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ted_yosem
Sound technical content, curated with aloha by
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Pine Beach, NJ
finishing.com -- The Home Page of the Finishing Industry

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  for Metal Finishing since 1989
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Gold Plated Flatware Q & A

Quickstart:

- Thread 18519 is about "Cleaning and polishing Gold Plated Flatware"; this thread covers all other questions about gold plated flatware.
- "Dirilyte", "Dirigold", & "Thai bronze" flatware are bronze-ish or gold-ish in color but are very different from gold. Please search the site for discussions about them.



Q. I have purchased gold plated flatware and want to know if it can be stored in a chest designed for sterling or silver plated flatware. If not, how should it be stored?

Marcia M [surname deleted for privacy by Editor]
- Petal, Mississippi, USA
2000


Silverware
Anti-Tarnish Bag

silver_tarnish_bag1
on eBay or

Amazon

(affil links)

A. Gold plated flatware is very corrosion resistant and can be stored safely practically anywhere. The problem you should be addressing is scratching and wearing of the gold surface -- the items should not be stored in contact with each other (even tissue paper, plastic or thin cloth should be used to separate the items), plated items should be washed by hand and dried by hand, and in general be gentle with them.

Special care will help to prolong the condition of the surfaces. Polishing should not be necessary and will, in fact, reduce the luster of the gold (most polishes are way too abrasive for gold).

Dale Woika
Surface Conversion Sciences - Bellefonte, Pennsylvania


A. Hello Marcia,
What a coincidence that I came across your question! I've kept mine in the original box and each piece in its own plastic sleeve since 1990. I've always wanted a chest to store it in, but it's one of those things that I keep forgetting about. I've only used the gold set maybe two or three times since I received it. Mom always told me to hand wash it, dry it immediately and keep each piece separate while being stored.

Paula T [surname deleted for privacy by Editor]
- Lexington, Kentucky, U.S.A.
December 30, 2008




RFQ: I have been looking for 24K gold plated flatware this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] . It seems to be in short supply. I have service for nine, International Stainless, 24K gold plated that was purchased at the old May Company in 1985 that I would like to add to. However, I do not know that pattern name.

At this point, I would like to purchase any gold flatware to add to my set (I have seen gold/silver combinations which would not be compatible).

Please let me know if it is possible to find good quality 24K gold plated flatware in various patterns. They seem to be in short supply. Thanks for any help!

Joan H [surname deleted for privacy by Editor]
- Kirtland, Ohio
2001

Ed. note: Sorry, this RFQ is old & outdated, so contact info is no longer available. However, if you feel that something technical should be said in reply, please post it; no public commercial suggestions please ( huh? why?)



A. Hi Joan. Gold plated flatware isn't in short supply if you have the money (about $2000 for a 48-piece to 60-piece service, but any specific pattern is probably in very short supply. Note that 'titanium gold' is not plated with gold, it is just approximately the color of gold.

But any sterling, silver plate, or stainless steel can be gold plated by a plating shop that offers it. Good luck!

Regards,

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




Q. My husband bought a set of "International Co." gold plated flatware for me. The company said it would not tarnish or they would replace it guaranteed for life. Well, it has tarnished; I have only hand washed it and used it 2 times. International is the company -- does anyone know how to contact the company? Thank you for your help.

Elizabeth M [surname deleted for privacy by Editor]
- Twin Falls, Idaho, USA
2002


A. International Silver Company Consumer Returned Goods Dept. 175 McClellan Highway East Boston, MA 02128 phone 617-561-2200

Sam Obermeister
- Brooklyn, New York


A. I just purchased a place setting for 8 with extra pieces from Faberware, it is very pretty gold plated flatware and very reasonable, it also came in a mahogany tray with a velvet cover, I can't wait to use it on my Christmas table this year. You might want to check with Faberware to see if they have a design that would suit your purpose.

nancyB
Nancy B [surname deleted for privacy by Editor]
- Las Vegas, Nevada


A. Hi Nancy. Titanium gold flatware can indeed by very pretty, look very much like gold plating, and is much more practical ... that's what you probably have. If you bought it new and it was 'reasonable' it's probably not really gold plated. Gold plated sets run about $2000 new.

Luck & Regards,

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


A. I have a 23k gold electroplated set. I don't know much about it other than it was made in Japan for Excel Cutlery Inc.

