Today, when choosing jewelry, you can more and more often come across such words as gilding, rhodium plating, or simply plating. A lot of people are frightened by these terms. Some of them may even think that they are being sold a piece with unnecessary additives in order to make more money.
So, let's dispel the myths and take a closer look at what jewelry with plating is and what practical value this plating can bring to you.
Jewelry with plating: a bit of history and modernity
For the first time, something similar to plating was created by the craftsmen of Ancient Egypt. Back then, women and men were passionate about massive and colorful designs. They often used iron, which was valued even more than gold. Craftsmen used to tap thin gold plates to it. This is how the very first plating looked like. It was designed to make jewelry more attractive and protect iron from rust.
The trend for such type of accessories got a second wind in more difficult times, when precious metals were in deficit.
For example, during the Second World War, pieces made from copper and brass that were covered with a layer of gold or silver became popular. This technique made it possible to create jewelry that was attractive and much more affordable.
At the moment, jewelry plating is experiencing a new peak in popularity thanks to improved technology. Brands, from budget to luxury ones, use various types of plating to protect the base material of accessories, create a perfectly shiny surface of products, and present interesting designs.
Main types of jewelry plating
As of today, the following types of plating are actively used in the jewelry industry:
gold plating: Gold is applied to the product in a thin layer, usually a few microns. This is often used in cases when there is a need to create massive gold adornment at an affordable price;
silver oxide coating: A thin film of oxidized silver is often applied to pieces of jewelry made of silver with a high proportion of impurities or to metal accessories such as bijouterie. The coating protects pieces from tarnishing and corrosion;
rhodium plating: It is possible to distinguish white and black rhodium plating. In the first variant, a thin layer of this metal is used to give products a special shine and protect them from scratches and corrosion. Also, in the context of soft metals, rhodium gives additional rigidity and ensures a long life of the accessory. Meanwhile, black rhodium plating is used when jewelry is intended to look vintage or craftsmen wants to accentuate the volume of design elements.
In addition to jewelry made of 585 white and yellow gold, we at Orxata also create products made of silver. To protect this metal from tarnishing, we always apply either white rhodium (for a noble shine like white gold) or 999 gold plating (European yellow, without red or green undertones). Depending on the type of product and the size of the surface, the thickness of the coating reaches several microns. To make it more durable, we use primers and fixatives. Thanks to this, the pieces retain its shine and color longer and requires less frequent restoration compared to products from many other brands. To ensure that our designs will delight you for a long time, we provide a jewelry SPA service, details about which you can find here.
Thus, along with the transformer jewelry from Orxata, you get a unique engineering design at an affordable price as well as quality and support in the form of our warranty services. Do not deny yourself the pleasure of creativity and be different every day!
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