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Gold Plating
For close to two centuries now, base metals have
been embedded with gold plating. There are many reasons for the
emergence of this process. Some are functional, some are aesthetic.
All of which, however, perfectly capture the illusion of gold, to
the naked eye at least. But why has an outer layering of gold become
not only a popular alternative, but a more practical one as well?
Here are the reasons why plates of gold have achieved such a
distinction:
* Gold has become very expensive, but fashion calls for their usage
in certain occasions. Hence, metals with gold plating have become a
great alternative for those who need to exhibit the elegance of gold
with their wardrobe, but are non-committal to the prospect of
investing on gold jewelries.
* Gold is not really very malleable. You'd have to heat it to
melting point if you want to manipulate its shape to the form you
want. Other metals, on the other hand, are more flexible. Hence,
there are cases when it's more practical to simply embed these
metals with gold plating rather than having to shape gold itself.
* Other metals are stronger than gold. There are metals that are
more durable than gold. For objects which will be exposed to more
possibilities of wear and tear, adding gold plate is a more
pragmatic option to preserve the structural integrity of the object
in the environment where it will be exposed to.
* Other metals possess a more desirable texture than gold. The
texture of the plating will ultimately be determined by the texture
of the base metal, and some metals have finer texture than gold.
* The thickness of gold plating can be controlled, and the value of
a piece can easily be maintained at a lower price. The problem with
bigger objects that require that golden touch is that if gold is
desired, the entire object should be made of gold. This can be very
expensive. But if only a golden exterior is desired, an outer layer
of gold is a more practical solution. You can control the thickness
of the plating to what is appropriate for a particular need. It may
be thin so as to produce the effect of elegance. Or it can be thick
so as to produce the effect of authenticity. In any event, the end
product will be more affordable than an object made entirely of
gold.
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