How difficult/time-consuming/expensive is it to strip the plating off a stock 18k wg piece?

[yssie]

Specifically, nickel-alloys.


Wondering if I can buy 18k wg stock pieces and have a local jeweller take the plating off easily enough, or if I should plan to have unplated pieces specifically made.


Does the stripping procedure remove gold content as well? Would there be any issues with polish or durability afterward?

 

[cara]

Why do you want an unplated piece? Like the color? I saw an intentionally unplated piece once and it was a lovely soft color that complimented the wearer''s skin tone.

If you just try to rub off the plating I would be afraid it would stay on in the harder to get at places. I think you would need to chemically (or electrochemically) strip it, but I''m not sure how feasible that is. Hopefully one of the experts will chime in!

 

[yssie]

Yes - I'm in love with the colour

I'm having WF make my Ering in unplated and I already have a matching wedding band, and I want to collect a few other pieces that match... and always going custom is going to be expensive!

 

[cara]

The other thing to consider is what is the underlying alloy? Don''t they look different depending on what the mix is?

 

[stone-cold11]

Date: 4/28/2010 9:57:05 PM
Author: cara
The other thing to consider is what is the underlying alloy? Don''t they look different depending on what the mix is?

Well, she specifically said Ni WG alloy.

 

[cara]

Opps, READING more closely might be useful LOL

 

[heliotrope]

I also adore unplated wg and have wondered about this myself

my JM is such a lovely hue and I want to try to avoid all this custom work I keep finding myself ordering too

 

[Cehrabehra]

Date: 4/28/2010 9:43:47 PM
Author: cara
Why do you want an unplated piece? Like the color? I saw an intentionally unplated piece once and it was a lovely soft color that complimented the wearer''s skin tone.


If you just try to rub off the plating I would be afraid it would stay on in the harder to get at places. I think you would need to chemically (or electrochemically) strip it, but I''m not sure how feasible that is. Hopefully one of the experts will chime in!

the color - the soft creamy buttery color of unplated white gold is to die for!!!!! I''m just waiting for the day when the goldsmiths start playing around with color... they have red and ''green'' and yellow and barely pink... what about a nice apricot color or a peachy tone? I think some rings would really scream for joy in those too... oops off topic, sorry! lol

 

[yssie]

Peach gold... I'd go for that...



I'm specifically asking about electrochemical removal methods: it seems that manually polishing it off would be less succesful in a engraved or milgrained piece, or a complicated piece with lots of hard-to-access places - that either you'd miss rhodium in the nooks or the the milgrain would get polished out

 

[oldminer]

Rhodium can be removed by reversing the plating process. It wears away pretty rapidly, but no maker will argue about not putting it on. It is a costly process today and is quite temporary anyway.

 

[yssie]

Date: 4/29/2010 2:27:16 PM
Author: oldminer
Rhodium can be removed by reversing the plating process. It wears away pretty rapidly, but no maker will argue about not putting it on. It is a costly process today and is quite temporary anyway.

Thanks David, that''s a relief.