gold. We use 0.5-micron gold plating in our products.
4) How thick should gold plating be?
The ideal thickness for gold plating is between 0.5 and 1.0 microns. Although this may seem like a thin layer, it is sufficient even for pieces of jewelry subject to heavy wear, such as rings and bracelets.
5) Where can I buy gold-plated jewelry?
Don't forget to check out Bonjouk Studio's gold-plated accessories!
