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Gold has been electrodeposited from simple solutions for nearly 150 years
for decorative purposes and was considered as being a "black art".
With the advent of the aerospace industry, a requirement was created for thicker
and harder gold deposits. A new generation of gold plating solutions was developed and the resulting deposits became known
as "Hard Gold Plating" (HGP).
HGP is now extensively used within both the aerospace and electronics industry
where low-pressure clean contacts are essential. The ability to deposit thick coatings has been extended to functional and
decorative items. Examples are bathroom and plumbing fittings, interior design components for palaces, cars, yachts and privately
owned aircraft.
Industrial applications for pure (24ct) gold electroforming include sputtering
targets, accurately dimensioned inert tubes, prostheses, electron microscope gratings and various components for both the
electronics and aerospace industries.
Of the many decorative gold electroformed items produced to date the most
famous is the coronet produced by BJS for the investiture of HRH The Prince of Wales. | 
