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High quality gold coating required for fashion jewelry, like OROTON

 

We manufacture and wholesale fashion jewelry throughout Australia. We currently use 1 micron of hard acid gold over approx. 3 microns of a yellow bronze. We are having constant wearability problems leaving dissatisfied customers.

We are always astounded by the wearability/durability of the brand name OROTON.

Does anyone know what coating OROTON are using or could anyone suggest an alternative coating for a very durable, good wearing coating of gold(colour). Our coating does not have to be a carat gold, although it must look like the real thing.

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Regards,

Wayne Singletary
- Sydney, NSW, Australia

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Hi Wayne ,

You say you are plating 1 micron of gold , is that 1 micron minimum or average? As you are aware pure gold is very soft even so called "Hard Golds" are soft and wear very readily . There is a "Gold" finish that some jewelry manufacturers are using but it is not gold it is a ceramic coating of , Titanium or Zirconium usually put down as nitrides , the colour depends on the metal used in the USA some of the Tapware manufacturers give a "Lifetime warranty" on their gold plating , it is Zirconium nitride usually . This is a PVD process and the equipment is very expensive and temperamental to operate . However there are alternatives that you might want to consider.

Regards,

John Tenison - Woods
- Victoria Australia

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Wayne,

Do you know for sure you are getting 1 micron of gold? We have been plating fashion jewelry for over 50 years and have not had the sort of problems you speak of. I would have thought that by the time the gold and bronze was worn away the item would have been out of fashion. We seldom plate more than 0.1 micron on fashion jewelry without, as far as we know, any adverse wear problems.

Bob Lynch
plating company - Sydney, Australia