Traci Rose
- Tehachapi, California
February 24, 2023




Gold-plated flatware: what to look for in terms of quality

Gentle Readers:

This meeting place welcomes Q&As, photos, history, & interesting tidbits -- but it's not a consultancy.

Please engage with others

• When people show interest in each other's situations, the forum is informative, and fun too !

• If people post their own question but show no interest in others', it can quickly become a long string of unanswered questions smiley

Q. Hi:

I would like to buy a set of gold-plated flatware. What should I look for in terms of quality? What is the difference between zinc and stainless as the base metal? One set is advertised as "dishwasher safe" -- can this be true? Thank you very much!

Monica P [surname deleted for privacy by Editor]
- Boston, Massachusetts
2001


A. Hi Monica. Stainless is the same stainless that you are already familiar with. Zinc is a much lighter and much more corrosion-prone material.

Gold costs more than a thousand dollars an ounce, so I think you will want to minimize wear and tear on your gold surface by avoiding the dishwasher no matter how it's advertised :-) But if it's not really gold -- just something that looks gold-ish -- then, sure, you might be able to put it in the dishwasher, and you won't be risking the gold value.

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




Q. I would like to purchase a set of gold flatware to highlight a set of china that I recently was given as a gift.

What is the difference between 24-karat gold, gold plated, gold electroplated and gold tone on bronze. I also see unspecified gold flatware without mention of any materials, i.e., stainless 18/10, etc. being advertised as being artisan-made in Italy. On-line pricing does not seem to vary significantly between the above types.

I have modest means but would likely be using the flatware regularly. What do you recommend I purchase? Any other advice you can offer would be appreciated.

Karen H [surname deleted for privacy by Editor]
Retail Purchase - Detroit, Michigan
January 5, 2008



A. Hi Karen. No flatware is actually solid 24-karat gold. They mean plated with 24-karat gold. Gold plated and gold electroplated are the same thing, and all of the plating is probably 24-karat gold. All except the "gold tone", which probably isn't real gold, but some kind of bronze or PVD coating. The gold plating must be hand washed and will wear off depending on how thick it is. If some sources list a specific thickness, it's probably thicker than the others and longer lasting.

The thickness can range from almost nothing for most gold plated flatware, to very thick for super premium flatware. Most of it may well cost about the same, but you can also get gold plated flatware that costs about $4000 per piece, about a quarter million dollars for a full set :-)

Titanium gold (actually gold colored titanium nitride) is not real gold and is much less expensive, but still looks nice; and if you're paying $100 or so for 60-piece service, it's probably a gold-tone titanium nitride finish and you can probably go ahead and dishwasher it if it doesn't say not to.

Regards,

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




DoMenicoof Akron gold plated flatware

Q. I received a set of gold-plated flatware from my Dad and there was a small paper w/ the name, DoMenico, of Akron, Ohio on it. It was previously from my Uncle, who has Alzheimer's, so I can't ask him. They apparently are not in business anymore and I have not been successful looking at sources in the library or on line. Does anyone know anything about them?

Larry Andrews
homeowner - Tallmadge, Ohio, USA
March 11, 2008


Q. My neighbor has a set of the DoMenico gold silverware and is trying to find any information that can be found. I have had no luck on the internet other than finding out they are no longer in business. Anyone know anything at all about this flatware? Her set is in a wood box. Thanks!

Georgia Pavlich
- North Ridgeville, Ohio
July 22, 2009




Q. I gave my sister some gold plated flatware and it is being marked by the box. Where the knives fit into the upper lid they are darker on the tips. So I am looking for some cloth that I could make slotted holders of, such as pacific cloth is used to preserve silver. Is there a cloth specifically intended with the "gold"? Or would the silver pacific cloth be ok?

Betty Sanders
- Rosanky, Texas
January 5, 2010


Pacific Cloth /
Jeweler's Cloth

blitz_jewelers_cloth
on eBay or
br Amazon

(affil links)

A. Hi, Betty. Pacific cloth / jewelers cloth may not be totally necessary, but it won't hurt, and it will limit scuffing.

Regards,

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




Q. Hi, Don't know if you will answer this question or not, but perhaps you can help me.
I have inherited some antique Tiffany flatware, gold plated over sterling silver (very heavy).
I would like to know if this will tarnish if left in the air, or should I put it in protective silver cloth bags??

Thank you. Barbara.

Barbara Findlay
Home owner - Farmington Connecticut, USA
May 3, 2011


A. Hi, Barbara.

Pure 24k gold cannot tarnish, and that gold plating is probably close to 24K. It does, however, have to be quite thick to have zero porosity (or air can attack the underlying silver). The flatware can also scratch and lose its nice polished look, so I think some sort of cloth or individual bagging is always a good idea.

Regards,

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




RFQ: Although this question has been asked, I have yet to see the answer: Is it possible to have gold-plated flatware re-plated? I have around 40 place-settings and, even with hand-washing, some are getting pitted and stained. I am one who likes to use my stuff when entertaining, so I do use it several times per year.

Sandy Michitsch
- Reno Nevada USA
January 10, 2017

Ed. note: Sorry, this RFQ is old & outdated, so contact info is no longer available. However, if you feel that something technical should be said in reply, please post it; no public commercial suggestions please ( huh? why?)




24 Kt Gold Plating Solution
gold_solution%2024k_becker
on eBay or

Amazon

(affil links)

A. Hi Sandy. Yes, gold plated flatware can certainly be replated! The question is whether you can find a plating shop or silversmith to do it for you at what you feel is an affordable price.

Gold colored flatware can range from $60 for a 60-piece set of gold colored titanium nitride on stainless steel to several thousand dollars per piece for vermeil (very heavy gold plating on sterling silver), so it's very hard to say what someone else would feel is a reasonable price for replating.

Regards,

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




Q. How do I determine if a set I bought is real gold plated or just a colour? Is there some kind of stamp I should look for?

Yasmine Zamzam
- Alexandria, Egypt
April 8, 2018


Gold test kit
gold_test_kit
on eBay or

Amazon

(affil links)

A. Hi Yasmine. The short answer is it probably doesn't matter to most people for most purposes. The longer answer is that the gold plating is so thin that it doesn't really have intrinsic value. That is, the cost of separating the very thin gold plating from the base metal can be more than, the value of the recovered gold. Because it has little intrinsic value, it's very possible that the regulatory bodies don't require marking. Nonetheless, your flatware might say 'gold plated' if in fact it is. There are 'gold test kits' which involve seeing what color a drop of acid turns, but they might stain your gold plating.

Regards,

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




Scrap value of gold plated stainless flatware?

Q. Hi,
I just found an almost full set of 24kt electroplated gold - 18/ stainless silverplate flatware. Curious of the scrap value if any.
Thank you for your help!

Steve Law
- Metuchen New Jersey USA
October 9, 2018


A. Hi Steve. I think it would be better to try to sell it on eBay or Craigslist or wherever. You won't know the gold value for sure, if any, until you know the thickness of the gold, but odds are strong that is has almost no scrap value.

Regards,

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




Q. Do you have any recommendations on a good gold electroplated flatware? I have seen gold colored flatware that does not maintain the finish. Is there a brand or line of gold flatware that you can recommend? It would be used 2-3 times a year on formal occasions.

Mary Ann Soucie
- Strongsville, Ohio, USA
March 23, 2019


A. Hi Mary Ann. We don't suggest or post suggestions of brands or sources (huh? why?), but people are very welcome to suggest that you get bronze flatware, or simulated gold via PVD titanium nitride deposition, or real gold plated, or whatever they feel is best. It's a difficult question to answer anyway because a full service of gold-toned flatware can be had for well under $100, whereas real gold plated flatware is more like $2000, and you can spend almost a quarter million dollars for super-premium super heavy gold plated sterling silver. Realistically, for most of us (the rich are different from you and me, someone once said), I think the answer is get a gold-colored set cheap, use it all the time, put it in the dishwasher, and replace it when you need to ... or ... get a $2000 real gold plated set and take very careful care of it.

Regards,

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




Removing faded gold accent on silverplate flatware

Q. I have some silverplated flatware with gold accent. Much, but not all, of the gold is faded. Is it possible to remove the remainder of the electroplated gold? Can I just run it through the dishwasher over and over?

