Silver is a cosmopolitan, easily adaptable and timeless precious metal that’s been around for ages. In ancient times, it was used as a trade commodity as well as inlaying ornamental objects for the wealthy.
Its solidified version, the Sterling Silver, is an alloy created from the fusion of Pure Silver and other metals, to enhance durability and make it a perfect solution for jewelry production. Moreover, is gold-plating silver jewelry more sustainable in the long run? What about the level of exactness when working the color aspect?
In this blog, we will answer all the above questions and provide you with a few insightful tips to ease your decision-making.
What is Sterling Silver?
Sterling silver is composed almost entirely of pure fine silver. For the alloy to be graded as sterling silver, 92.5% of it must be pure silver, while the remaining 7.5% can be a fusion of other metals, particularly anti-tarnish alloy. This tiny inclusion of alternative metal strengthens the physical properties of silver, making it more durable without spoiling its stunning white grayish looks.
IS STERLING SILVER A GOOD CHOICE AS A BASE METAL FOR JEWELRY PRODUCTION?
Yes, it is, because of its light weight and sturdiness.
Sterling silver is a very solid and long-lasting material to craft jewelry with. If you carry good maintenance habits such as routine polishing and clean-up, most sterling silver jewelry pieces can outlast the test of time. We’re talking about decades-long if not centuries.
ADVANTAGE OF ANTI-TARNISH SILVER ALLOY
People often wonder if the color of sterling silver will change after a while. The answer is yes, depending on what metals are being mixed together. That’s why when we produce sterling silver jewelry pieces, we always make sure to use anti-tarnish alloy to avoid an ugly yellowish-matte breakout, eliminating that problem altogether!
Gold plating basics
Gold plated jewelry is the process of covering the surface of another metal with a thin layer of pure gold by means of chemical or electrochemical equipment. Generally speaking, it means that a base metal like copper or brass has been quickly dipped in a gold bath. How you determine the thickness of the layered gold is with microns (one-millionth of a meter).
WHAT IS GOLD VERMEIL?
Gold Vermeil uses 925 sterling silver as its base metal. It is more hypoallergenic compared to the other metals and has 2.5 microns of layering thickness of gold (10K, 14K, 18K) sitting on it than normal gold plating.
WHAT’S THE BENEFIT OF GOLD VERMEIL VS REGULAR METAL GOLD PLATING?
Compared to brass or copper, sterling silver actually holds value being at the base. Like any fashion jewelry that’s platted, the gold layering will wear down with time and use. However, once it does, you still hold a sterling silver piece instead of some worthless metal that won’t even be resealable.
DOES THICKNESS MATTER FOR GOLD PLATING?
Silver jewelry that’s gold plated with the Vermeil standard will hold about 2 microns of extra layering. More thickness will allow more longevity before tarnishing takes over. Not only that, every gold Vermeil piece produced will carry the 925 stamp to affirm that sterling silver is the base metal.
What about quality, color reproduction of all variations for gold?
Gold color matching is a challenging task that requires meticulous timing during the in-and-out dips inside the bath. This is an area where we take pride in getting it right, at all times. For any plated piece, we use some of the finest Italian brands for our coloration phase, which produce high-quality and realistic gold hues, especially for rose gold.
Getting accurate color reproduction is essential if you plan to manufacture gold-plated jewelry and compete in the marketplace. Remember this, no customer will appreciate a poorly imitated outcome of a rose gold color that looks more like brass than the real deal.
FINAL THOUGHTS
To sum things up, we believe that solid gold is an irreplaceable luxury metal that naturally comes with a higher price tag. That’s why sterling silver, in this case gold vermeil, can surely be worth your investment if you’re looking for an awesome substitute.
At Jeweler Vision, we focus on every detail. If you’re thinking about starting a fashion jewelry business, we can definitely help take your first step. We are a sterling silver & gold plated jewelry manufacturer in Montreal, that puts original design and quality craftsmanship at the center of everything.
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