Gold Plated vs. 18-Carat Gold

The allure of gold has been with mankind for centuries. However, all gold is not the same, and within gold processing different types exist, including pure gold, gold plating and gold alloys. 18-carat gold is a solid gold alloy, whereas gold plating, even if 18-carat, is just a covering over a different type of metal.

18-Carat Gold
In terms of purity, 18-carat gold is 75 percent gold, as opposed to 24-carat, which is 100 percent pure gold. Each carat grade contains a different percentage of gold mixed with other metals, depending on the gold being produced. Since gold is a soft metal and can be damaged or worn down easily, gold blended with stronger metals is preferred for jewelry and other pieces that are used often.

Gold Alloys
Each type of gold is blended with different metals, depending on the color desired. According to Enchanted Learning's gold page, an 18-carat yellow gold piece is 75 percent gold with 25 percent of it consisting of a 50/50 blend of silver and copper. An 18-carat white gold piece is a 25 percent blend of equal amounts of nickel, zinc, copper, tin and manganese. Other gold colors produced by different compositions include: pink, green, blue and grey gold

Gold Plating
Gold plating refers to a layer of gold applied over a base metal. The three types are gold plate, gold fill and gold leaf. According to E-Gold Prospecting, all gold plating must be at least 10 carats or higher, and the application processes differ: Gold plating is accomplished through a process called electroplating; gold filled means the overlay is bonded through a heat and pressure process and gold leaf is a plating applied by hand (see Reference 3).

Plating Pros and Cons
Each method of plating produces a gold product that wears differently. While gold leaf is used mostly for decorative purposes, such as architectural motifs, filled and plated gold is used for jewelry and items that are handled and used. According to Gem-Fashion, gold-plated items wear quickly due to polishing and exposure to body salt, while gold-filled pieces have a longer lifespan, reflected in their higher price.

 

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Ways to Extract Gold Plating

Gold plating refers to the process in which gold is electrochemically coated on objects. This is done for several reasons, including conductivity and protection of wires and some gold can be found in most electronics, especially large circuit boards. While it is difficult for an amateur to safely and productively extract gold from these electronics, there are recycling companies that specialize in recycling the gold used in plating and there are several well-known ways in which this gold can be retrieved.

Burning
The extractor can burn the material down to isolate the gold and make further extraction simple. Burning is difficult to do professionally, because the circuits and other materials that contain gold tend to be made of metals and plastics which do not burn well and produce toxic fumes. Recycling companies rarely used this method in the United States and amateurs rarely have the means to safely burn and melt circuits without endangering themselves or the environment.

Cyanide
One of the most common methods of extracting gold from plated objects is through a cyanide solution. The cyanide combines with the gold and turns it into metal ions which can then be distilled back into gold in an additional step. While this is useful for dissolving hard-to-reach gold, using cyanide also has problems. Cyanide is a dangerous toxin and extractors need to take great care when using it. The laws concerning the use and disposal of cyanide in America are very strict and must be followed carefully.

Aqua Regia
Aqua regia is a mix of hydrochloric and nitric acids. These acids are also used to dissolve gold, but do not have the same poisonous effect on the surrounding environment, so they are used more often by larger companies. However, aqua regia is still a highly toxic mixture and creates poisonous gas when it is used, so proper ventilation is very important.

Reverse Electroplating
Reverse electroplating is another traditional method of recovering gold plating. In this case, the same ionization process that was used to attach gold to the surfaces is used to siphon it away again by creating a battery solution and an anode and a cathode with the plating materials. The gold is drawn off to another metallic object and then harvested.

 

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How to Remove Gold Plating

The removal of gold plating from jewelry is often desirable if the gold surface has become tarnished or lackluster. In most cases it will not be possible to preserve the gold as it is removed. Gold plating is very thin, usually over a silver or copper base, and the process will typically destroy the thin layer of gold as it is removed.

1.Fill the glass jar or basin with denatured alcohol. Add three spoonfuls of the boric acid.

2.Put on gloves and glasses. Stir the boric acid/alcohol solution. Grip the the piece of jewelry with the pliers.
3.Dip the jewelry in the boric acid/alcohol solution while the stirred solution is in motion. Remove the jewelry from the solution and move away from the jar or basin.

4.Heat the jewelry with the torch. The alcohol will burn off, leaving a white powder of boric acid. Remove the torch from the jewelry as soon as the flame is visible.

5.Make sure that the item is sufficiently coated with boric acid. If not, allow the item to cool completely and repeat steps 3 and 4.

6.Apply the torch again. The gold will quickly disappear.

 

Gold plated Tungsten Product Manufacturer & Supplier: Chinatungsten Online - http://paper-weight.cn/
Tel.: 86 592 5129696; Fax: 86 592 5129797
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Tungsten Alloy Manufacturer & Supplier: Chinatungsten Online - http://www.tungsten-alloy.com
Tel.: 86 592 5129696; Fax: 86 592 5129797
Email: sales@chinatungsten.com;sales@xiamentungsten.com
Tungsten & Molybdenum Information Bank: http://i.chinatungsten.com
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