topic 28788
What is electroplated gold?

(Courtesy of Debora Kroll)

(Courtesy of Tina Sowders)
A discussion started in 2004 but continuing through 2019
2004Q. Hi,
We have gotten in the mail a Free Gift certificate about a Blue Topaz ring and we were wondering what Electroplated Gold is.
Your Friend,
Joseph Embury- Woodstock, Ontario, Canada
2004
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.
finishing.com
Pine Beach, New Jersey
2004
Q. Does electroplated gold wear off really fast? Say like 2-3 days?
Justin Patenaude- Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
by Oppi Untracht
from Abe Books
or
info on Amazon
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.
finishing.com
Pine Beach, New Jersey
August 15, 2009
Q. Is electroplated gold worth anything? I have a charm bracelet that was my mothers and it is in its original box with a tag saying 18k electroplate gold. I am trying to find out if it is worth anything.
Lauren Heiss- Chandler, Arizona
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.
finishing.com
Pine Beach, New Jersey
January 7, 2010
Q. I am also trying to find out what electroplate gold is but after reading your responses to the other same questions from inquirers, I finally understand. So what do you call it when a the jewelry item is a solid 18 karat gold not electroplated?
Suzanne HerState Center Community College District - Fresno, Ca,
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.
finishing.com
Pine Beach, New Jersey
January 1, 2011
Q. I was wondering is electroplated lesser value then plated?
cindy weber- lake stevens, Washington usa
January 2, 2011
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.
finishing.com
Pine Beach, New Jersey
February 23, 2011
Q. Would diamonds in a ring that reads 18 kgersc most likely be real or fake?
Katherine York- Murphy
December 20, 2011
Q. Hi,
I have a 14K gold engagement ring and I decided to buy a 14K gold electroplated stainless steel wedding band online, when it arrived I was very unhappy to see the two golds do not match at all despite both being 14K golds, the electroplated gold is very yellow. Is there anything I can do to make the gold on the stainless steel ring match my engagement ring?
N/A - Paisley, Oregon, USA
January 18, 2012 -- this entry appended to this thread by editor in lieu of spawning a duplicative thread
Q. I have an antique diamond ring, it has a yellow gold setting. Can the setting be dipped in rose gold?
Brian Johnson- Bradley Beach, New Jersey, USA
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.
finishing.com
Pine Beach, New Jersey
March 4, 2012
Q. Hi, I just purchased a 1930's Gruen ladies wristwatch which has an octagon case with engraved designs in it. How can I tell if it is electroplated? I would like to clean it and I don't know what to use.
Sincerely,
Diane
- Calgary, AB, Canada
March 10, 2012
Q. I have 22 Karat Gold Electroplate Anson Cuff Links with some kind of stone in it. What's this worth? Thanks.
- Chatsworth, Iowa
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.
finishing.com
Pine Beach, New Jersey
May 26, 2012
Q. Hi, I bought an antique filigree bracelet marked 835. It is gold gilded but what metal lies beneath? It is not attracted to a magnet. I had it tested for gold using 14k acid..it failed...it was tested for silver..it failed...it was tested for platinum and the mark hung around for about 45 seconds then disappeared. So, that means its not platinum either right? What is it? I know its not a low grade silver because after it failed the silver test I took off my 800 locket low grade silver for comparison and it passed.
Am I supposed to believe this bracelet is not of precious metal knowing someone took the time to hand make this piece of jewelry? It has file marks along the edges it was definitely handmade and antique. Please tell me your thoughts on it.
Thanks Tina
collector of antique jewelry - guston,Kentucky, meade
November 27, 2012
Q. I was left with a 18k electroplate watch by Salvi. I want to know if it is worth anything.
Angel Rivera- Bronx, New York
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.
finishing.com
Pine Beach, New Jersey
December 18, 2012
Q. I just bought a 14 karat gold ring, but it said it was electroplated. How much do you think that's worth?
Kassandra Johnson- Des Moines, Iowa
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.
finishing.com
Pine Beach, New Jersey
January 26, 2013
Q. I am interested in the process of creating "so-called 'gold' flatware. I purchased a chest full of it yesterday and it was advertised at gold plated. On the back of each piece it is stamped "EP China. I am assuming the EP means electroplating but, perhaps it means something else. What can you tell me about my purchase?
Shirley Coyne- Cobb, California, USA
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.
finishing.com
Pine Beach, New Jersey
February 3, 2013
Q. I have a Raymond Weil wristwatch which is 18k electroplated gold. How long will the gold plating last?
Craig H [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]- Liverpool
A. Hi Craig. You probably don't know the thickness of the gold, nor whether there is a titanium nitride underlayer, not whether there is a clearcoat on top of the gold. So all you have to go by is other customers' experience and the reputation of the maker. But this is a very highly regarded brand, so I suspect the gold plating is quite thick and will last years.
Regards,


Ted Mooney, P.E.
finishing.com
Pine Beach, New Jersey
February 16, 2013
Q. Hello. I would like to buy an inexpensive EP "gold " chain that does not look cheap, e.g., brassy yellow ... from eBay. What type of EP finish looks closest to good quality gold?
lorna pappas- andover, New Jersey usa
March 29, 2013
Q. . I bought a new Military Service ring, described as "Electroplated in 18K Heavy Gold Finish"
My question is, will it, overtime, turn my finger green as some cosmetic jewelry does?
- Farmersburg, Indiana USA
April 1, 2013
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.
finishing.com
Pine Beach, New Jersey
----
Ed. note: Sorry, but we've had to reject a lot of submittals on this thread because we do not print any requests for valuations, nor anything which looks like a disguised "for sale" listing. Technical questions only please!
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