Penny VanOurkerk
- Eugene, Oregon
March 28, 2019


Q. I have a set of Oneida flatware it is 18/10 stainless (made in China) .
After hours and hours on the internet searching, trying to find out the pattern, I came across the exact pattern, (Daphne) but it has 2 small areas of gold plate, probably gold plate colour. 2 questions,
1- can this gold plating be removed to match my existing set?
2- can someone help me find the name of the set that I presently own.
Thanking you in advance, for any help that you can give me. Michel

Michel Levesque
- Kissimmee Florida
December 12, 2019


A. Hi Michel. The best way to remove those gold plated areas is probably by abrasion (sanding) rather than chemically. But, like everything else, experience is helpful ... a local jeweler can probably do it quicker & better than the average amateur.

Luck & Regards,

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




Q. Years ago I purchased gold plated silverware that was guaranteed to be dishwasher safe. It started to discolor and now, you can see the silver from the underside. We have used these daily for about 40 yrs. My husband and I were just diagnosed with bladder cancer. Can the silverware be the cause of the cancer? We cannot find any reason why both of us would get this cancer.

dolores zboril
- naples, Florida
October 29, 2019


A. Hi Dolores. Terribly sorry for your hardship :-(

Even a doctor probably wouldn't offer a response to such internet postings, and we're not doctors or cancer epidemiologists, but I have personally never heard what I have felt was a trustable report about gold, silver, german silver, or stainless steel being carcinogenic. Your doctor might possibly have a connection with a university research team or a poison control center who would be interested in what strikes you & me as something that might not be coincidental. But people eat gold as an expensive decoration on fancy desserts, so I personally doubt that the gold plating is the source of your misfortune.

Regards,

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




Q. I bought a set of cutlery second hand, stamped "Stainless china", gold coloured except for the knife blade. Given the price I paid, I assume it is not gold plated. Could it be at all a harmful material to use?

Dorothy Dobson
- Cobden, Ontario, Canada
December 7, 2019


A. Hi Dorothy.

If it's not gold, the color is probably titanium nitride; this is not, as far as I've ever heard, considered to be unsafe.

But we've seen in Chinese wallboard, lead paint on McDonalds glasses, and cadmium in jewelry sold at Walmart ... so I doubt that anyone can fully assure you that some unknown brand of stainless from China is not "at all a harmful material to use" :-(

Regards,

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




Godinger Baroque

Q. Hello. In 1999 I received a set of Baroque by Godinger gold plated flatware as a wedding present. It has never been used or taken out of the original storage box. In opening the box today, I found it all to be sterling silver with not a hint of the gold plating anywhere? Any ideas on how this happened?

Sheila Hughes
- Columbus, Ohio USA
January 11, 2020


A. Hi Sheila. When you say "sterling silver" do you really mean the flatware is sterling silver and is marked as such, or do you just mean it looks generally silvery in color?

Gold does diffuse into silver dependent on time, temperature, and thickness of the gold. If you search the site for 'diffusion' you will see lots of threads about it. Apparently 20+ years at the storage temperature, combined with very thin gold plating, let it all diffuse into the silver. One remote possibility is that there was a broken mercury thermometer in that drawer and enough mercury remained to form an amalgam with the gold.

Regards,

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


Q. Hello. I inherited a set of electroplated gold Godinger Baroque flatware. It has discolored darkening in a similar way to tarnish on silver. I would like to bring it back to its original luster. It's my understanding that gold plating doesn't tarnish. When gold plating discolors what kind of reaction is taking place? I'm familiar with sterling silver polishing, but not the clean up methods for gold plating without removing the thin gold layer. What is the best way to clean up the darkening?

Thanks,
Michelle

Michelle Long
- Wooster, Ohio USA
July 10, 2020


A. Hi Michelle. It's true that gold plating does not tarnish, but that assumes two things: that the gold is 24 kt pure gold, and that the plating has no porosity allowing the environment to reach the underlying metal.

I would try the washing soda this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] plus aluminum foil approach which is used for cleaning silver, as described in thread 4785; I don't see why it should not work with tarnished gold plating.

Luck & Regards,

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




Gold-plated Oneida Beethoven flatware

Q. A. Does anyone know whether Gold-plated Oneida Beethoven flatware has silver, sterling silver, stainless steel or some other metal underneath the gold plating?

