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Gold plating soldered stained glass (lead and lead-free, i.e., tin)

I am having difficulty with gold-plating my jewelry. It is turning out either brassy or like a green-gold. I have a small plating system that uses cyanide-free solutions. I have tried reducing the times, making sure the jewelry if very clean, etc. Any suggestions as to what I might be doing wrong, and how to get a shiny gold plated jewelry product?

Mary Sprague
Artist - Stanton, Michigan
2007

Try to plate it with nickel as first coating.Hope it helps and good luck!

Goran Budija
- Cerovski vrh Croatia
2007

I have plated it in nickel first, I've tried up to 3-4 minutes. Then, when I put it in gold solution, it seems to take a minute to get a plating. Does this sound right?

Mary Sprague
- Stanton, Michigan
2007

Hi, Mary. Although we don't yet know the size of the parts or the amperage applied, or what quality you are aiming for, 1 minute in gold sounds like it might be enough whereas the 3-4 minutes in nickel sounds light.

You need to come up with target thicknesses and then either measure them or, if that would be too expensive, at least estimate them from Faraday's Law.

The color of gold baths is strongly affected by small quantities of contaminants or alloying metals. Consequently, the color can be effected by the current density. As an experiment I might try halving the current and doubling the gold plating time. Good luck.

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
Need quick confidential answers? $25
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2007

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