Learning to gold plate yourself

Jewelry Discussion
1

Is it easier to learn to gold plate yourself or pass it on to a
plater?

Alexandra
AlexandraSpeer.com

2 
Is it easier to learn to gold plate yourself or pass it on to a
plater?

I think it would be painful.

It’s always easier to job things out.

3

Andrew- Plating is science, but not rocket science. I’ve done it for
decades with success. I’m no genius.

You have to take reasonable precautions, keep a clean lab, and spend
some money on solutions, a plating machine, pyrex beakers, a heat
source to heat your solutions, gloves, a 24 kt anode, and some
ventilation. Depending on how many pieces you want to plate, the cost
of set up may be more than jobbing it out.

Have fun and make lot so of jewelry.
Jo Haemer
timothywgreen.com

4

Andrew-

I worked next door to a large plating business; the stench was worse
than an abattoir. And that was with all of the city requirements for
proper ventilation.

Marly

5

Andrew,

I’m pretty sure you didn’t mean it that way, but if you need a
bathtub full of gold plating solution contact me off line!.o)

Cliff Durlacher
Legor USA

6

Hi Jo,

I saw your post to Andrew about plating and wondered a few things…

I have purchased the rectifier kit from Rio Grande, mainly to use in
my copper electroforming, but I am considering actually doing some
silver plating.

Here is my question,

I am working to build up my line of men’s jewelry, mainly tie tacks,
clips, and cuff links, but the backs that I can hand fabricate fairly
quickly are not spring loaded. I was thinking perhaps I can/may just
order pre-fab findings and plate them myself. (In Silver, because at
this time Gold is just way too expensive right now)

I was wondering about how to plate pre-made findings and if it is
possible to plate them without first having to maybe strip them down
somehow? Most of the one’s I can find for a decent price are either
what they call “base metal” or nickel. Do they need a special
pre-plating coat of copper? (I do have nitric acid to clean them well
before plating.) Also, I am certain there is probably some form of
steel inside many of these findings, for the springs inside them to
function. Will this interfere with the plating process? I know you
cannot have anything organic exposed when electroforming, but am not
sure about steel, because of it’s carbon content.

The plating kit comes with the necessary equipment for copper
plating and a real good set of instructions, but does not really
address silver plate, and what the base metal has to be in that
situation. Do you perhaps know of some good literature on the
subject?

Thank you,
Teresa

7 
The plating kit... does not really address silver plate, and what
the base metal has to be in that situation. Do you perhaps know of
some good literature on the subject?

The “Midas Guide to Plating” from Rio Grande has plating sequence
charts that answer your question. See:

http://www.ganoksin.com/gnkurl/1om

Neil A.

8

Theresa- Silver is just as easy to plate as copper. You’ll need a
fine silver or stainless anode and the silver solution.

The springs inside the findings will ruin your plating solution. So
they have to be removed before plating. Yes you will have to copper
plate the base metal but not the nickel. I believe that Rio carries
sterling findings for cuff links if you want to save the extra step
of plating.

Best to get some scrap and play around with your solutions and
rectifier. Be careful and don’t drink the stuff. It’ll ruin your day.

Have fun and make lots of jewelry.
Jo Haemer
www.timothywgreen.com