The biggest worry of every jewelry lover is tarnishing. Of course, losing your favorite jewelry is the number one problem, but we must admit that tarnished jewelry is not good for optical effects. That’s why you need to know if the jewelry you’re investing in is worth the money.
In this article, we’ll cover everything you need to know about gold-plated sterling silver and whether it changes color or not.
What Is Gold Plating?
This technique allows the deposit of very thin layers of gold on the surface of other metals, usually silver or copper. Plating is done through the use of chemicals, but in most cases, electrochemical plating is used.
In jewelry, especially silver, the electroplating process involves the diffusion of silver atoms into the gold layer, a process that causes the plating color to fade slowly/gradually, eventually leading to tarnishing. Note, however, that whether the gold layer will tarnish after months or years depends on the thickness of the gold layer.
It is important to remember that the plating of silver jewelry is usually not a two-metal process and usually involves metals such as copper and nickel. The use of these other metals is essential to prevent rapid discoloration. Copper is often used for this purpose – it migrates into gold, but at a slower pace than silver.
Therefore, copper is usually nickel-plated, which means that the gold-plated silver flakes are more or less silver substrates, characterized by nickel, copper layers, and gold deposited on top.
What Does Sterling Silver Gold Plating Mean?
The gold plating process of sterling silver or the gold plating process of sterling silver and other silver alloys produces a plating material called gold plated silver. Essentially, completely covering silver products with gold produces a product called sterling silver, a term that also applies to bronze products that are completely covered with gold.
When it comes to gold plating and silver plating, the market is regulated, and silver plating is only suitable for setups that plate a minimum amount of gold or 10K gold directly on the silver surface with a thickness of 2.5 microns. For sterling silver, the base metal must be sterling silver. Sterling silver is common in clothing and fashion jewelry, but the gold plating is not very thick.
As mentioned above, the top of gold-plated sterling silver is designed with a layer of gold, the thickness of which varies depending on the desired effect. It is also worth noting that there are different types of electroplating processes.
Essentially, if silver has gold on a particular location, by design, this silver plating will be called gold plating. But for gold-plated cutlery or containers, the electroplating process is called gold washing. If the thickness of the gilding is quite large, and the gold is hand-set on the surface of the silver, then you see gold inlay.
The jewelry world, on the other hand, opted for simpler, more electronic and faster processes, hence electroplating. During the plating process, silver is deposited into a liquid dissolved in gold. An electric current then flows through the silver object, and the gold attaches to the surface of the silver – thus being plated. So, if you’re wondering how gold-plated sterling silver works – that’s it!
Also pay attention to other electroplating techniques – silver plating. Silver plating is often used in jewelry to meet the needs of people who are allergic to silver, as well as those who prefer gold jewelry.
Does Gold Plating Wear Out?
Unfortunately, even if gold is used to plating sterling silver, the gold plating wears out. The biggest disadvantage of gold-plated silver is that the gold layer naturally tarnishes and fades over time. The reason for this is that the molecules of the sterling silver base metal will slowly but gradually reach the top of the layer, and over time you will start to see signs of wear.
However, the good news is that with proper, good and ongoing care, the gold plating can last for at least a year or more. In addition to the length of time the jewelry is worn, another factor that affects whether the gold plating wears out is the type of plating. Your sterling silver jewelry can be gold-plated, gold-plated, or gold-plated.
Gold-clad jewelry consists of base metals such as copper and a fairly thick layer of gold, which accounts for at least 5% of the total weight. Sterling silver, on the other hand, is made of a sterling silver core base and a gold layer at least 2.5 microns thick, while gold-plated pieces are made of copper-based metal and a very thin layer of gold. However, gold-plated jewelry is made of only a very thin layer of gold –1/1000 to 3/1000 inch thick. Due to the thin gold layer in gold-plated jewelry, the gold layer will wear out; It’s just a matter of time.
Does Sterling Silver Change Color?
