Gold-plated silver - how long does it last, whether it is erased or not, reviews of 925 gold-plated silver, care and instructions for use

Gold jewelry is expensive, so not everyone can afford it. The solution to the problem is gilded silver. These decorations have a pleasant appearance and a relatively modest price. But, gradually they lose their original shine and attractiveness. In order for the gilding to retain its appearance for a long time, such items must be properly cared for and promptly cleaned from darkening.

What is golden silver. Why do you need gilding on silver: pros and cons

To create gold silver, two metals are used - 999, 750 or 585 gold, as well as 925 silver, which is the main material.

Gilded jewelry is created as follows: first, the product is made of lunar metal, then it is coated with the thinnest layer of gold. The thickness of this coating is from 1 to 15 microns. A silver stamp is applied to the jewelry, since this is the main metal.

The advantages of this material include the following characteristics:

Visually, the jewelry is no different from gold;

The golden coating does not wear off for a long time with proper care;

Gold-plated silver is much more affordable than products made from gold alloys;

Rarely causes allergic reactions;

The material is excellent for engraving;

Gold plating can be applied an unlimited number of times;

Products made from this material are relatively lightweight and comfortable to wear on an ongoing basis;

The disadvantages of gold-plated precious metal are:

The golden layer inevitably wears off over time;

Things need careful wear and regular care;

High risk of encountering a fake;

Gold-plated products have a pronounced gloss, which is not characteristic of pure precious metal;

Gold-plated silver cutlery

Advantages of gilding and methods of applying it

Reviews of gilded silver prove that it retains its original appearance for a long time. International, European and Russian state standards have established 4N color for gold plating. It is worth listing the main advantages of gold plating:

1. Absolutely safe for health.
2. It has an attractive appearance, similar to gold.
3. It is little exposed to external aggressive influences: it does not oxidize, does not corrode.
4. It has a democratic value, much cheaper than gold.

Gilding has been practiced since ancient times. Back then, church domes, cutlery, jewelry and dishes were decorated with precious metal. It was at that time that hot and cold gilding was invented. The cold method involves stamping or gluing thin layers of gold leaf onto silver.

Hot gilding requires fire. Only such gilding turned out to be dangerous because mercury was used for it. Soon they abandoned it so as not to be poisoned by dangerous mercury vapors.

Where can you buy gold silver

Products made from this material can be purchased on the “Ozone” and “Wildberry” Internet sites. The largest jewelry boutiques in Russia, such as Adamas, Altyn, Moscow Jewelry Factory, Sunlight, Sokolov, offer a huge selection of coated silver products.

You should definitely not buy gold-plated jewelry second-hand, as this is where you are most likely to encounter a fake.

Jewelry made of silver with gold plated
Before purchasing, you should carefully inspect the jewelry for the presence of a hallmark. Here, in addition to the three-digit hallmark number, there should be an imprint of a woman’s head in a kokoshnik - a sign of the Russian Assay Certificate. Information about the product should be inscribed inside a figure shaped like a barrel.

Minuses

• Constant control in the sock . Jewelry made of gilded silver must be protected from constant contact with the body and water. This means that you cannot wear them while sleeping, playing sports, going to the pool, swimming in the sea, or spending a long time in the sun. Sweat, salt and bleach act as reagents that destroy the applied layer. After the first contact with them, the thing will become unusable.
• Super shine . The high-grade gold used has a distinctive luster that cannot be found in real gold items. Because of this, it shows that the product is fake.
• Corrosion . The green or black marks that silver leaves on the body during oxidation are difficult to avoid, even if it is gold-plated. Unfortunately, this layer is too thin to avoid the problem, and the palm side of the fingers will start to show streaks after a few days of wear.
• Gilded utensils require constant labor-intensive care after each use. It cannot be washed in the dishwasher or used with chemicals or soaps. And each time prepare a special solution that needs to be used to treat objects.
• It's easy to buy a fake . It is easy for the average person to confuse high-grade gilding from low-grade gilding, which determines the price. That is why, after purchasing, before the first contact, you need to contact a jeweler who will clarify the quality of the product.

Table: cost of gilded silver jewelry

The table below shows average prices for the most popular jewelry. Their main alloy is always lunar metal 925 marking, and the sputtering sample may vary.

