Silver gilding: how to keep the products at home? How to cover gold silver salary icons? How to restore gilt?

Silver products with gilding have a pleasant cost with noble appearance. That is what usually attracts buyers. Products, of course, have not only positive qualities, but also negative. There are two methods of applying gilding, which differ in difficulty. The coating resistance directly depends on the care of the decoration.

Advantages and disadvantages

The gold coating decorations made of silver allows you to enjoy the product of a noble view in a more democratic price. These decorations have their advantages.

1. Accessibility of products in the first place. The cost of decoration with gilding is significantly lower than gold. If silver gilding is correct, then it is almost impossible to find visual differences.
2. There is an opportunity to experiment without special financial costs. You can order a difficult jewelry with engraving or an unusual drawing at a pleasant price. At the same time, the gilding will make the appearance more attractive.
3. Silver cutlery is much easier than gold. However, processing allows you to use high-quality products with an expensive view. Weight matters for jewelry. So, the necklace of gilded silver with stones will last longer than gold, due to its ease.
4. You can restore the coating if necessary. If the gilding spoiled somewhere or just began to look less attractive, then any jeweler will help return the former gloss. Restoration costs a lot, however it will be less cheaper than buying a new decoration.
5. It is possible to change the color of the coating. You can change the yellow gilding on the white and vice versa. Also, the master can compact the layer.
6. Subject to all rules of operation Gold plated silver for a long time without losing the initial species.
7. Gilding is simply indispensable for the details of the hourly mechanism and large equipment. So silver spends warm and becomes more dense.

Gold-covered products made of silver are quite attractive and interesting. Before buying it is worth taken into account and cons.

1. When used, you need to constantly be alert. Products should not once again contact with water and leather. Decorations need to be removed before bedtime, visiting the pool or sports. Substances that are found in the environment destroy the layer of gilding.
2. For decoration, high sample gold is used. It shines greatly. This is exactly what gives gilded silver. For the manufacture of gold jewelry, less shiny alloys are used.
3. The decorative layer does not prevent metal oxidation. From the product anyway can remain traces of green or black.
4. Tableware with gilding requires a rather difficult care. It is impossible to wash it in the dishwasher and with the use of chemicals. For cleansing, exclusively specialized solutions are used.
5. A great risk to acquire a fake. It is quite difficult to determine the quality of gilding. However, it is precisely a sample of gold on top of silver affects the price of the product. For help you can contact an independent jeweler immediately after purchase.

What is suitable for?

You can allow almost any silver product. Of course, jewelry in the first place. Covering can be covered, rings, earrings, pendants, brooks and similar things. Popular silver salary icon. You can cover crosses, hours of any kind, blades, knives and swords. In other words, the gilding is suitable for all silver products, regardless of their size.

Methods

It is possible to keep the product at home with a chemical or galvanic way. Each of them has its own characteristics.

Galvanic

The coating is applied with gold 925 samples. Gilding allows you to make a product more valuable. The main method of coating is the use of sodium, essential solution and contact with zinc. One galvanic method is the most effective.

It is this method that is better suited for processing jewelry.

To create a gold coating, silver is lowered into aqueous saline solution. Then exposure to electric shock. In this case, gold acts as an anode, and silver - cathode.

Consider an exemplary process of galvanic gilding.

1. Pour the electrolyte into a small container.
2. Dissolve gold in liquid.
3. Stop silver decoration into the container and leave for a while. In the process, electric current should pass through the liquid.
4. On the product will begin to face oxis. The layer is very thin.
5. Get the decoration and leave until complete drying.
6. Polish or coat with a special protective layer.

The layer is really very thin, but it is distinguished by strength, durability. It is worth noting that the gold coating can be thicker, there are no restrictions. Usually, the jeweler stipulates this moment with the client.

For gilding, these methods use certain alloys.

1. Clean gold yellow. There are no additives in the alloy, a metal of 999 samples is used.
2. Gold yellow with a small amount of cobalt. The test is still the same, 999. The supplement is needed exclusively for strength, does not affect the appearance.
3. Red gold is also called Russian. You can also make Pink, Italian. The latter has a little more yellowness. Shades range from copper-red to pale pink.
4. Green gold. Used alloy with the addition of silver or nickel.
5. White gold. The process of parental is used.

