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 made of such a precious metal does not make it possible to buy them for everyone.

It's good that today there is an alternative option - gold plated products... This coating technology was developed for a long time, and since the moment of its implementation, there has been a demand. 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 and 925 silver. Not only the appearance of the product, but also its properties directly depends on this.

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

Gold-plated items are characterized by the following properties:

• strength;
• wear resistance;
• corrosion resistance;
• long service life.

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

Each potential consumer, before buying a particular product, necessarily evaluates all of it. Benefits and limitations... Gilding may be in doubt for many, so let's talk together in detail about the pros and cons of such products.

Their benefits include the following factors:

• almost indistinguishable from gold;
• gilding, with proper care and use, lasts long enough;
• affordability - the cost of gilded items is much lower than that of precious metal;
• excellent appearance;
• does not cause allergic reactions;
• lightness - due to the composition, the jewelry is not at all heavy, it is easy and comfortable to wear;
• have excellent properties;
• lend themselves to reconstruction - if the coating peels off, it can be re-covered with a layer of gilding, choosing any of its colors;
• the product can be engraved.

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

1. Gold-plated jewelry must be worn correctly and constantly monitored. The thing is that over time they wear off, the gold layer peels off.
2. The products have a distinctive shine, which is not inherent in jewelry made from precious metal. This parameter helps to distinguish gilding from real gold.
3. Such jewelry or tableware, for example, needs 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. There are many fakes on the modern market 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 getting acquainted with them, each consumer decides for himself whether to buy gilded items.

Given the relevance of the topic with fakes, we want to give some useful advice, 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 identify 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 need to 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, you need to determine the reasons that can contribute to darkening or erasure of the gilding layer:

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

Experts recommend removing jewelry before taking water treatments or going to bed.

Proper care and wearing of gold-plated jewelry will make it possible to preserve their color and shine. But if, nevertheless, the decoration has darkened, and over time this cannot be avoided, do not despair. There are several effective methods that can help you clean black items at home quickly and efficiently.

For cleaning you need ethanol. Even if it is not there, this is not a problem - you can buy it at any pharmacy. Ethyl alcohol is a great solvent that will deal with any type of dirt, dust, grease or stains. All you need is to moisten a suede napkin with alcohol and wipe the product with it.

This method is even simpler, since it will need what is in any home - vinegar... First you need to prepare a solution: the 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. Place the gilded product in the prepared solution for 20-25 minutes. Then just rinse well with water.

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

1. Make a solution with egg yolk and jelly water. The latter can be prepared at home. To do this, in water, according to the instructions, you need to dissolve the tablets "Javel Absolute", which are sold in the pharmacy. 1 yolk is added to 15 ml of jelly water. Everything mixes well. The resulting composition must be rubbed with gilded silver.
2. Place the gilded product in a container of beer for 30 minutes. 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 specifically for the manufacture of jewelry, often with stones, and cutlery. Probably everyone can find gilded crystal glasses or glasses at home, these were very popular several decades ago.

How to check gold-plated silver for originality, see the video.