All the secrets of the galvanic gold bath
January 08, 2021
Today I want to explain to you how we make our Silver jewels golden (with white, yellow or rosé gold).
Yes, because we cover all our jewels with a thin layer of gold to make them brighter (as in the case of white gold), as well as giving them the typical "yellow" or "rosé" color.
To carry out the gilding we use the galvanic method.
It is a complicated and rather recent process: in the past, in fact, to make jewels made with other metals gold, the only solution was the laminating system (or plating), i.e. the application of a thin sheet of gold on the underlying surface.
This technique is still used today, but it has high costs.
Galvanic gilding, on the other hand, is a type of electrochemical process: in the so-called galvanic bath, a thin layer of gold is made to adhere to the Silver using electric current.
This current carries positively charged gold ions and adheres to the silver of the jewels which, on the other hand, has a negative charge. The result is that a uniform and thin layer is deposited.
The gilding can be done in the classic yellow, pink or white color.
In the latter case, to tell the truth, the precious metal we use instead of gold is rhodium, a metal of the family of platinum (today 5 times more expensive than gold).
For this reason, we often hear about platinum to indicate that a jewel has been covered with this precious metal.
Galvanic gilding is cheaper than plating, however the gold layer that is deposited is very thin and can be easily erased or scratched.
We at Iside Gioielli prefer to slightly extend the gilding bath to obtain a slightly thicker layer of precious metal.
However, proper maintenance / conservation of the jewel is essential to preserve its gilding.
Just follow these few simple tips:
1) when you are not using it, put your jewel in a velvet bag or in the original packaging in which you bought it;
2) don't wear your gold jewelry when you go to sleep;
3) avoid wetting the jewel with sea water or water and non-neutral detergents;
4) avoid wearing the jewel during physical activity: the acid PH of the sweat has the opposite effect of the galvanic bath, therefore it removes the gilding;
5) if you wear a gold ring, take it off before using hand sanitizer gels!
In any case, if your jewel should lose its original color, just go to any goldsmith's workshop which, for a few euros, will perform a new gilding, restoring your jewel to its original splendor!
His
Goldsmith Isis Gioielli
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