Gold Plated Sterling Silver Tarnish

Tarnishing thus does not mean that the silver is low purity.

Gold plated sterling silver tarnish. Unfortunately because of the metals added sterling silver even real 925 sterling silver will always tarnish. Gold itself does not tarnish but when it is plated it does tarnish over time. Plate is only a thin skin about 20. However gold plated jewelry is made by using electricity or chemicals to deposit a very thin layer of gold over that other base metal.

The reason that gold plated jewelry tarnishes is because the molecules of the base metals eventually transfer into the thin layer of gold causing the gold layer to break down. Place the gold plated jewelry in the soapy water. Well gold plated jewelry is not made of gold actually. Undiluted dish detergent will leave dark spots on the silver 2.

Submerge your item in the soap water and gently rub it with your fingertips to release the tarnish. The reason for the tarnishing is because the molecules of the base metal transfer to the gold and thus causing the layer to break down. The base metal in that situation is usually a copper or silver which are much more affordable than any gold alloys. The problem is often not with the plating itself but with the base metal which is prone to corroding and oxidizing.

The metal at the bottom will eventually show after a while and it too will begin to discolor. Unlike sterling silver the tarnish on silver plated jewelry is most of the time irreversible. A note on vermeil. Sterling silver and silver plate are both sterling silver on the outside so both will tarnish.

Let it soak for 15 minutes. Moreover this type of jewelry has little resale value unless they are rare or collectible items. Because the silver plating is so thin you need a very gentle cleaning method. Most commonly this type of tarnish occurs in sterling silver copper and brass.

These metals are reactive meaning that when they are in contact with the nonmetal substance the reaction occurs. Over time the molecules of the base metal eventually move into the gold layer affecting its appearance. In a large bowl fully dilute a few drops of mild dish soap in warm water. 2 the plating can be scratched or chipped.

If the gold plating is very thin it will discolor and start to look like tarnish quickly. Take the jewelry out of the soapy water. Notice that we didn t mention gold in that list. The resulting product is 925 sterling silver which contains 92 5 pure silver and 7 5 copper.

After a few weeks of wearing your gold plated jewelry item the gold plate is likely to start chipping wearing or flaking off. It is the primary material used for silver jewelry.