Medical gold and metals used: does it contain gold?
Few people know, but all gold jewelry and other products are made from alloys. As already mentioned, the metal itself is too soft, it is impossible to produce any product from it. In addition, pure metal is incredibly expensive. You can imagine what the real price of such jewelry is.
Gold is called medicinal, first of all, because of its active use in medicine. Moreover, a medical alloy is a combination of various metals, but not gold. To produce so-called medical gold, different metals are used in a certain ratio:
- nickel;
- titanium;
- silver;
- zinc;
- manganese;
- chromium;
- copper;
- molybdenum;
- magnesium;
- brass.
Medical equipment, such as surgical instruments, are actively produced from these alloys. Hence the familiar name to everyone: medical gold.
Women's medical gold chains
It is worth highlighting the advantages of honey alloys:
- availability: metal products are inexpensive;
- durability: medical instruments do not break, dental crowns, dentures do not wear off or crumble;
- durability: products made from medical gold have a long service life;
- variety of shades: the prevalence of one or another metal allows you to make products of different color shades.
Also, each of the metals that the alloy contains has certain beneficial properties.
Advantages and Benefits
As already mentioned, the invention of medicinal gold provided a number of advantages to all jewelry lovers.
Visually, products made from such material are difficult for a non-specialist to distinguish from 750 gold. The most important thing: they do not turn black and remain in their original form for a long time. Even if the owner swims in a pool with chlorinated water and actively plays sports.
It is also important that this is a way out for people who are allergic to all metals except gold. Almost everyone can afford such jewelry.
Methods of gilding products for precious metal
Gilding of jewelry steel to imitate precious metal is the main process of jewelry production. The jewelry itself is made from different alloys: bronze, brass, nickel silver, zirconium or cupronickel. Gilding helps to make the product look like gold.
There are two main methods:
- Gold Filled – by rolling method. In America this method is called Goldfield. In Europe and Russia - rolling. The metal obtained by this method is called rolled or fused gold. The product is placed in an airless environment, heated to 900 degrees and then compressed under hydraulic pressure. The result is a high-quality alloy with a guarantee of up to 5-10 years. Moreover, products gilded by rolling are hallmarked. In Europe and America, the GF mark is placed next to the number of carats. For example: GF14k. The carat system has standards of 9, 10, 14 and 18. In the CIS countries, the amount of gold (grams) contained in the copper alloy is noted. Among gold-plated products, 375, 583, and 750 samples are common.
- Gold Plated – galvanization. Electroplated gold is a gold-plated alloy. The process itself can take place mechanically or electrochemically. The mechanical method involves gilding with gold leaf. The thinnest gold sheets are glued to the surface of the product. To obtain a matte finish, the sheet is applied to an oil base. The polished surface of the product is obtained when gluing occurs on polyment. The electrochemical method is the application of gold plating using electric current, as if the gold is sprayed. The main thing when gilding this type is to properly prepare the surface of the product. It must be well polished and cleaned.
As can be seen from the characteristics, rolled gold has the best quality. But any of these methods helps to obtain high-quality medical alloys for gold.
Areas of application of medical gold
Even ancient people began to use gold for medicinal purposes. This is evidenced by the discovery of gold crowns in the mouth of the Egyptian pharaoh Khafre. Today, the scope of use of medical gold is quite wide.
Medical instruments and prostheses
All instruments used in medical procedures and operations are made of surgical steel. Scalpels, clamps, tweezers, spatulas, needles, syringes - all this and much other equipment is made of medical metal. Its use for the manufacture of medical instruments is primarily due to its strength and durability.
Gold dentures
This metal does not cause allergic reactions, does not cause corrosion, does not oxidize, which is safe for contact with the human body. For the same reasons, dentures are made from medical steel. Due to their properties, they can remain in a humid environment for a long time.
Surgical steel is also used to make manicure and pedicure instruments.
Medicines
Since 1929, gold has been successfully used in the treatment of rheumatic diseases. Medicines are made using noble metal:
- "Krizanol";
- "Sanocrysin";
- "Myocrysin";
- "Auranofin";
- "Tauredon."
These drugs are used as prescribed by a doctor in cases of arthritis and rheumatism.
In addition, preparations containing noble metals relieve inflammation. In therapy, this is done by chrysotherapy, a separate area.
Criteria for distinguishing medical gold from real gold
Modern manufacturers produce such high-quality jewelry made from medical alloy that it is difficult to distinguish them from gold products. If you have any doubts about the composition, you need to look at the following characteristics:
- Try. If you have in front of you a gold product produced in Russia, then it will have a stamp in the form of the head of a girl in a kokoshnik and numbers - indicators of the standard. Soviet gold was branded with a five-pointed star with a hammer and sickle inside. Medical alloys are stamped with an alphanumeric value.
