What is Gold Clad? Facts You Should Know!

If you’ve seen a late-night commercial for inlaid gold coins at a discount, you may be wondering, what is gold inlaid? They say luxury things like 18K gold inlaid coins. The coins look like gold, shiny and beautiful. But are gold-plated coins worth anything? In the next few minutes, you’ll learn everything about gilded metals, how they’re made, how they’re identified, and their true value. .

What is Gold-Clad?

Gold clad is a fancy word for gold plating. It is an extremely thin layer of gold plated on metals such as copper, brass, silver, etc.

The truth about gold

• A block of pure gold with a metallic yellow color. But when you break it or mix it with another metal, the color changes.
• Gold is soft and easy to stretch. You can smash pure gold into a thin sheet 400 times thinner than a strand of your hair.
• Pure gold does not discolor or tarnish. It does not react with single elements such as oxygen or nitrogen.
• People decorate and eat food with edible gold leaf to make it beautiful.
• To make gold jewelry or coins, we mix it with a stronger metal like silver. This mixture is an alloy.

Most of the gold on the market is an alloy of gold and some other metals. It is marketed as solid gold, so the standard way to measure gold is by reference to the purity of the alloy. That is, measure the amount of gold in the alloy. Gold purity is measured in karats, gold is measured in troy ounces. But purity is measured in Karats. The karat measuring system divides the weight of the metal into 24 parts. The purest gold is 24K, while the lowest gold is 9K (although anything below 10K is considered non-commercial in the US). Solid 24K gold means that 24 parts out of 24 parts by weight of the metal is pure gold. The 24K coin on the market is made of 99.9% or 999.9% pure gold. 12K gold means that the metal is 50% pure gold. Take a look at more gold measurements in this chart. % gold content Karat system Milesimal fineness system 33.3 8K 333 37.5 9K 375 41.7 10K 417 58.3 14K 583 (585) 62.5 15K 625 75.0 18K 750 83.3 20K 833 87.5 21K 875 91.6 22K 916 95, 8 23K 958 99.9 24K 999 / .999 / 99.9% Source

Gold Clad Vs. Gold Fill Vs. Solid gold.

Solid gold means that the metal is made only of gold alloys. No matter how much you scratch the metal, you will only find the same layer of alloy. The law requires gold suppliers to stamp their solid gold with its purity level. For example, a 22 karat pure gold bar will have a 22K stamp and the manufacturer’s name. yellow. Underneath the gold is a cheap metal like brass or nickel. It’s base metal Read more: what is a split drill | Top Q & AF For example, a necklace inlaid with 18K gold means that the necklace is covered with an 18K (90%) pure gold alloy. Gold jewelry will have the GF label after the purity label. But only if it is at least 1/20th of a gold part. For example: 1/20 12K GF. For coated gold, it means that the base metal has been coated with an extremely thin layer of gold. Usually, it is less than 0.5micrometers (or microns) in size. Most gilded items have no prominent markings. There is no legal requirement to mark the purity of gilded items. But some manufacturers put prominent markings such as GP (Gold Plated), HGE (Heavy Gold Plated) or KGP. Even when gold-plated jewelry comes with an 18K GP label, the gold content is still less than 1%. It has no value at all. Mining gold will cost you more than the value of the gold you get from the process. Gold-plated coins have no value to gold refiners or investors. But they are great for souvenirs. You can buy a gold-plated coin for $1 or less.

How to make gold-plated items.

Jewelers gold-plated their jewelry for a few minutes through an electroplating process. Electroplating is the coating of a thin layer of metal on top of another by the application of an electric current. The base metal is dipped in a gold bath (solution with dissolved gold) with an electric current. The base metal is usually copper, brass, silver or brass (copper and zinc alloy). The electric current creates a negative charge on the base metal and a positive charge on the gold ions in the bath. The oppositely charged surfaces attract each other, creating a chemical bond between the two metals. As gold ions collect on the base metal, a thin layer of gold forms on the surface. The process of gilding involves a lot of preparation. See how he did it from scratch in this video.

Why gilded?

Why inlaid with stainless steel if gold won’t increase the value of the coin? Inlaid with gold in jewelry and coins is more for aesthetics than anything else. Gold coatings create a golden appearance at very little additional cost to the manufacturer. Marketers emphasize gilded items just to attract you. A gold-plated coin is worth as much as you are willing to pay for it. But you won’t find anyone to buy it from you. Gold plated coins are not an investment, here are the benefits and disadvantages to gold plated items.

