Metals and Imitation Gold

Base Metal of Imitation Gold
A nonprecious metal such as copper, iron, nickel and zinc.

Gold Electroplating
A quick and inexpensive way to make base metal look like gold. The object is dipped in a gold plating solutions and then an electrical current is used to coat the object with a thin layer of gold. The thickness of the gold depends upon the amount and duration of the current. For an item to be called gold electroplate in the US, the gold layer must be at least 7/1,000,000 of an inch thick. If the layer is thinner, then the item is described as gold flashed or gold washed.