If there are inserts in the form of precious minerals, the cost increases significantly. The price is indicated in rubles.

Buy gold-plated silver in the online store inexpensively. To find out the current cost of one gram of alloy in the most popular online jewelry stores, it is convenient to use the table:

Types of silver samples

Copper is usually used as the main element of a silver alloy. The copper content in the alloy makes it more durable, but at the same time the product becomes yellow and darkens over time when exposed to air. The more copper it contains, the more intense the darkening of silver occurs.

The table below shows the most common metric hallmarks of silver. This system operates in Russia and the CIS countries, in Germany, France and those states that have signed the Convention on the Control and Hallmarking of Precious Metal Products.

Characteristics of silver samples

800th sample. This is a high-strength alloy characterized by good casting properties. However, silver of this standard is subject to rapid oxidation (darkens in air) and, due to the high copper content, has a yellow tint, which is why it is used for making cutlery, but not for jewelry. It is also called yellow silver.

830th sample. The presence of an extra 30 grams of silver in every kilogram of the alloy makes it more suitable for making jewelry. Due to the low silver content, jewelry of this standard is cheaper, but its properties leave much to be desired. They also oxidize quickly.

875th sample. This grade of silver is great for cutlery, but for jewelry, the silver alloy still contains too much copper. Although, in comparison with the 800th standard, such silver does not have a characteristic yellow tint, it loses its beauty over time and is difficult to machine.

925th sample. Silver of this standard, also called standard or sterling, is most common in jewelry production. This is due to the fact that a large amount of silver in the alloy makes it flexible and beautiful enough to create products of the most bizarre shapes. At the same time, the presence of 75 grams of copper does not give the silver a yellow tint and at the same time makes the alloy more durable than pure silver. 925 silver may be confused with gold because sterling silver jewelry is often plated with gold. To avoid confusion, it is enough to know that gold does not have such a standard.

960th sample. Silver of this standard is considered high quality and is used for jewelry. Since it is very soft, it makes jewelry and decorative items that require the finest artistic work. The price to pay for such an amount of silver in the alloy is that the finished products are easily scratched and damaged. To make the product more durable, it is enameled.

999th sample

. Because pure silver is too soft and subject to deformation during use, it is not used to make jewelry. In everyday life, silver of the highest standard is used in the production of solders, as well as for the manufacture of parts for various devices. It can also be found in jars in the form of silver bars. In some countries, such as Japan, pure silver is used in magical rituals.

Pure 999 silver bar.
There are other standards in the metric measurement system (see table below). For example, in Soviet times, sample 916 with a characteristic stamp shape in the form of a barrel was common. It was used to make jewelry, dishes, candlesticks and items for various rituals. Today this test is not used.

Cognac set made of 916 sterling silver. Enamel, gilding. Russia. 1960s

916 hallmark in the form of a barrel.

A low-grade silver alloy, in which less than 80% silver is present (fineness below 800), is called technical. It is typically used in industry, such as circuit board manufacturing.

Silver gilding methods

A decorative coating can be applied to the surface of a precious metal in various ways. Gilding methods were known in ancient times; sputtering was applied to church domes, dishes, and decorative items.

Ancient “fire gilding” was carried out using gold and mercury. This method was abandoned because the toxic fumes often led to the death of workers.

Now spraying must meet international standards in quality and color.

There are many methods of applying gold plating, for example, using a special paint, applying precious metal foil or spraying with metallization. Modern technologies are usually based on the principles of electroplating.

Mechanical gilding

This method is used in cases where the decorative function of the surface does not play a key role, since achieving a uniform surface layer is quite difficult.

1. First, a special paste is made, which contains blood salt, crystalline sediment of wine, crushed chalk, and gold chloride.
2. The surface of the product is thoroughly degreased, and the finished paste is applied in an even layer.

The resulting layer usually has a small thickness, so the coating will need to be renewed periodically.

Electrochemical gold plating

The electrochemical method has a number of advantages over other methods:

• Can be applied to products of any size;
• The coating will have a uniform structure;
• It is possible to control the layer thickness;
• The coating will have an additional wear resistance resource;

Gilding of silver products
This technology is a galvanic method of applying precious metal to the surface, which is carried out in three stages:

1. The surface is thoroughly degreased, sanded with sandpaper or using a machine.
2. The product is immersed inside a galvanic bath. Extreme temperatures and the required current density are maintained automatically.
3. When the product is covered with a gold film, it is subjected to final processing.

