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 Today when there are lots of world-weary people who can
afford golden watch or solid bracelet from the precious metal, luxury items are
not that to astonish. And the rapturous wonder comes when you realize that the
light golden shoes or the lavish golden automobile is nothing but the skilful
work of jewelers named the gold sputter coating. Sputtering with gold makes
copper or iron items into the rich and luxury jewels. The elegant golden rose
in the crystal vase or the golden mobile phone made from the gold is not the
illusion but the drastic and incredible ability of the golden powder to react
with strange material.
The history of gilding technique
Gold sputtering is the common techniques the jewelers used
in ancient Egypt. This technique was invented rather for the reason of despair
than for the whim of royal nobles or intricate thoughts of craftsmen. The point
is that the jewelry items for pharaohs and their family members were made with
the royal luxury including the golden thrones, statues and sedan chairs. If the
latter was made from gold completely, the slaves would not be able to carry the
pharaoh and step since gold is known as the heaviest precious metal. The sedan
chairs were made from wood covered with the thinnest sheets of gilded foil to
keep the authority of the royal person. However, this is not the only reason to
use the gold sputter coating. Various metal items made from cheaper metals as
silver, copper and iron were coated with the gold powder. Sometimes the surface
of the item was glued to put the fine golden dust over it. Such a gold sputtering
appeared to be durable to serve around half a century.
The ancient art of gold sputtering in Korea is known as Keum-boo
when thinnest sheets of gold or silver were put onto the jewelry items. The
cultures of Japan and China also refer to gilding coating technique. From early
X century the temple domes were coated with gilding in Kiev Russia to appear as
if they are made from gold when the precious metal was consumed hundred times
as less. Also the ancient Russia was famous with golden sewing technique. Up to
XVI century the craftswomen used golden threads only until they invented the
gilding. Currently the metal and silky thread twisting is applied with further
gold sputtering.
The technique of gold sputtering changed with the galvanizer
process discovered by the Russian scientist Yakobi Boris. The opportunity to do
the thinnest and finest coating and play with various tingles of colors appears
to be new and smart. Though, the gold sputter coating is used not as the
decorative trimming technique to add the lavishness to items. Such a coating has
anti-corrosive and reflective ability which are used in space industry. So, 40 kg of gilding was required
to make the details of the space ship Columbia and gilded artificial satellites
travel around the Earth.
Gold sputter coating in jewelry design
The current gilding technology is very sophisticated that the
gold particles may settle onto the plastic, wood, paper or tissue apart from metal
surfaces. Jewelers create luxury jewels eye-catching in design and size priced
affordably and here the gold sputter coating matters.
So, Lalique launched the Gold Luster Collection where
the oriental philosophy and the western delicacy were matched together. Various
figurines of animals as well as accessories and luxury items were made form the
elegant crystal and coated with the gold. As a result, we have gorgeous items
in the attractive color gamut.
Reputed brands also favored for the gilding. Some models of BVLGARI
rings from the Diamonds ring collection are made from the jewelry steel and
coated with the 18 carat gold incrusted with zirconium. The ring costs from
$100 USD and higher. Yet, the classic collection Trinity ring by Cartier also
includes rings made from jewelry steel with gold sputter coating of three major
colors as pink, yellow and white. Three rings are braided in the way to make
the entire jewelry.
Gilding in clothing items
The unlimited capacity of gilding served also for those who
admire luxury apparel. Gold sputter coating is applied to shoes, handbags,
watches, buttons, apparel and interior décor. The gilding was beneficially used
by higher technologies, either. The English designer Katherine Hughes created
the collection from two hundred and fifty mobile phones coated with 24 carat
gold incrusted with Swarovski crystals. The model of Nokia mobile was the base
for collection and after the plastic was gilded, a model of Nokia Passion Fire
Edition cost approximately three thousand English pounds sterling.
The modern automobile tuning also included in the list of
services the gold sputter coating onto cars. The English tuning center Alchemist
coated the Aston Martin DB7 with 24 carat gold and added seven diamonds. And it
became lavish, expensive and exclusive. Thus, a small and cheap model of automobile
can become the luxury vehicle to catch eyes. Moreover, when you stuck in the traffic
jam, you are sure to be the owner of the jewelry item belonging to you causing
envy to others stuck by you.
Gilding adds delight to ordinary things and makes us feel
the really royal person.
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