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We need to apply "brown gold" deposit

August 26, 2008

hello, I'm Davide Rossi from Italy.
In my company we have a request for brown gold deposit, or in general brown deposit like chocolate colour for fashion industry. Do you know how is possible to obtain it?
I know dark coloured layer obtained with ruthenium deposit but they aren't brown; we have red coloured gold deposit but isn't possible to obtain brown version. Someone speaks about gold silver, but isn't so clear.

Thanks a lot for your help

Davide Rossi
plating provider - Florence, Italy

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First of two simultaneous responses --

Davide,
If your contact was talking a gold - silver alloy, it will not even come close to a brown color. Your best bet is to contact a color gold specialist. Large additions of copper to the gold bath may work but you will run into oxidation and tarnishing problems. A coating on top of the gold may be the only way you can achieve this dark brown color.

Mark Baker
process engineer - Malone, New York
August 28, 2008

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Second of two simultaneous responses --

Try coloured nickel plating -- the process is somewhat similar to black nickel (according to some books and some expired USA patents blue and green, and many other colours -- try www.uspto.gov webpages, nickel can be possible too). Hope it helps and good luck!

Goran Budija
- Cerovski vrh Croatia
August 29, 2008