Jewellery Electroplating Process

Jewellery electroplating process is a technology to deposit a metal film on the metal surface by electrolysis or chemical method, which is mainly used to improve the color, wear resistance and corrosion resistance of jewelry. The following are the key process steps and precautions:

Core process flow

First, pretreatment

1. Electrolytic degreasing: distilled water and electrolytic agent are used to prepare electrolyte, jewelry is connected to the negative electrode, titanium mesh is connected to the positive electrode, and it is treated for 30-40 seconds to remove surface grease.

2. Cleaning: After electrolytic degreasing, it needs to be washed with plenty of distilled water.

3. Acid etching treatment (optional): For metal objects with smooth surfaces, use 10% hydrochloric acid solution to etch to increase adhesion.

Second, the electroplating operation

1. Heating of plating solution: For example, when plating white gold, rhodium water needs to be heated to about 60℃.

2. Electroplating parameters:

The time is usually 30-40 seconds.

Contact between positive and negative electrodes should be avoided, otherwise the jewelry will turn black.

3, special process:

High-end jewelry adopts three-layer electroplating structure (such as palladium plating on the bottom, acid gold plating or rhodium gold plating on the surface), which can keep the color for 1-2 years through salt spray test.

The moving anode electroplating method can make gold adhere evenly, especially suitable for complex workpieces.

Third, post-processing

1. After electroplating, it needs to be washed with distilled water, and some processes will add protective film to enhance wear resistance.

The finished product needs to pass the accelerated test (such as 100 times accelerated clock) to verify the color retention effect.

Process difference and quality key

2, low price vs high-end technology:

Low-priced jewelry is often backed by copper plating, which is thin and easy to oxidize.

High-end jewelry is made of thick plated K gold or rhodium gold with strong adhesion.

Key points of color preservation:

1. The coating thickness should be ≥0.03 micron to isolate oxygen.

2. The surface cleanliness before electroplating directly affects the adhesion of the coating.

matters need attention

1. Electroplated jewelry can't keep its color permanently, so it is recommended to avoid contact with water or friction when wearing it.

2. For home gold plating, nickel should be plated first to improve the adhesion, but the formula should be adjusted according to the substrate.