What Is Gold Flashed Brass?

Bonding

• "Gold flashed brass" is a brass object that has been "bathed" in a solution of gold to create a very thin outer coating. Often, the gold bonding process is done for certain wire connections in electronic devices. Silver and platinum are used in many of these connections as well. Brass flashing, however, is used only for decorative purposes. The thickness of the gold layer in any process of bonding is important for two reasons: The thicker the layer, the more gold is involved, and the thicker the layer of gold, the more durable the item.

Process

• The process of electroplating and flashing are the same. In simple terms, the brass object is negatively charged. This is then placed in a “bath” of gold liquid that has been charged positively. The two then bond together. This sort of process lies at the root of the “gold overlay”/“gold flashed” distinction. The Federal Trade Commission, therefore, will forbid a merchant to call his gold-brass products “flashed” or “washed” if that layer of gold is less than .25 microns thick.

Bond Versus Bath

• The FTC has laid out standards for the use of these phrases and related ones like “gold overlay.” Jewelers were using these interchangeably, confusing consumers and, in fact, committing fraud in the process. The differences lie both in the process of the bond as well as the thickness of the layer of gold. Since the layer itself can be micro-thin, it may last only a short time, especially if there are many impurities in the gold “bath.”

"Gold Filled"

• The basic definitions are that “gold filled” and “gold overlay” are very different from “electroplating” and “flashing.” The former refers to a mechanical bond of gold to a base metal like nickel. The minimum gold quality is 10 karat always. For gold of lesser quality, the word “gold” cannot be used.

Flashing

• The process of “flashing” is similar to electroplating, except that the thickness of the layer is far less in the latter than the former. The layer of electroplate has to be at least .175 microns thick. A “flashed gold” finish on an object must be at least .25 microns thick. Under certain circumstances, if the gold layer is under a certain amount, most often 1/20th of the total weight of the object, that must be stated on the object.