The authoritative public forum
  for Metal Finishing since 1989
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Nickel free plated jewelry

2006

Dear Sir/Madam,


I am a Chemical Engineer of the largest Fashion Jewelry manufacturing company in Sri Lanka.
Now I am trying to ask from you about Nickel free plated jewelry.
According to this, I want to ask about how to gold plate on nickel free jewelery items. Reason for that, normally when we plate gold on nickel plated jewelry items its good. But when we use same bath (with nickel contactor) for nickel free jewelry items, that items become reddish-brown colour.
Therefore, if you have another gold bath or any solution to gold plate on nickel free jewelry items, please send details about this with quotations.

Thank you very much.
Yours faithfully,

Asanka Brahmana
- Colombo, Sri Lanka

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Asanka,
There may not be a precious metal supplier that reads this inquiry, so you may have to contact one. This website has contributors. As you probably know, the appearance (color) of the gold depends on the metal used for the gold underplate. Changing the make-up of your gold plating solution alone may not solve the cosmetic problem you have. What is the contractor using in place of the nickel underplate? If it is a copper alloy of some type, that would explain the reddish-brown color you are now getting. If your gold plating solution has copper or cobalt as an alloying agent, it could make things more complicated. Ask the contractor to send you some samples of the gold underplate. Send those along with the desired color sample to a reputable gold plating supplier, and they can match it by plating samples for you. It's relatively impossible for someone to quote you on a gold bath witout doing some color matching. Good Luck!

Mark Baker
Process Engineer - Syracuse, New York
2007