Gold Design Gold Jewelry Finishing and Surface Treatments 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Rhodium plating is most commonly applied to gold jewelry in order to:
- Add a warm yellow tone to the piece
- Create a hammered texture on the surface
- Enhance brightness and scratch resistance of white gold (Correct answer)
- Increase the karat purity of the gold
Correct answer: Enhance brightness and scratch resistance of white gold
Rhodium, a platinum-group metal, is plated onto white gold to compensate for its slightly yellow tint and to provide a harder, more scratch-resistant, bright white surface.
Question 2: What distinguishes burnishing from other gold polishing methods?
- It removes metal through cutting
- It applies chemicals to the surface
- It creates engraved patterns in the metal
- It compresses and polishes the gold surface without removing material (Correct answer)
Correct answer: It compresses and polishes the gold surface without removing material
Burnishing uses a smooth hardened steel or agate tool to compress the gold surface, creating a bright shine by moving metal rather than abrading or removing it.
Question 3: What is the primary purpose of using a pickling solution during gold jewelry finishing?
- To remove flux residue and oxidation after soldering (Correct answer)
- To apply a protective lacquer coating
- To harden the gold alloy
- To create a chemical patina effect
Correct answer: To remove flux residue and oxidation after soldering
Pickling solution, typically a dilute acid such as sodium bisulfate, removes flux residue and fire scale (oxidation) from gold after soldering or annealing operations.
Question 4: A hammered finish on gold jewelry is primarily created by:
- Sand blasting the surface with abrasive particles
- Immersing the piece in chemical texturing solutions
- Striking the surface directly with a hammer (Correct answer)
- Using a mechanical engraving tool
Correct answer: Striking the surface directly with a hammer
A hammered finish is created by physically striking the gold surface with a hammer, producing a series of faceted dimples that catch and reflect light in multiple directions.
Question 5: In gold jewelry plating, 'flash plating' specifically refers to:
- A thick gold layer of at least 2.5 microns
- A rapid high-current electroforming process
- A certified heavy gold plating standard
- An extremely thin gold coating under 0.175 microns (Correct answer)
Correct answer: An extremely thin gold coating under 0.175 microns
Flash plating deposits an extremely thin gold coating (under 0.175 microns) that wears away quickly, often used on inexpensive costume jewelry where longevity is not required.
Question 6: Bead blasting as a gold surface finishing technique primarily produces:
- A mirror-like polished surface
- A uniform matte texture across the surface (Correct answer)
- A granulated surface with decorative beads attached
- A hammered dimple appearance
Correct answer: A uniform matte texture across the surface
Bead blasting propels fine glass or metal beads against the gold surface using compressed air, creating a uniform, soft matte texture across the entire piece.
Question 7: Reticulation is a gold surface treatment that creates its distinctive texture by:
- Mechanically engraving repeating patterns with a lathe
- Electrochemically depositing additional metal layers
- Carefully heating the piece so the surface layer wrinkles (Correct answer)
- Tumbling with abrasive media in a rotating barrel
Correct answer: Carefully heating the piece so the surface layer wrinkles
Reticulation involves heating gold (typically a specific alloy) to a precise temperature so the surface contracts and wrinkles into an organic, lava-like texture as different layers expand at different rates.
Gold Design Gold Jewelry Finishing and Surface Treatments 2
Rhodium plating is most commonly applied to gold jewelry in order to: