Gold and jewelry made from it have been valued all over the world since ancient times, giving the owner a respectable appearance and emphasizing his status in society . But unfortunately, not everyone can afford to purchase products made from this precious metal due to its high cost.
The composition of a medical alloy can include various metals in different proportions: titanium, silver, molybdenum, chromium, brass, copper, zinc, nickel. For example, when titanium is added, the alloy has the color of steel and is widely used in the manufacture of surgical instruments for operations or for dentures. By adding other components, you can achieve different shades of the alloy: yellow or slightly red. Modern technologies make it possible to make jewelry from two colors, combining them, for example, white and yellow gold.
Many people wonder why there is no hallmark on medical gold products. This is explained by the fact that the smallest standard among precious metals is 375 , and if the product contains a smaller amount of gold, then it already belongs to the category of costume jewelry and is marked in its own way.
At first glance, it is difficult to distinguish jewelry made from medical alloy from gold. The reason is that a high grade coating is applied to the surface. Such coatings come in 2 types and determine the durability of the product:
- At a temperature of 900°C, a gold coating is applied, which is firmly bonded to the base metal. As a result, the product is resistant to corrosion and does not cause allergic reactions. The coating itself is durable and does not change its properties for many years. This application method is called Gold Filled . Jewelry with this type of plating is most similar to gold, but you won’t find hallmarks on them. But companies that produce high-quality jewelry and use Gold Filled coating, for example, the Xuping company, put their logo, thereby confirming the high quality of the jewelry.
- A spraying method in which gold plating is rolled into a thin layer. This method of coating is less reliable and products with it are not able to withstand long-term use, and are also susceptible to environmental influences. This method is called Gold Plated .
Advantages of medical alloy products
High-quality medical alloy jewelry always looks chic and can highlight the beauty of any woman. When choosing among jewelry products, you can see a huge variety of models. Designers create fancy shapes by combining different alloys with artificial stones, embodying them in jewelry such as earrings, rings, bracelets and chains. Connoisseurs of sparkling beauty should know about the benefits of medical gold jewelry:
- One of its main advantages that attracts buyers is its affordable price . It is several times less than the cost of gold products. Small earrings with zirconium or other artificial stones can be purchased for about 200 rubles. Due to the affordable price, such jewelry can be worn to the beach or to the pool without worrying about losing it, unlike expensive precious things. Even if such a nuisance occurs, it is not difficult to purchase new jewelry. The price of products depends on their massiveness, complexity of weaving or pattern and method of coating.
- A wide variety of models is achieved thanks to the properties of medical steel, which can be engraved , bent, painted or melted down.
- Depending on the predominant metal in the composition of the product, it is possible to achieve an imitation of not only gold , but also silver and platinum by adding the appropriate amount of metal.
- The products are easy to clean and polish . If, as a result of prolonged wear, the jewelry has become dull and dirty, you can easily restore it to its former shine by carefully polishing it.
- The medical alloy does not cause allergic reactions even in people who are sensitive to the effects of metal on the skin. This is explained by the fact that it contains no metals that can provoke the development of allergies upon contact with the skin. This is proven by the fact that when ears are pierced or pierced in other places on the body, an earring made of medical gold is inserted into the hole formed after the piercing. In this case, the wound will not fester and take a long time to heal.
- Widely used in medicine . Dental practice has long learned to make crowns from medical steel that can be worn successfully for many years, because the soft tissue of the gums does not reject such an alloy. Medical instruments are also made, which confirms the reliability of such steel. It has earned trust among manufacturers due to its resistance to corrosion processes, density of the composition, absence of areas with pores, density of the composition, uniformity of structure, resistance to mechanical stress and antiseptic properties. Medical supplies are made from alloys containing molybdenum and chromium, and medical instruments are made from ferritin steel.
What is it used for in medicine?
Medical steel has been used to treat people for a long time. In the past, alchemists made golden water that was used to treat viral and infectious diseases.
With the development of technology, the use of gold in medicine has expanded significantly. Now gold nanoparticles are added to modern drugs for various diseases. Metal improves immunity and helps strengthen the cardiovascular system.
Radioactive medical gold is actively used in oncology. With its help, malignant tumors are treated and the condition of the skin is restored. However, only the attending physician can prescribe such procedures after an examination.
This alloy is used to kill germs and disinfect wounds. Due to this, it is used in the manufacture of instruments for performing operations. When working with various damage to the skin, such instruments cannot introduce infection into the body. Medical gold is also used to make jewelry. It is ideal for those people who are not suitable for any precious metals other than real gold.
Negative aspects of medical alloy
No matter how attractive medical alloy products may be due to their advantages, they, like any product, have a number of disadvantages:
- Unlike precious gold products, medical steel can wear down over time even though it successfully resists corrosion and has a long service life. If the product is not cared for carefully enough, subjected to mechanical stress and frequent chemical treatment, the protective layer will wear off over time.
- Many lovers of jewelry made from medical gold consider the lack of hallmark on the jewelry to be a disadvantage. The reason is that they do not belong to the class of jewelry.
- If we compare the prices of jewelry made of medical alloy and ordinary jewelry, then in the first case it is several times higher .
- We must remember that abrasive detergents should not be used .
- There is a risk of purchasing a fake, because it is difficult to determine the quality level of the alloy with the naked eye.
Methods of obtaining
To obtain products that look like precious metal, the steel alloy is plated with gold. The most popular methods of gilding:
- Gold Filled – rolling. The workpiece is covered with the thinnest gold sheet, which is attached to an oil or adhesive base. To make the surface shiny, use glue, and if you want a matte surface, use oil varnish. On products coated with this method, it is necessary to indicate how many carats the gold leaf had.
