What is electroplated gold?

A. Hi, Joseph. It means that the ring is made of some less expensive material, but has a thin layer of gold on the surface.

Ted Mooney, P.E.

A. It depends on how thick it is Justin. A good gold color can be seen with a thickness of under 10 millionths of an inch, which can wear off a ring very quickly, but would last longer on a pin or brooch. But greater thicknesses, which could last years, are very possible. Some old gold pocket watches had plating thick enough to last a century.

Ted Mooney, P.E.

A. Hi, Lauren. Jewelry is jewelry and much of its value is in its appearance and workmanship. Some very nice, and reasonably expensive, jewelry is gold plated.

But, sorry, the intrinsic precious metal value is probably very little because the plating is probably only millionths of an inch thick. Once it is not considered attractive jewelry, it's pretty much worthless, in contrast to solid gold jewelry which has intrinsic metal value.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.

A. Hi, Suzanne. It would just be called 18k gold, which means the element gold comprises 18 parts out of 24, and other metals comprise the other 6 parts out of 24.

18k gold is quite pure and very valuable; gold of any higher purity of gold isn't very common in jewelry largely because it is quite soft and might not hold detail well. Most solid gold jewelry is 14k, 12k, 10k, or 9k.

(Although electroplated gold usually has little intrinsic value because it is so thin, the karat of the plating is apparently sometimes specified because it can effect the tarnish resistance, color, or engineering properties).

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.

A. They are the same thing, Cindy: plated is just an abbreviation for electroplated. But again, the thickness can range from a few millionths of an inch to much much thicker. But in any case, the value of gold plated jewelry is in the artistry and visual appeal, not the intrinsic value of the metal.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.

A. Hi Katherine

Sorry, but probably fake. The "GE" means gold electroplated. I'm not sure it's legal to engrave "18K" on a ring which is not because -- as you have proven -- it's very misleading for everyone but the very few who know what the GE means.

Luck & Regards,


Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey

A. Hi, Brian.

If you can find a jeweler or plating shop who offers rose gold, your ring can certainly be plated with it, but it may be hard to find because it requires that they maintain a tank of rose gold plating solution (this is gold with a rather exacting amount of other metals like copper to give it the rose tint).

If the ring is actually worn, however, the plating will wear fairly fast because rings (as opposed to brooches, for example) are very high wear items. Further, unless you see samples, there is a good chance that the platers' idea of the color of rose gold may not match your idea.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.

A. Hi, Debora. This is a technical site about metal finishing rather than an antiquing site, and to avoid being swamped in such questions and losing our focus, we don't offer evaluations. Sorry. But I think you can judge their value for yourself by looking for very similar items on eBay .

Best of luck.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.

A. Hi Angel. It's not worth anything for its gold value. But it might be worth maybe $25 dollars for its value as a watch or a collectible. Look for similar stuff on eBay or Craigslist and go from there, or take it to a jeweler, antique store, or pawn shop. Good luck.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.

A. Hi Kassandra. It's either 14 kt (14/24ths gold) or it's electroplated with a thin layer of gold on top of something else (like brass).

If it's 14 kt, you can weigh it, multiply by 14/24 and by the current price of gold to determine it's intrinsic value. If it's only electroplated with gold, it has zero intrinsic metal value and is only worth it's decorative value as costume jewelry.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.

A. Hi Shirley. Yes, EP would mean electroplated, but I doubt that anyone can tell you much else. The gold plating will be thin, so hand wash it. Good luck.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.

A. Hi Craig. You probably don't know the thickness of the gold, whether there is a titanium nitride underlayer, or whether there is a clearcoat on top of the gold. So all we have to go by is other customers' experience and the reputation of the maker. But this is a highly regarded brand, and not a super-premium brand (they seem to cost maybe $500 to $2500) so I suspect the gold plating is pretty thick and will last many years but not the many decades associated with heirlooms.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.

A. Hi Scott. As I expect you realize, "heavy gold finish" is a salesperson's term, not an engineering term. It would not surprise me if the gold is very thin. If the ring is sterling silver under the gold it probably won't turn green; if it isn't, it probably will. Good luck.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.