All About Gilded Silver

It’s no secret that gold jewelry is the most popular and in demand. Today, as before, they remain an indicator of status and financial independence. But, unfortunately, the high cost of products from such a precious metal makes it impossible to buy them for everyone.

It’s good that today there is an alternative - gold plated products. This coating technology has been developed for a long time, and since its introduction in life, demand has appeared. It is about gilded silver that will be discussed in this article. We will determine the advantages and disadvantages of such products, features and rules of care.

For the manufacture of gilded products, two metals are used - gold 999, 750, 585 samples and silver 925 samples. Not only the appearance of the product, but also its properties directly depends on this.

The technology is quite simple. To start a silver product is made, and already after it a thin layer of gold is applied by spraying, from 2 to 15 microns. A sample of silver, which is the basis, is necessarily applied to the finished product.

Gold-plated products are characterized by such properties:

• strength;
• wear resistance;
• corrosion resistance;
• long term of operation.

Each of the above parameters is inherent only to those products for the manufacture of which high-grade metals were used. The higher the quality indicator of each of the metals, the better and better the finished product.

Each potential consumer, before buying this or that product, must evaluate all his advantages and limitations. Many people can be gilded, so let's talk in detail about the pros and cons of such products.

Their advantages include the following factors:

• almost impossible to distinguish from gold;
• gilding, with proper care and operation, lasts long enough;
• affordability - the price of gold-plated products is much lower than that of precious metal;
• excellent appearance;
• does not cause allergic reactions;
• lightness - due to the composition of the jewelry they are not heavy at all, they are easy and comfortable to wear;
• have excellent properties;
• amenable to reconstruction - if the coating peels off, it can be re-coated with a layer of gilding, choosing any color;
• engraving can be done on the product.

No matter how many advantages, disadvantages also occur. And speaking of the cons, it is worth noting the following.

1. Gold-plated jewelry should be worn correctly and constantly monitor their condition. The thing is that over time they are erased, the golden layer peels off.
2. Products have a distinctive shine that is not characteristic of jewelry made of precious metal. This option helps to distinguish gilding from real gold.
3. Such jewelry or, for example, dishes, need special care.
4. Since gilding is in trend today, and such products are often bought, there were also those who decided to make money on this in a not too honest way. On the modern market there are many fakes that are difficult for a person who does not understand precious metals to distinguish from the original.

As you can see, there are a lot of pluses and minuses. And after familiarizing themselves with them, each consumer decides for himself whether to buy gold-plated products.

Given the relevance of the topic with fakes, we want to give some useful tips on how distinguish fake from gilding. So, a fake is characterized by:

• uneven color;
• the presence of contact with the magnet;
• the presence of defects on the product.

There are also several ways to determine a fake at home.

1. Use a special reagent kit.
2. If you drop a drop of alcohol on a gilded product and it darkens, then you are dealing with a fake.
3. Mechanical damage - you can slightly scratch the gilding layer. If small particles appear at the site of damage, this is gilding.

We have repeatedly mentioned in the article that such products must be properly looked after. This is a very important aspect of the operation of the product, it depends on how long the jewelry will retain its original appearance.

First of all, it is necessary to determine the causes that can contribute to the darkening or erasing of the gilding layer:

• the effect of aggressive substances - this may be hygiene products, cosmetic preparations;
• improper care;
• constant friction against each other or any other surface;
• frequent contact with water.

Experts recommend that before taking water procedures or going to bed, be sure to remove jewelry.

Proper care and wearing of gilt jewelry will make it possible to preserve their color and luster. But if the decoration nevertheless darkened, and over time this cannot be avoided, do not despair. There are several effective methods that will help clean products from black at home quickly and efficiently.

For cleaning ethanol. Even if it’s not there, it’s not a problem - you can buy it at any pharmacy. Ethyl alcohol is an excellent solvent that can cope with any type of pollution, dust, grease or stains. All that is needed is to moisten the suede napkin with alcohol and wipe the product with it.

This method is even simpler, since it will require what is in any house, - vinegar. First you need to prepare a solution: vinegar itself is a fairly concentrated product, and it must be diluted with water. For 1 liter of water you need to take about 30 ml of 9% vinegar. A gilt product should be placed in the finished solution for 20–25 minutes. After just rinse well with water.

There are also several methods that will help return the product to its former shine and beauty.

1. Make a solution, the components of which will be egg yolk and jelly water. The latter can be prepared at home. To do this, according to the instructions, you need to dissolve the Javel Absolute tablets, which are sold in a pharmacy, in water. In 15 ml of jelly water, 1 yolk is added. Everything mixes well. The resulting composition you need to grate gilded silver.
2. Place the gilt item for 30 minutes in a beer container. After the allotted time, wipe well with a soft cloth.

Gilding, as one of the jewelry techniques, has found wide application. Today, gilded silver is used:

• in jewelry for the manufacture of chains, bracelets, pendants, earrings and other products;
• in art;
• when decorating interior details;
• in the automotive industry;
• in dentistry.

Most often, gilded silver is used precisely for the manufacture of jewelry, often with stones, and cutlery. You can probably find gilded crystal glasses or glasses at home, all of which were very popular several decades ago.

How to check the gilded silver for originality, see the video.