- Gold Plated – by galvanic method. The product is polished, degreased and cleaned of the effects of oxidation. A thin layer of gold plating is then applied using an electric current.
To obtain a white tint, the object is coated with PVD. Vapors of precious metals are sprayed onto the product under vacuum, and it acquires a cool white shine.
In addition to spray-coated steel, various alloys are used. In Europe you can find an alloy of copper and zinc (9/1). Copper is cleaned, polished, and becomes like real gold.
If aluminum is used instead of zinc, the resulting product is called aural (aufor, aufir). In Germany this alloy is known as goldin.
There is a coating called music. It is based on tin and does not lose its qualities under the influence of environmental factors.
The combination of copper, zinc and tin is sold under the name Mannheim gold, and mosaic gold is a composition in which copper and zinc are almost equal.
The more copper, the lighter the resulting color. In French gold it is 80%, and zinc is only 15%. Decorations made from it are light yellow.
Gold Filled
In the first case, all the resulting products are resistant to various damages and do not corrode. In addition, they do not affect human health at all. The only thing that can affect the final result is poor quality work of specialists. In this case, the product will not be able to serve the required period.
To make such jewelry, you need to prepare the necessary blanks at the very beginning. Nickel, bronze, as well as brass and copper will be required. After this, you need to add a small amount of gold to them and heat everything to a temperature of 900 degrees. Ultimately, a small layer of gold must be applied to the finished product.
Gold Plated
In the second case, galvanic coating is used, which is applied using a special rolling technology.
This option is not so reliable, because over time the spraying wears off very quickly.
Especially if a person uses it too actively.
Where can you buy or sell
You can buy jewelry in large jewelry stores in Moscow or other regions of Russia. They often have departments selling costume jewelry made from alloys with semi-precious stones. Online stores also offer a large assortment of medical gold; you just need to enter a query in a search engine.
The catalogs contain detailed photos, which allows you to choose jewelry without leaving your home. The order can be delivered by courier, transport company or Russian Post.
But if you are not an entrepreneur, you can sell jewelry only through private advertisement sites. Pawnshops rarely take gold-plated items. In the best case, if the coating is significant enough, they give a very small price for it.
Tips for choosing jewelry
When planning the purchase of jewelry, it is worth considering some points to minimize the risk of purchasing a low-quality item:
- Costume jewelry does not have the usual gold standard, but it has its own marking. A conscientious manufacturer will indicate on the stamp the amount of impurities and the number of carats of gold plating, if any. Carats are designated by the letter K and a number. 375 standard - the lowest for gold - is marked 9K (British system) or 36K (Russian system). Anything containing fewer gold carats is a jewelry alloy.
- The decoration is accompanied by a tag indicating the manufacturer, his details, and alloy composition. If stones are present, then information about them.
What they say in the reviews
Natalya “I decided to check my rings to see if they were gold. The iodine method works, there are traces left on mine. It’s good that I didn’t think of smearing iodine on a cotton swab, but used a thin needle!”
Olga “I’ve met such shops with medical gold. Somehow I didn’t trust it, I was afraid, I thought it was some kind of fake. Now I understand that it is not a fake, but simply something completely different than gold. I’ll have to buy a set for the holiday!”
Irina “I had a bracelet made of medical gold. I wore it for about a year, most often I wore it in winter, in summer I don’t like jewelry on the skin. The lock was wiped first, then the links that were located nearby. The metal itself under the gilding turned out to be dark. But I enjoyed the year.”
Sources
- https://metalloy.ru/splavy/meditsinskoe-zoloto
- https://VseoMetallah.ru/zoloto/meditsinskoe-osobennosti
- https://zhazhdazolota.ru/vidy/meditsinskoe
- https://1nerudnyi.ru/meditsinskoe-zoloto-01/
- https://zolotoe-runo-sl.ru/dragocennye-kamni/med-zoloto.html
- https://www.lambre-ua.net/yuvelirnaya-bizhuteriya-iz-medicinskoy-stali-plyusy-i-minusy
- https://vplate.ru/zoloto/medicinskoe-chto-eto-takoe-i-kak-pochistit/
- https://wiki.Sunlight.net/vsyo-o-meditsinskom-zolote.html
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- https://TokyoStreet.ru/dragocennye-kamni/medicinskij-metall.html
How much does medical gold jewelry cost?
The cost of jewelry depends on the alloy, the presence of gold directly in it, and on the design and weight of the product. The price range is from 150 rubles for small earrings to a couple of thousand for designer necklaces with stones. The average price is about 500 rubles for a beautiful, catchy “gold” decoration.
Medgold or surgical steel
So, there is no “surgical steel” brand. This is a general name for a group of alloys used for the production of medical equipment, instruments, and parts for prosthetics. And this is not medical gold! The main requirement is that the steel should not be porous.
The holes make it difficult to disinfect appliances, making them a breeding ground for bacteria. The alloy should not rust. Therefore, for example, grades of surgical steel U7A and U9A are discarded. They are not resistant to corrosion.
Surgical stainless steel is also distinguished by its hardness. The material must withstand impacts, not scratch or crumble. Hardness allows the tool not to become dull for a long time. In addition, you can make the thinnest possible blade or part without fear that they will bend or break.
Manufacturers and exposure to chemicals are excluded. The alloy, as they say, is inert. Put it in either acid or alkali, steel will not react with them. The material does not react with the body. The alloy is non-toxic, although it contains chromium or nickel. Add manganese and chromium to the mixture of iron and carbon.
Examples of brands: - 40X13, 65X13, 95X13.
Products made from surgical steel from foreign manufacturers can be marked, for example, as follows: - SUS440C, AlSl420.
The designations in the West are different, but the composition of the alloys is the same.
