[Jewelry making - Article 00051] - Re: [Orchid] Can't be 24K Gold?

[Thomas Janstrom]

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Hi Kim,

    If the bead is glass then electro plating is out as glass is non
    conductive, so you're left with chemical plating, there are two main
    options one is IIRC photo driven using a halide salt (sort of like
    blank and white photography), the other is a mercury gold paste which
    is then backed to boil off the mercury and leave a gold film on the
    bead (this method has been in use for some 3000 odd years mainly in
    Asia). 

    I would hazard that if the chemical/photo method was used then there
    could be contamination present, but yeah 24K gold shouldn't "age or
    antique", but will take on the EXACT surface finish of what it's
    plated onto, so for glass it will be VERY shiny. 

    Well that is about all I can add to this, hope it's some help. 

    Oh yeah, just a thought, they aren't copper plated underneath the
    gold by any chance? If they are then they could be electro plated
    with gold after the copper is deposited. This way you could get a way
    with a very thin gold layer, which it too thin will let the copper
    oxidize and so produce and antiqued surface with time..... 

Thomas.
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