Can Sterling Silver Be Gold Plated
Yes, sterling silver can be gold plated. Sterling silver comes in various compositions including 925, 935 and 950 silver. Among all of these, 925 sterling silver is the most common sterling silver type used for gold plating. It offers a wide range of benefits over other metals such as rhodium, platinum and palladium.
In this article, we’ll discuss can sterling silver be gold, how gold plating is applied on it, what thickness of gold plating you should go with and why sterling silver is best in gold plating?
What is Gold Plating Sterling Silver?
In sterling silver gold plating, sterling silver is used as a base metal with a microscopic gold layer applied through electroplating process. This process is a chemical process where gold particles stick on to the silver surface ultimately forming a layer. Its appearance is slightly lighter than that of a pure gold jewelry.
Gold plating comes in various thicknesses ranging from 1 micron to 5 micron. 1 micron is equal to 0.001 millimeter and is hard to visualize so you can’t see it with a naked eye. The thicker a gold layer is, longer it is going to take to wear it off.
An important question arises here is how much microns you should go with. Normally it depends on the type of jewelry you are taking gold plating on. Recommended gold plating thickness in microns is:
Earrings: 1 to 2 microns
Rings: 2 to 5 microns
Bracelets, Necklaces and other: 2.5 to 5 microns
Types of Gold Plating
There are a number of gold plating options available ranging from 9k to 24k. These numbers indicate the level of purity of gold used for electroplating. As this karat number rises, the purity level of the gold rises. But as gold is a soft metal, gold plating with highest purity levels such as 24k will not last longer.
On the other hand, gold plating such as 9k will provide the ultimate durability and hardness of plating your jewelry needs. But it can also lead to a dimmer goldish color as it does not have much of gold percentage in it.
For this purpose, you need to stick in with a mid value between 9k and 24k. Most common of these purity levels are 14k and 18k.
Remember that the gold plating of your jewelry is ultimately going to wear off. If you opt for 24k plating, it will give you the best look of gold but will wear off quickly than 14k or 18k.
Gold Flash Plating vs Gold Plating
The primary difference between two of these terms is the time for which jewelry was left in the electroplating beaker. Gold flash is typically an electroplating with a thickness of less than 1 micron. This type of plating is normally used in costume jewelry with a base metal like nickel or copper. As this electroplating is very thin, it does not last for very long.
On the other hand, simple gold plating has a thickness of either 1 micron or more than that. This electroplating lasts more time than the flash plating.
How Long does Gold Plating Last?
It really depends on the jewelry owner that how often they wear their jewelry and how well they take care of it. If you’re a person who wears jewelry every day and do not take it off for daily house chores like washing hands, bathing, cleaning etc. then it will greatly impact shelf life of your jewelry. Say that you’ve a 3 micron thick gold plating, with these circumstances you can expect it to last 5 to 6 months max.
On the contrary, if you take care of your jewelry properly, it will last about 8 months to 18 months.
14k vs 18k Gold Plating
14k and 18k are the different purity levels of gold alloys used in plating procedure. The “k” symbol indicates that how many parts consist of gold out of 24. For example, 14k has 14 parts gold and 10 parts some other metal like copper. Similarly 18k means that this type of gold contains 18 parts gold and 6 parts some other metal like copper.
It’s obvious that more the number of karat a gold alloy has, greater will be its purity. Wherever someone chooses 18k gold plating, they will get purer gold with strong yellowish tint but less hardness. Whereas 14k will have a bit weaker yellowish color with more hardness.
If you’re one who can’t get track of their jewelry carefully, 14k might be the best option for you.
Cost of Gold Plating
The overall cost of a sterling silver gold plating is a combination of different factors. The foremost factor is the micron thickness of gold you want to go with. Gold plating with more microns such as 3,4 or 5 mm tend to be expensive than 1 or 2 mm as more gold will be used to make that layer thick.
Another obvious factor affecting the cost is the price of sterling silver and what purity level of silver it is made with. One we’re talking about here is 925 silver. Other common types of sterling silver are 935 silver and 950 silver. If the price of pure silver is on the rise, you will have to pay more for it.
The size of the jewelry also effects the price. For example, a bracelet is going to take more gold to be covered in gold than earrings as it has greater surface area.
On an average, it costs around $3 to $4 per square inch for a layer of 2.5 to 5 micron thick.
Tips for longer life of Gold Plating
- Take off your jewelry prior to actions involving use of your hands.
- Take your jewelry off while cooking or cleaning.
- Don’t wear your gold plated jewelry in a shower or when you’re swimming.
- Save it from scratches.
- Use a jewelry soft cloth for cleaning.
- Store your jewelry properly when not in use.
Is Gold Plated Sterling Silver Good?
Sterling silver gold plating is one of the cheapest option available in the market. Specifically for those who want to have gold aesthetics without the expense of gold. With gold plating your sterling silver jewelry whether it’s a necklace, ring or anklet, will look like made of gold.
Another benefit of going with sterling silver gold plating is saving from tarnishing. As gold layer does not allow silver to react with air, it does not tarnish. By this way, the look of your plated jewelry is kept intact.
Tips for Buying Sterling Silver Gold Plated Jewelry
Whenever you go to buy sterling silver gold plated jewelry, you have to watch out from scams. You may ask following questions to the jeweler for a better decision.
- Is it gold flash plating or gold plating?
- How thick the layer is?
- What purity level it’s plated with?
- Does it have any warranty? If yes, will you plate it for free?
- What charges they are going to take for re-plating?
Common Questions about Gold plated Sterling Silver
Does Gold sterling silver tarnish?
Yes. Gold plated sterling silver can tarnish if gold plating wears off and exposes the silver metal beneath it.
Does 14k Gold plated sterling silver tarnish?
14k gold does not tarnish itself. But if it wears off from sterling silver, silver will get tarnish.
Does 18k Gold plated Sterling Silver Tarnish?
It depends. Gold does not tarnish whether it is of any purity level. If gold plating wears off from sterling silver, it will expose the metal to atmospheric chemicals. This will cause tarnishing.
How long does 18k gold over sterling silver last
If all depends on how a person uses it. For example, if you save your jewelry from damages like scratches, dents or scuffs, it can last for more than 1 year. But if you don’t it will last for as maximum as 3 to 4 months.
Conclusion
Sterling silver can be gold plated and it can be a good choice for you in affordable range. It can provide you gold looks. It comes in different purity levels and layer thickness. It depends on one’s personal preferences that with which type they want to go with. The overall cost of gold plating depends on various factors like gold price, silver price, thickness of gold and surface area. It is better to have answers of all the questions before taking a better decision.