Advantages of gold cladding

• Attractive but affordable – Gold coating for a solid gold-like finish for a fraction of the price of solid gold.
• Stronger than solid gold – The more gold metal you have, the easier it is to bend. The base metal in gilded jewelry maintains the shape of the jewelry.

Disadvantages of Gold Clad

• Easily torn The shiny golden look only lasts a few months before the coating starts to fade. If you wear gold-plated jewelry daily, expect it to last over a year before the base metal begins to show. Gold-plated jewelry is not suitable for everyday wear.
• Discoloration – Although pure gold does not change color, there is too little gold in gilded metal to make an impact. As the gold coating fades, the base metal is exposed to air. When the base metal reacts with air, it begins to lose color. Before long, your jewelry will turn a different color.
• Skin irritation after wearing – Solid gold does not cause allergies. Meaning, it won’t irritate your skin even if you wear it everyday. But the same cannot be said about gilded jewelry. After the gold coating wears off, it exposes the base metal, possibly brass. With or without allergies, the base metal will irritate your skin after a while.

How to identify gold plating.

Unscrupulous sellers will try to turn thin pieces of gold into solid gold, even though it is illegal. Fortunately, there are several ways to check if you have laminated or solid gold. Here are some tests you can do at home.

Check the sign stamp

Expect a solid gold bar to have a stamp showing purity and the manufacturer’s name. For example, it might have a 14K label plus the manufacturer’s name. In contrast, most gilded objects are unmarked. If they are marked, it will be GP, KGP or HGEWhere to look for signs? Read more: People make time for what they want You may need a magnifying glass for topqa.info necklaces and bracelets, look for markings on clasps. For a wristwatch, look at the back of the watch, and for a wedding band, look at the inside. If it’s unmarked, assume it’s gilded.

Magnetism.

Solid gold is non-magnetic. This means it doesn’t attract magnets, if you don’t have one, get a part from the hardware in place. Hold the magnet near your jewelry and observe the reaction. If a magnet attracts jewelry, it means that the metal in the jewelry is magnetic. If it is magnetic, it is inlaid with gold.

Vinegar test

This test can permanently discolor your jewelry. Place your jewelry or coins on a flat surface. Put a few drops of vinegar on your metal surface. If the metal changes color, it’s a gold-plated metal. Solid gold will not change color.

Gold Test Solution (Acid Test)

This test can permanently discolor your jewelry. You can purchase a gold tester online or from your local jeweler. This kit will come with a gold test solution (10K, 14K, 18K or 22K) and a scratch stone. The gold test solution is nitric acid. Solid gold is resistant to acids, which means it will not react in any way with acids. The acid will only react with the metal if it has a base metal. Here’s how to test gold with nitric acid. (Wear gloves, goggles and a mask when in contact with acids).

• Put a drop of the solution on any part of the metal. When the acid reacts with the base metal, you should see air bubbles and a change in color (green, pink, or any other color depending on the base metal). When you wipe away the acid, there will be a visible spot where the acid corrodes the base metal.
• Sometimes gilded items will have a thick layer of gold.
• If there is no reaction, you can confirm your test results. File away part of the gold surface to reveal the inner layers. Then, drip acid onto the contact surface. If you come into contact with a base metal, you will see a reaction.

Test 2 (With Scratch Stone)

• Rub any part of the gold onto the scratched stone. Rub just enough to leave a visible mark. Then place a drop of acid on the marked line.
• If the metal is solid gold, traces will remain on the stone. But if it is the gold plating, the marks will quickly dissolve in the acid and disappear.
• You can confirm the result by adding aqua regia. Aqua regia is a combination of nitric acid with hydrochloric acid. The solution will dissolve the yellow stains proving that it is solid gold.

See how he tests his gold in this video Gold clad means gold plated. A base metal such as copper, brass, etc., is coated with a thin layer of gold through an electroplating process. The thin gold layer gives the metal an attractive golden appearance until it begins to fade. Gold-plated metal is not gold. It is only worth the value of the base metal.

Should you buy Gold-Clad? Final judgment.

If you are looking for short-term jewelry or an attractive commemorative coin, gold inlaid is a good choice. But if you’re looking for jewelry or a long-term investment, buy solid gold only. What do you think? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!Read more: What holiday is April 26?

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