How Long Does Gold Plated Brass Last?(Expert answer))

There are many kinds of jewelry materials, the most expensive is naturally gold jewelry, followed by sterling silver and copper jewelry.

In the production process, electroplating is a frequently used process. Silver jewelry always does plate with 18k gold and 14k gold, and copper jewelry does plate with 18k gold or 14k gold.

But in this world, no matter what kind of jewelry of gold, it will fade. It's just a matter of time. 

So fading, oxidation, and rusting are frequently asked questions in maintaining jewelry.

1. Will gold jewelry fade? The answer is YES

2. Sterling silver jewelry will not fade, but it will oxidize and turn black.

3. Will sterling silver gold plated jewelry fade? The answer is YES

4. Will copper jewelry fade? The answer is YES

5. Diamonds will not fade, but they will no longer shine.

6. Pearls will not fade but will turn yellow.

We have explained discoloration and maintenance methods for the above jewelry of various materials. Today, we will focus on the reasons for the fading of gold-plated copper jewelry and the maintenance methods.

Causes of fading of gold-plated copper jewelry

1. Copper gold plating is a layer of color added to the substrate, so wear and tear is the most direct cause of fading. The longer you wear it, the more friction the object will rub. The gold plating on the surface of the jewelry will wear out, eventually exposing the underlying material, which is The primary cause of fading. Electroplating products will have a certain lifespan. Fading is the natural aging phenomenon of the oxidation of the electroplating layer of the product. It is just like a person's lifespan, only high-purity precious metals in the world can claim to be not afraid of wind and rain, but it will also take a long time. The surface damage form, and the light is absent.

If you want to delay this fading time, you can change the jewelry frequently to reduce the frequency of wearing it. If you wear it three times a month, it will fade more slowly than if you wear it ten times a month.

2. Reduce exposure to chemicals such as perfumes, essential oils, skincare oils, etc. Wearing jewelry should be done after makeup and smell, which can reduce the erosion of chemical substances on the surface of the jewelry, but it does just reduce; after all, we can't keep the jewelry from touching the skin. When you get home at night, take off your accessories and remove your makeup.

3. Depending on the gold-plating technology and the thickness of the gold-plated layer, the best factory will plate 0.06μm gold on the surface of the jewelry, and the poor factory gold-plated is generally 0.02μm or even 0.01μm. The quality of 0.01μm is inferior.

It recommends choosing a gold-plated layer of 0.04-0.05μm for jewelry so that the price is suitable, and the cost of 0.06μm is very high. Therefore, the market is also gold-plated jewelry, and the price difference is so big that the thickness of the gold-plated layer is the main reason.

4. Jewelry that is not usually using should be sealed in a sealed bag to reduce air contact and oxidation speed.

The above four points summarize 90% maintenance skills of almost all accessories. Therefore, how long the copper gold-plated jewelry color can maintain depends on whether you follow each step above.