My mother gave me a setting for 8, plus serving pieces, in about 1972 & I have NEVER used it! Now I want to give it to my niece, but have little idea of its worth.

I would appreciate your help in knowing the approximate value if I send further information, e.g., which serving pieces are in the original box.

Thank you in advance for sharing your knowledge and your time.

Carmela Hopkins
- Sun Lakes Arizona, USA
May 17, 2020


A. Hi Carmela. Hopefully someone may tell us the history or materials of construction of your flatware. But, sorry, we don't post 'valuations'; they lead to offers to buy/sell, and before you know it we're a free eBay and a spamfest rather than a technical site anymore :-(
The best way to get approximate value without paying for an appraisal is to look for similar stuff on eBay [affil link], etsy, replacements.com, or other sites. There are many websites which will offer an appraisal for you ... but they don't do it for free.

Regards,

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




Q. Hello my name is David and I have a question about a 44 piece flatware gold set that I bought at a yard sale. When I Looked it up on google I found the same gold flower design on a 20 piece set sold by a well known store for $450. (Couldn't see any brand name or markings). The set I have does not have names or markings on them but look exactly like the 20 piece set.Question then is do all 24 karat gold plated flatware have signatures or marking of some kind. I'm sending photos of my flatware and I thank you for any information that you can give me. I appreciate your site and all that you do.

6773-2a   6773-2b

6773-2c   6773-2d

David Gilbreth
- Prescott Arizona
October 18, 2020


A. Hi David,
I hope you go to garage sales for the fun that they can be, rather than as a business ... because I don't think I can offer encouraging news :-(

Although I'm no expert, I've personally never seen a set which included two different patterns, so I'd be a bit dubious that it's a "set". There is probably no legal need to stamp flatware, but companies proud of their brand names almost always do so. Titanium nitride is a durable gold-colored coating used on inexpensive silverware, and is close enough in color to require an acid test or at least an expert eye; I don't have an expert eye, and I doubt that anyone can tell you which it is from a photo unless they know the full history of the pattern. This free site doesn't do appraisals; we'd drown under traffic if we offered to do for free what others charge for. You can retain an appraiser, but whether it would be worth it is a good question. If you have time, eBay has 10,000 listings for gold flatware (even after excluding 'Dirilyte').

Gold flatware on eBay (affil link)]

Luck & Regards,

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




Q. Hello all!

I am single Mom who has recently found a new yet expensive hobby of buying and flipping item from auctions and estate sales! I love the adrenaline rush of bidding and finding some really cool nifty products. And who doesn't like a bigger bank roll? Now in all honesty I am no appraiser nor am I well rounded in history and/or antiques. So this has caused some nail biting choices, like the time I trusted the auctioneer saying she had a copper bucket and when it arrived it was plastic! No friends, that is not a typo, I said PLASTIC not plated. Eek! I learned a strong lesson there of not to trust the auctioneer, or anyone for that matter, unless they have paperwork to back it up. However I am handy with Google and, like many millennials (I hate calling myself that with such a negative connotation to it but I'm 33 and they say I am one of 'them'), I am well rounded in online searching and/or stalking of information. Ask any of my boyfriends...kidding... No I am not. Maybe I am. *looks around blankly* Let's move on (haha!) ...

I won this set of flatware from an estate sale of a Jewish couple from Iowa and I am having a hard time locating ANYTHING about the brand, I'm guessing it's 'SOHNACO' and definitely no luck with the other words 'DIA GOLD' and a lot of eBay listing for the last word 'JASPN' but associated with stainless steel flatware without gold.

So I stumbled upon this corner of the web and your shelf of knowledge and was hoping I could get some background on the product.

1) is the company still around?
2) contact information for them
3) is this gold plated?
4) what's the metal underneath?

I have read the past posts so I won't dare to ask a quote of price but just your help in obtaining the basic information about the item. I have attached some pictures for reference.

Thank you for your time and putting up with my nonsense.

Marisa Fowler
Collector - Gilroy, California
July 3, 2021

Ed. note: We received no pics, Maria. Please e-mail them to mooney@finishing.com for posting here if you wish.

A. Contact replacements.com you can send them a photo of the item and they will tell you exactly what it is. I have sent pics of flatware & crystal and they were able to give me the information I was seeking.

Milissa Fisch
- Las Vegas, Nevada




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