- Price. Gold items cannot be cheap.
- Stones. It is rare that medical gold products contain precious stones, unless we are talking about well-known brands.
- Weight. Costume jewelry is much lighter than gold jewelry. Due to this, massive jewelry is made from surgical steel.
- Shine. Pure gold does not shine brightly, its tint is muted. The medical alloy is usually polished to a perfect glow.
- Scratches. Jewelry metals, due to their strength, cannot be scratched, while gold is soft and easily damaged. But this method of verification is dangerous, as there is a risk of damaging the store’s jewelry.
- Reaction to reagents: iodine. You can leave a drop of iodine on the inside of the jewelry. Since surgical steel is coated with a protective film, the iodine can be easily wiped off. The substance will remain on the precious metal.
The most reliable way to check whether you are being deceived in a jewelry store is to use a special x-ray. Such devices are often used by pawn shops.
Material properties
There is an opinion that the medical alloy is gold of the highest standard, but this is absolutely not true. It is impossible to make a product from a noble metal without any impurities due to its softness and malleability. Such jewelry would be huge, and they would have to be worn with great care, because any careless movement could cause serious mechanical damage. And the price of such an item would not please anyone.
Medical (sometimes abbreviated as honey) gold is an alloy of several metals: magnesium, nickel and chromium . From the name you can guess that the scope of application of this substance is medicine. Not only attractive jewelry is made from the material, but also surgical instruments. It is also used to create dental crowns. It has a lot of advantages:
- excellent appearance, making it difficult to distinguish it from real gold;
- has anti-corrosion properties;
- very low price per gram;
- quite strong and durable;
- does not cause allergies;
- does not oxidize.
The first jewelry from this alloy was made in the 18th century in France. From there, a fashion for this material arose, and soon it became widespread in England and Russia, where craftsmen from the Tula plant produced similar products. There was a very high demand for them among men. By the beginning of the twentieth century, the popularity of the alloy gradually declined. Until the nineties, it was practically not remembered for the creation of costume jewelry, because it was not considered valuable. But in the twenty-first century, products made from it returned to the shelves again.
These jewelry are famous for their beauty and grace. In addition, they are quite cheap, which means almost anyone can afford them. For example, a ring of not the greatest thickness, made from this gold, will cost about a thousand rubles.
Strength
Items made from medical alloy have increased strength. Jewelry has to be produced in simple shapes. But surgical instruments have the necessary hardness, and dental crowns do not wear out.
Shade range
Like natural expensive metals, medical alloy can be made in any color. Depending on the additional impurities, its shade will also depend. Titanium will give a white color, and by adding copper you can achieve a light yellow or reddish color. Thus, analogues of white and yellow gold are obtained. Some designers combine several shades in one product. For example, the Cartier brand released a ring with three weaves of different colors. This is pink, yellow and white plating with high-karat gold.
Does honey gold turn black?
Products made from medical gold retain their appearance for a long time. They do not darken when exposed to salt water, which can be a good solution for lovers of jewelry on vacation by the sea. The sun's rays also do not cause noticeable harm. Many women have had annoying troubles associated with the loss of their favorite ring or chain at sea. I think it’s a great idea to buy a couple of beautiful jewelry before your vacation that you don’t mind losing because of their low cost.
Jewelry is not affected by chlorinated tap water, which allows you to fearlessly wash your hands without removing the rings.
The only enemy of products is time. They simply wear out, steel begins to show through the coating, and they have to be replaced with new ones. The alloy cannot completely replace noble metals.
Disadvantages of Medical Gold
Medical steel has many advantages, but there are also two significant disadvantages:
- Medical steel, despite its durability and resistance to corrosion, can still wear out from prolonged aggressive wear and chemical treatments. This is due to the fact that the gold layer on the products wears off over the years and therefore it must either be restored or the jewelry must not be processed too often to avoid abrasion of the protection. This can be overcome by initially purchasing an unusually bright decoration. Typically, such products are coated with “Yellow Gold” 750, which looks pretty good in combination with warm-colored clothing and lasts longer than other types of plating.
- Often, medical gold jewelry is not hallmarked due to the class of the product. It is not jewelry, and therefore, if the hallmark is marked, it will be something like this: 18K GP, where 18K is 750 gold, GP is Gold Plated (plating). So it’s almost impossible to visually distinguish a piece of jewelry from a completely gold one, but there may not be a hallmark.
In any case, when comparing the price and quality of jewelry made from medical steel, it is difficult to refuse to buy them. Variety of design, colorfulness, etc. – all this allows you to choose any clothes or shoes to match your jewelry according to your personal preferences. And believe me, what you choose will look gorgeous, no worse if it were jewelry!
Does it have a sample?
The test is applied to products made of precious metals. There is no sample less than 375. Jewelry containing a smaller amount of AU is classified as costume jewelry and is assigned a different label.