During the process, cyanide electrolytes are used, which are extremely toxic.

It is possible to gild silver at home, but this will require rare reagents, special equipment, and protective clothing. It is worth considering that during work, harmful vapors will be released into the air, so all operations should be carried out with running ventilation or in the open air.

Factors affecting the service life and quality of gold plating

For gilding in the CIS countries, they always use metal whose purity is higher than 750. More often they use 999. However, 14-karat gold or 585 carat gold can also be used for gilding. Abroad, 12, and sometimes 8-9, carat metal is often used to make gold-plated jewelry. This greatly affects the durability of the coating and its service life.

For reference!

The metal sample determines the final color of the jewelry.

Jewelers believe that the main condition for the quality of a gold plating layer is the fineness of the metal (silver), which cannot be lower than 925. In this case, the applied gold layer should not be less than 42%. To prevent a situation where the gilding quickly wears off, the thickness of such a layer must be over 2.5 microns. Only with the specified parameters will the decoration retain its original shine and appearance for a long time.

Service life of gilding

Practice shows that when wearing a product every day, the gold layer wears off by about 1-2 microns per year.

The service life of the entire layer will depend on its thickness and regular maintenance. Typically, gold-plated silver jewelry lasts from 3 to 10 years.

Which products hold gold plating longer?

Gold-plated earrings, pendants, and pendants will last longer because they do not come into contact with water, hygiene products, or are not subject to regular physical impact.

With constant use, the precious layer will most quickly begin to peel off on rings and dishes.

It is recommended to purchase jewelry that has less contact with the skin than others.

Cleaning and care rules

There is an established opinion that gilding is short-lived. But proper care and careful use will help you wear gold-plated silver for a long time.

Store gold-plated items in a box. Before water procedures, washing dishes, or playing sports, do not forget to take them off. To give these items a shine, wipe them with a piece of suede. You can clean the coating using a cotton pad soaked in alcohol. Gilding is not afraid of this at all.

A solution prepared from a few drops of ammonia, dishwashing detergent (1 tsp) and 1 liter of water will help improve the appearance of products. Soak the jewelry in this solution for half an hour, then rinse with water and wipe with a soft cloth.

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.

Care: how to extend the life of gilded silver

You can extend the service life and maintain the attractive shine of your jewelry by following simple rules:

1. Products must be removed before visiting a bathhouse, sauna, or gym.
2. Do not allow jewelry to come into contact with household chemicals. Cleaning should be done with rubber gloves.
3. It is recommended to protect products from mechanical damage and avoid intense friction.

Unfavorable factors for gilding

The following factors can significantly shorten the life of the gold-plated surface:

Humidity

You should definitely not wash your hands while wearing gold-plated rings or store jewelry in places of high humidity. The spraying will begin to wear out many times faster if it comes into systematic contact with water.

To store items, it is recommended to purchase a box lined with soft fabric or jewelry bags. You can put chalk or silica gel fillers inside to absorb excess moisture.

Chemistry

Many cleaning and washing products, as well as cosmetics, contain aggressive reagents that will promote oxidation of the alloy.

Gold and silver are inert, but are not used in their pure form. The additives included in the alloy are oxidized by contact with chemistry, which can lead to the formation of plaque and a change in the tone of the entire product.

Sweat and friction

Changes in the human body, such as hormonal changes, illness, and medications, lead to toxic sweat secretions. Substances that sweat contains react with the precious metal, causing it to oxidize.

Abrasion of gold plating
Regular friction against the skin or a hard surface accelerates the abrasion of gilding.

Features when cleaning gold-plated silver

But you need to approach cleaning gold-plated silver wisely. Not all products are suitable, and some can damage thin gold plating.

Therefore, we immediately reject methods suitable for purifying silver or gold. And in order not to damage the gold plating, you need to prepare the product before cleaning.

• We take alcohol or turpentine and a soft cloth (you can use suede, wool or flannel. These materials carefully remove stains from the surface and add shine to things).
• We wet a cloth in the substance and carefully remove dirt and dust from the surface of the gold-plated silver.
• And only then can you proceed directly to cleaning the jewelry.

Question-answer section

How to distinguish gilding from gold?

Expert opinion

Grishanov Mikhail Petrovich

Jeweler, director of the Grishanov and Co. workshop

First of all, it is worth examining the product labeling. If it is stamped 925 or 875, then you have silver. If the three-digit imprint is 375, 585, 750 or 958, then the jewelry is made of gold alloy. If you still have doubts about the material, you can try to scratch the jewelry from an inconspicuous side. Under the gilding, another metal will appear, but the gold will remain unchanged.

What is the standard of gilded silver?

Expert opinion

Pribrezhny Gennady Valentinovich

Jeweler 6th category

Typically such lunar metal is marked 925 or 875. All precious products are subject to mandatory branding. If there is no mark, then it is probably a jewelry alloy coated with a thin layer of gold. Exceptions are jewelry from private workshops or imported from countries where branding is not mandatory.

Is it possible to gild a silver ring to save and preserve?

Expert opinion

Grishanov Mikhail Petrovich

Jeweler, director of the Grishanov and Co. workshop

Yes, you can gild it, but you should take into account that the metal layer will be erased over a few years, since “Save and Preserve” rings are usually worn on an ongoing basis. The cost of such a service will be about 450 rubles, the price will depend on the total surface area, as well as on the thickness of the spraying.

Is it possible to remove gilding from silver permanently?

Expert opinion

Pribrezhny Gennady Valentinovich

Jeweler 6th category

Many jewelry workshops provide this service. If you can’t turn to professionals, you can try to remove the coating yourself using a chemical or electrochemical method. In the first case, the procedure will require “regia vodka”, in the second - an electrolyte and an energy source.

What to do if the gilding turns green?

Expert opinion

Andrey Seleznev

Chemist-technologist, Volgograd

A greenish tint will indicate that the copper contained in the gold alloy has oxidized. Most often, red gold turns green. The best solution would be to turn to professionals for cleaning. It is possible that work will be required to restore the coating.

Silver chain with gold plated

Is gold plated silver washable or not?

Expert opinion

Pribrezhny Gennady Valentinovich

Jeweler 6th category

The silver alloy does not wear off, but the gold plating applied to the surface of the lunar metal will inevitably become thinner from periodic wear. The erased layer can be restored; many jewelry workshops provide this service.

Is it possible to plate silver with gold at home?

Expert opinion

Andrey Seleznev

Chemist-technologist, Volgograd

For gilding at home, you will need to make an essence containing gold chloride, potassium cyanide, water, table salt, and tea soda. Briefly, the procedure can be described as follows: first, the product being processed is fired, then its surface is treated with sulfuric and nitric acid. Next, the jewelry needs to be immersed in mercury, and from there into water. Now it is placed inside the vessel with the prepared essence.

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.

Silver with gold plated: reviews how long does it last, erasing time

I purchased a women's gold plated chain. The “sunny” color has lasted for years! I try to take care of the coating so that it does not darken. We can say that I received gold at the price of silver, although the chain was relatively cheap.

Masha L., Kostroma

Vitaly N. g, Chelyabinsk

I wore a gold-plated ring for a couple of years. Recently I discovered silvery stripes on it, apparently the top layer had worn off. I didn’t restore it, I took the ring to a pawnshop. I plan to buy a similar decoration.

I wanted to buy a gold-plated men's chain as a gift. I was attracted by the relatively low cost and the appearance of natural gold. Friends dissuaded me, saying that there was no point in such a gift, the owner would quickly wipe off the coating.

Angela L. g, Moscow

Other sample systems

The product catalog on our website contains antique silver items of 84 standard, which can simply be puzzling. Is it really possible to create products with only 84 grams of silver per kilogram of alloy? In fact, this sample is specified in a different measurement system. Until 1927, in Russia there was a so-called spool sampling system, measured in spools. If we convert it to the metric system, then the 84th hallmark will correspond to the 875th hallmark of silver (see table below).

Ladle made of 84-carat silver. Gilding inside. Russian empire. 1881

Hallmark of 84th silver standard.

Silver samples in different measurement systems.

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.