Gold, it does something to a soul. It is so enchanting to the eye and makes you feel a lot more special when you are wearing it. There could be nothing like opening a gift box to find a piece of gold jewelry gleaming out at you, all tempting and sophisticated. But, what to do if you can’t afford solid gold jewelry? Well, gold plated jewelry comes to the rescue!
Gold plated jewelry is a great alternative to the real gold jewelry as it looks as beautiful as the real gold. In gold plated jewelry, for instance gold plated Cuban chain, a layer of real gold is applied to another metal so it provides the same appearance. And because of this, a different care is required than with sterling real gold jewelries. But fading and re-plating the jewelry are some of the common problems that you are likely to encounter.
In this webcast, we have come up with things you need to know about gold plating before you buy one-
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What is Gold Plating?
It is a process where a thin layer of gold is bonded onto a base metal. It is very common in the jewelry world, with gold and rhodium being the two popular types.
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What is Gold Electroplating Process?
Plating jewelry with gold is a simple process but requires various steps. The piece of jewelry must be cleaned thoroughly and pollutants are removed. It is very important as dirt and oil on the base metal prevents the gold layer from bonding correctly.
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What metals can be Gold Plated?
Gold plating can be done on most of the metals, such as brass, nickel, silver, stainless steel and copper. However, modern industrial metals such as tungsten and titanium are also frequently plated. And out of these, silver and copper are the most commonly used.
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Is Gold Plated Real Gold?
Yes, gold plating is real gold but because of little gold used, such jewelries don’t hold the same value of gold.
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How thick should Gold Plating be?
Gold plating thickness ranges in between .17 to 2.5 microns. Plating with a thickness of around .17 micron is called gold electroplated. However, the ideal thickness for gold plating is around .5 to 1.0 microns. Plating that is 2.5 micron thick is known as heavy gold plated.
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Is Gold Plated Jewelry worth it?
Since gold plating on most jewelry is very thin, it can be quite difficult to recover any of the gold. But remember, there is very little actual gold in the gold-plated jewelries. Gold plating usually has little to no resale value and should not be thought of in monetary terms.
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Does gold plating fade or tarnish?
With time, gold plating fade and tarnish, making it lose its shine and luster. This is common and can happen irrespective of the quality of the piece. The primary reason behind its fading is the base metal which is prone to oxidation and corrosion. Eventually, the base metal molecules move into the gold layer, thus impacting the appearance of the jewelry.
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How do I care for my Gold Plated Jewelry?
Following are the steps to take note of:
- Keep your gold plated jewelry away from chemicals, oils and makeup. When doing household chores, take off your gold plated jewelry as the chemicals in soaps, detergents and cleaners can affect the plating.
- Avoid exposing your gold plated jewelry to chlorinated or salty water. For instance, taking it off before diving into the pools, hot tub or sea.
- Body oil or sweat can also impact your gold plated jewelry. To get rid of this, wipe the jewelry or clean it often to get rid of the pollutants.
- Cleaning your gold plated jewelry is must to increase its life.
So don’t lose hope if the thin layer of gold on your gold plated Cuban chain wears off in spots. It can be fixed! So why not give your unfashionable gold jewelry new life?