The term “gold” for such an alloy is an advertising ploy that attracts buyers and inspires consumer confidence.
The steel used for production is marked 03Х17Н14МЗ or 12Х18Н10. Products from America and Great Britain are marked with the mark 316L. The product must have a stamp, article number, and manufacturer's mark.
Advantages of medical alloy
- Attractive appearance, maximum resemblance to jewelry metals. Surgical steel jewelry can look no worse than gold or silver.
- Affordable price compared to precious metals. If you can't afford gold jewelry, medicinal gold is a great way to avoid draining your wallet.
- Wear resistance of medical alloy. By adding harder metals, the alloy is strong and therefore lasts a long time.
- Increased strength, resistance to darkening. To make surgical steel white, titanium is added to the alloy. It prevents darkening. It is from this alloy that medical instruments and dentures are made.
- Safety for children's health. In piercing salons, when children have their ears pierced, they wear earrings made of medical gold.
- Hypoallergenic. Since the composition includes hypoallergenic metals, medical alloys do not cause any allergic reactions.
Thanks to these characteristics, medical steel jewelry is an excellent alternative to gold.
Medgold or surgical steel
So, there is no “surgical steel” brand. This is a general name for a group of alloys used for the production of medical equipment, instruments, and parts for prosthetics. And this is not medical gold! The main requirement is that the steel should not be porous.
The holes make it difficult to disinfect appliances, making them a breeding ground for bacteria. The alloy should not rust. Therefore, for example, grades of surgical steel U7A and U9A are discarded. They are not resistant to corrosion.
Surgical stainless steel is also distinguished by its hardness. The material must withstand impacts, not scratch or crumble. Hardness allows the tool not to become dull for a long time. In addition, you can make the thinnest possible blade or part without fear that they will bend or break.
Manufacturers and exposure to chemicals are excluded. The alloy, as they say, is inert. Put it in either acid or alkali, steel will not react with them. The material does not react with the body. The alloy is non-toxic, although it contains chromium or nickel. Add manganese and chromium to the mixture of iron and carbon.
Examples of brands: - 40X13, 65X13, 95X13.
Products made from surgical steel from foreign manufacturers can be marked, for example, as follows: - SUS440C, AlSl420.
The designations in the West are different, but the composition of the alloys is the same.
Disadvantages of Medical Gold
Despite the advantageous features, jewelry made from medical gold has a number of disadvantages:
- Poor assortment of colors: white and yellow. Those who like experimenting can only pay attention to the design, since there is no variety in colors.
- Rapid wear of the coating. The alloy itself is durable, but the coating wears off quickly, no matter whether it is gold-plated or silver-plated.
- More expensive than regular jewelry. Compared to ordinary jewelry, medical gold is expensive. But this can hardly be considered a minus when compared with the precious metal.
- Lack of sample and guest. Such jewelry is branded by the manufacturers themselves, since there is no single state standard.
- Lack of future value of the metal. If prices for pure gold are market prices, then medical prices are set only by the manufacturer, then by the seller. Such jewelry cannot be considered an investment.
What they say in the reviews
Natalya “I decided to check my rings to see if they were gold. The iodine method works, there are traces left on mine. It’s good that I didn’t think of smearing iodine on a cotton swab, but used a thin needle!”
Olga “I’ve met such shops with medical gold. Somehow I didn’t trust it, I was afraid, I thought it was some kind of fake. Now I understand that it is not a fake, but simply something completely different than gold. I’ll have to buy a set for the holiday!”
Irina “I had a bracelet made of medical gold. I wore it for about a year, most often I wore it in winter, in summer I don’t like jewelry on the skin. The lock was wiped first, then the links that were located nearby. The metal itself under the gilding turned out to be dark. But I enjoyed the year.”
Sources
- https://metalloy.ru/splavy/meditsinskoe-zoloto
- https://VseoMetallah.ru/zoloto/meditsinskoe-osobennosti
- https://zhazhdazolota.ru/vidy/meditsinskoe
- https://1nerudnyi.ru/meditsinskoe-zoloto-01/
- https://zolotoe-runo-sl.ru/dragocennye-kamni/med-zoloto.html
- https://www.lambre-ua.net/yuvelirnaya-bizhuteriya-iz-medicinskoy-stali-plyusy-i-minusy
- https://vplate.ru/zoloto/medicinskoe-chto-eto-takoe-i-kak-pochistit/
- https://wiki.Sunlight.net/vsyo-o-meditsinskom-zolote.html
- https://GoldMiddle.ru/na-zametku/med-zoloto.html
- https://pozolota.biz/a430891-meditsinskoe-zoloto-chem.html
- https://TokyoStreet.ru/dragocennye-kamni/medicinskij-metall.html
Where can you buy and sell medical alloy
It’s easy to decide on the purchase of medical gold. Products can be purchased at any jewelry store or alloy jewelry department. Online jewelry stores offer a wide range of jewelry. Moreover, you can buy a product on the Internet by first looking at its photo, familiarizing yourself with the prices and order conditions. Jewelry can be bought wholesale and retail, they can be delivered from a store or warehouse. Orders are delivered in different ways: courier delivery, transport company, Russian Post.
