A great way to treat yourself to jewelry with your favorite gold glitter at a reasonable price is to buy gilded silver. Reviews on such products are mostly positive. With proper care, such things are worn for a long time and do not lose their luster. Today we have very well learned to use gold for decorating other metals. Therefore, it will not be superfluous to get acquainted with the features of gilding, caring for it. Also, for comparison, it is worth considering reviews of the gilded silver "Sokolov", "Sunlight," Krasnaya Presnya.
What is silver with gilding?
Gilding is the application of a thin layer of metal of the 999th sample. The thickness of this coating is only 5-10 microns. Sometimes between silver and gold a layer is made, for example, of platinum.
A protective coating is applied over the gold, which makes the product more durable. As a basis for decoration, silver of the 925th test is often used. Reviews of gilt jewelry indicate that at first glance it really resembles gold. Paying attention to it is worth it, because it is much cheaper.
Sometimes, for greater brilliance of gilt products, they are polished with a special agate stone. From gilded silver make not only jewelry, but also cutlery. Such dinner sets are much lighter than usual, so they are convenient to use. Gilded silver is not susceptible to corrosion.
Benefits of gilding and methods for applying it
Reviews of gilded silver prove that it retains its original appearance for a long time. International, European and Russian state standards set 4N for gilding. It is worth listing the main advantages of gold plating:
- Absolutely safe for health.
- It has attractive external data similar to gold.
- Few exposed to external aggressive influences: it does not oxidize, does not lend itself to corrosion.
- It has a democratic value, much cheaper than gold.
They were engaged in gilding in ancient times. Then the domes of the church, cutlery, embellishments and dishes were decorated with precious metal. It was at that time that they came up with hot and cold gilding. The cold way is stuffing or sticking the finest layers of gold leaf on silver.
Hot gilding needs fire. Only such gilding turned out to be dangerous, because mercury was used for it. Soon he was abandoned so as not to be poisoned by dangerous mercury vapor.
Types of plating gold plating
Today, gilding is considered to be the main methods of gilding with sodium, ethereal solution, and contact with zinc. But the most effective is the galvanic method. It is most suitable for decorating jewelry. In order to apply particles of gold to the surface of silver, it is immersed in an aqueous solution of salts and is exposed to electric shock. The product to be coated is the cathode, and gold particles are the anode.
If silver jewelry is subject to chemical changes (oxidized), then gilt products are protected from them. The gilding process is something like this:
- Electrolyte is poured into small containers.
- Gold is dissolved in it.
- Jewelry is immersed in this solution and left for some time.
- Oxides begin to settle on products in a thin layer.
- They take out jewelry, wait for drying, polish or cover it with a protective layer.
In industry, for the manufacture of products with a layer of gold, electroplating is used. Gold plating can be pink, imitating metal of the 585th test. Such products are almost impossible to distinguish from gold. There is also yellow plating. It includes not only gold, but also nickel. This yellow color resembles pure gold.
How is gilded silver applied?
Gold plating is used not only in jewelry. Reviews of gilded silver confirm that it can be used in the following cases:
- Making souvenirs: statuettes, caskets, key rings, photo frames.
- As cutlery: sets, spoons, forks.
- To create a variety of silver accessories: cufflink, buttons, brooches.
- For the production of unusual, gilded equipment: iphone or MP3 players.
Reviews of gilded silver prove that it is bought not only by people with low earnings. Even some millionaires do not refuse to purchase such products, because to distinguish them from gold is visually very difficult.
The right choice of gilt jewelry
So what do you need to know about choosing gold plated items? Of paramount importance in this matter is the material that is sprayed. It is important that this is the silver of the 925th test. It is this fact that speaks of the value of the product. Sometimes spraying can be applied to aluminum, copper, tin. Such works are valued even cheaper than silver.
How to determine what decoration is in front of you: from gilded silver or other metal? First, look at the product from all sides, find the mark and marking. To do this, get acquainted with silver samples and standards of brands in advance. In the Russian Federation, the following samples were installed for silver: 999th, 960th, 925th, 875th, 830th, 800th. Most often, silver of the 925th test is used for gilding. Ever since Soviet times, a barrel-shaped stigma has been used on silver jewelry.
What you need to know about foreign gilding?
Few other markings have imported gold-plated products. The most common designations for samples are:
- KGP - gold plating from 12 to 24 carats.
- HGE is a galvanic coating measured in carats.
- Goldmult is a German spraying, which indicates not only the marking, but also the thickness of the gold layer.
This knowledge will help you decide on the choice of imported gilded silver.
Rules for cleaning and care
It was believed that gilding is short-lived. But proper care and careful operation will help you wear gilded silver for a long time.
Store gilded items in a casket. Before water procedures, washing dishes, playing sports, do not forget to remove them. To make these items shine, wipe them with a piece of suede. You can clean the coating with a cotton pad soaked in alcohol. Gilding is not at all afraid of this.
A solution prepared from several drops of ammonia, dishwashing detergent (1 tsp) and 1 l of water will help improve the appearance of products. Hold the jewelry in this solution for half an hour, then rinse with water and wipe it with a soft cloth.
Of course, the best way to clean gilded products is a professional approach in the jewelry workshop. Do not be lazy once a year to give a ring or earrings to an experienced craftsman.
Silver with gilding "Falcons"
A large selection of products offers jewelry brand Sokolov. Reviews about the gilded silver of this company are very good. Many are pleased with the affordable prices for products. Jewelry with various pebbles looks especially beautiful. Reviews of the gilded silver "Sokolov" indicate that it shines very beautifully for a long period. New products are no different from gold. Some consumers even buy gold-plated wedding rings from this company. The most positive feedback received a beautiful ring in the form of a crown. Such models are very popular today.
Reviews on the gilded silver of the 925th test "Sunlight"
Recently, consumers have increasingly preferred silver. Therefore, reviews of gilded silver: whether this coating is erased or not, it is interesting to know for many.
An excellent silver-coated company is Sunlight. Earrings are considered the most resistant to wearing. Many customers wear them for several months without taking them off. Then just wipe them with alcohol, and they shine again, like new.
Reviews of Sunlight gilt silver indicate that the company constantly holds various promotions with gifts and sends SMS messages with offers to customers. Everyone is pleased to receive a small bonus. Sometimes there are discounts on jewelry up to 50%. The company offers both the simplest models of gilded jewelry and more luxurious options.
Reviews about the gilded silver "Red Presnya"
No matter how regrettable it may sound, sooner or later any product with gilding will lose its appeal. Under the influence of various factors, the gold layer is erased. But before this happens, you will be able to show off smart things like real gold for a long time.
Many gold-plated products are offered by Krasnaya Presnya. Often such jewelry is bought by girls going on a trip. Gilding from Krasnaya Presnya is very high quality. These products with a gold coating will not do any harm to the body, earlobes do not swell from them . In general, we can conclude that jewelry with gilding from Krasnaya Presnya looks very worthy.