Yes. Sterling silver is not an inert metal, which means it oxidizes over time when exposed to air. However, you can slow or reduce the appearance of discoloration by cleaning it and keeping it safe.
Even though high-quality sterling silver jewelry is very popular in the jewelry world, sterling silver will still lose its luster. The main reason for this is that sterling silver is composed of 92.5% silver and 7.5% other metals, so it is an alloy.
Copper is the most common type of metal added to silver to form sterling silver, which is why sterling silver tarnishes over time as long as it is exposed to moisture in the air.
Does Gold-Plated Sterling Silver Change Color? Or Does Gold-Plated Sterling Silver Turn Green?
Yes. Both the gold plating and sterling silver lose their luster, which can lead to color changes.
So, why does gold-plated sterling silver turn green?
One of the most annoying things about jewelry is the ugly rust layer that forms, but mainly the green film. Although this is annoying, it is important to understand how and why this layer is formed. So, why do metals turn green? Why does your gold-plated sterling silver jewelry turn green?
Not all metals turn green, but the main reason for gold-plated jewelry to turn green is the wear of the gold layer, which exposes the base metal in the process. Exposure to base metals can cause a chemical reaction that causes your skin to be colored with an annoying green hue.
Green tones and tarnishing are not limited to fashion and artificial jewelry, high-end jewelry pieces may also tarnish and develop green tones. The reason for the color change of high-end sterling silver pieces is related to the presence of metal alloys other than sterling silver, especially copper, silver and nickel.
This means that if sterling silver jewelry is made with a specific metal alloy, it will turn green. Copper and nickel are the main causes of green hues, which means that if the 7.5% metal alloy added to silver is copper and/or nickel, you can see green after a while. As mentioned above, sterling silver contains only 92.5% sterling silver and 7.5% copper (at least).
Sterling silver is liquid in nature and the only way to harden it is to add other metals/metal alloys, hence the addition of copper. The problem is that the addition of copper/nickel makes silver easily tarnished.
Copper oxidizes when exposed to air, forming copper oxide, which stains the skin green. In addition to the natural reaction, perfumes and lotions also accelerate the reaction around copper, which contains chemicals that accelerate copper oxidation, which means that green tones appear prematurely.
Therefore, before buying sterling silver jewelry, you need to remember that such jewelry sometimes tarnishes and may turn green. The metal alloy added is highly reactive, so tarnishing is unavoidable. In fact, the gilding on sterling silver wears out.
How Long Does Gilding on Silver Last?
Generally, gold-plated silver/sterling silver can be used for two years. Over time, the gold plating wears and peels off, exposing the base metal.
There is also the fact that over time, the gold plating loses its natural luster and fades. To slow down wear, you should take good care of your jewelry. Re-plated jewelry according to request/recommendation.
How to Care for Gold-Plated Sterling Silver?
Here are some things you can do to protect your gold-plated sterling silver jewelry.
- Do not spray perfume or spray on jewelry.
- Wear jewelry only after lotions/creams have been absorbed into the skin
- Remove jewelry before exposure to harsh conditions, such as swimming or heavy work.
- Clean jewelry with a cotton ball or soft cotton cloth after use to remove dirt or dust. A gentle wipe restores the luster of your jewelry. Do not use a polishing cloth. If extra cleaning is required, use warm soapy water, soak for about 10 minutes, and cleanse. Do not use harsh soaps, detergents, or antibacterial soaps/solutions.
- Store your jewelry in a safe, soft, clean jewelry box, separate from other jewelry.
- Always store items such as jewelry together. Never store gold-plated jewelry with silver-plated jewelry. If possible, store all parts separately.
- Finally, avoid buying cheap jewelry.
Conclusion
Gold-plated sterling silver jewelry is one of the most popular types of jewelry on the market today. Options on the market are affordable, but they are not without tarnishing or wear. All you need to do is take good care of these items and remember that after about two years you will have to re-plated the jewelry.