The final cost of the product depends on how the alloy is performed by the gild.

It is worth noting that the first two options are the most expensive, but there are nuances. The abrasiveness of the brilliance greatly distinguishes the finished product of silver from the same of gold.

The golden middle will be Italian or Russian alloy.

Chemical

The process involves applying gold chloride on a silver product. Initially, gold rolled into foil, and then crushed. The particles are then descended into the composition of salt and nitric acid. It is also called royal vodka.

You can keep at home by following step-by-step instructions.

1. Make a solution of 30 g of hydrochloric and 10 g of high concentration nitric acid. On 1 g of gold, 10 ml of liquid will be required.
2. The dissolution must be produced in the container from the porcelain. The process takes from a pair of hours to 2-3 days.
3. After complete dissolution to evaporate the composition on a water bath at a temperature of 70-80 ° C. The result is a viscous liquid. Gold should be stirred in the process of evaporation with a glass stick.
4. Silver object to degrease 10-20% sodium or boil in soda solution. Rinse in a 25 percent solution of hydrochloric acid. Then you should rinse the decoration with water.
5. Immerse the product. After some time, the subject will cover the gilder.
6. Get out of the tank, wash the decoration. Wipe and polish wool cloth.

Additionally, it is worth noting that there are different ways to prepare a mixture for gilding with a chemical method. Yes, and gold can be used in different samples. The process is longer than when using electroplating gilding. When working with acids, all security rules should be followed. It is important to carry out gilding in a ventilated room and using the means of protection.

How long does the gilt hold?

The silver product after the procedure is covered with a thin film. It is decorative and rather sensitive to the external environment. Adverse factors include the following:

• Contact with water and chlorine in it;
• aggressive chemicals;
• incorrect care of the subject;
• Excessive friction about human skin, contact with then.

With daily use it is worth paying a lot of attention to the care of the product. Excessive humidity leads to silver oxidation.

In fairness it is worth noting that corrosion appears on additional metal alloy, copper and nickel. These components are beginning to darken, to be covered by a raid, and not silver itself.

Before cleaning or washing, it is worth removing the ring with gilding. Interaction with aggressive and any other household chemicals accelerates the oxidation process. Before washing and hiking in the shower, it is also worth removing all the gold-plated items. Strengthened friction felt the layer of gold before its full abrasion. Before sports training, it is better to remove the decorations.

Some people assure that the gilding is quickly erased from silver, and it makes no sense at all. However, there are simple rules for use that will enjoy the decorative layer for years.

1. Earrings, bracelets and chains should be removed before taking the bath. Cannot be allowed to contact with soap solution.
2. It is important to store gold-plated silver in a closed container, away from sunlight and high humidity. It makes sense to make interlayers between jewelry with rods from soft material or use different boxes. So the products will not scratch each other.
3. Products must be cleaned, but only the right way.
4. You can not store jewelry in the bathroom or in the kitchen. High humidity will lead to loss of attractive shine.

Gold-plated silver requires adequate care. If the usual ring can be cleaned with a soft toothbrush, then in this case the film will be completely corrupted.

Major assistants when cleaning decorations with gilding:

• suede cloth;
• ethanol;
• vinegar.

Suede is designed for polishing. It can be used immediately after cleaning. Also, the suede cloth is useful if the decoration is worn every day. It should be polished in the evenings before removing in the box.

You can not immerse the gold-plated product in soda or soap solution. This will lead to a damage of the decorative layer. It is allowed to apply alcohol onto a cotton disk and wipe the decoration. If pollution is significant, you can omit the product into acetic solution for 20 minutes or less.

Give the gilding shine and alcohol. You can also put the product in beer for 15 minutes for the same purpose. Regular cleansing of silver with gilding can be made using a light acetic solution and lounge fabric. It is enough to moisten a cloth and gently wipe the decoration. It is not necessary to actively clean, as pressed.

The following video demonstrated an express method of silver gilding.