But with the sale of costume jewelry, things are not so easy. You can sell medical gold only at flea markets or private classifieds websites.
Even if the jewelry is gold-plated, pawn shops will give you a low price for it.
Gold jewelry from a pawnshop
Price range
The price of a piece of jewelry depends on several factors:
- alloy composition;
- share of gold, gilding;
- design;
- weight.
You can buy such jewelry for about 150 rubles for small stud earrings or 2 thousand for a necklace with stones. The cost also depends on the design and the presence of additional elements. Today the average, reasonable price is 500 rubles per product.
Tips for choosing jewelry
When planning the purchase of jewelry, it is worth considering some points to minimize the risk of purchasing a low-quality item:
- Costume jewelry does not have the usual gold standard, but it has its own marking. A conscientious manufacturer will indicate on the stamp the amount of impurities and the number of carats of gold plating, if any. Carats are designated by the letter K and a number. 375 standard - the lowest for gold - is marked 9K (British system) or 36K (Russian system). Anything containing fewer gold carats is a jewelry alloy.
- The decoration is accompanied by a tag indicating the manufacturer, his details, and alloy composition. If stones are present, then information about them.
How to properly care for and store copper alloy products
Jewelry will last much longer if you provide it with proper storage and care.
Cleaning methods using improvised means
If the product has darkened, lost its shine, or simply become dirty, you can clean it yourself. For these purposes, the usual available means are used:
- Natural chalk. You can simply rub a ring or earrings with a piece of chalk. Then remove the chalk with a clean damp cloth.
- A mixture of tooth powder, ammonia and water in proportions 15g/30g/50ml. Wet a soft cloth or sponge in the resulting solution and wipe the decoration with it.
- Beer or wine alcohol will gently remove dirt and make the product shiny.
- Vinegar. This substance, if you wipe the surface of the product with it, will return its shine.
- The soap solution will clean all dirt.
There is no need to use substances if you are not sure of their composition.
Soap solution for cleaning medical gold
Application for cleaning special equipment
There are special products used to clean copper alloy.
- Non-abrasive special products for cleaning metal. These are products that do not contain solid impurities, such as scrubs. Such substances contain ammonia, wax, and organic solvents. Sodium hyposulfite, Asidol and Jewelry pastes, and sprays are well suited. Price range: from 100 to 2 thousand rubles.
- Ultrasound machine. This is a special device that cleans things with ultrasound. It is enough to put a ring or earrings in the device for 2 minutes, and they will shine with purity and shine. Cleaning occurs even in hard-to-reach places, for example, where stones are located. You can buy such a device for an average of 5 thousand rubles.
- Have your jewelry cleaned by a professional. Jewelry stores often provide product cleaning services. They clean jewelry with special products or ultrasound. The average cost of cleaning one product: 100-200 rubles, polishing: up to 500 rubles.
Category: question-answer
What is the composition of ear piercing studs?
Expert opinion
Maltseva Amelia
Specialist Krasnodar
To pierce the ears, a special gun is used, into which a stud-earring is inserted. It is made of surgical steel and does not cause allergies, so the puncture site heals quickly.
What kind of coating does medical alloy jewelry have? Can I clean with vinegar or toothpaste?
Expert opinion
Andrey Seleznev
Chemist-technologist, Volgograd
Gold-plated medical alloy jewelry. Therefore, they need to be cleaned with the same means as gold. These should be soft, non-abrasive or special substances. Vinegar and toothpaste are not recommended.
Is it possible to wear gold and jewelry steel at the same time?
Expert opinion
Kibantseva Elena Anatolyevna
Allergist-immunologist, “Movement” clinic, Saratov
If a person is not allergic to the metal contained in gold jewelry, then it can be worn in combination with any jewelry. Such a neighborhood will not harm anything.
Does medical alloy turn black or not?
Expert opinion
Andrey Seleznev
Chemist-technologist, Volgograd
One of the advantages of copper alloy is that it does not darken or turn black. You can safely take water procedures with it.
Jeweler's comment
Molokanov N.M.
Jeweler, 26 years of experience in jewelry production.
According to jewelers, gold has always been valued for its high cost and presentability. Now that time has passed. Jewelry lovers give preference not to cost and status, but to design and uniqueness. For them, medical gold is a valuable find that allows them to save money and show aesthetic taste.
