Unmounted Gold and Platinum Records

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We use heavy gold vinyl records for some applications. We also offer them for sale as bulk unframed gold and silver colored records in 3", 7", 10" and 12" sizes. Pre-cut labels are available that you can print yourself. We press our 3" gold records in both rigid and flexi versions, and the 3" flexies are adhesive backed. Since they're very thin vinyl, like a heavy bumper sticker, they can follow curved surfaces.

Manufacturing Methods for Gold Records

There are several variations of manufacture for gold colored records. The metal "mother" or "father", which is the mastering disc, or the derivative stamper from them, each electroformed in solid metallic nickel, is sometimes used for a platinum colored award plaque or wet electroplated for a gold colored record award plaque. Solid gold is not used, in fact very rarely are precious metals used at all. The standard method used for vinyl records is vacuum metallization, in which they are aluminized in a vacuum chamber and then lacquered for a gold colored record award or left silver for a platinum colored record award.

Some of the best looking gold and platinum colored records are laminated vinyl with prior metallized polymer film. These are the sort of vinyl gold records we prefer. Reflectivity is much greater, especially off-axis (seen from the side), eliminating the chalky quality that top-coat tinted aluminization often displays. Photography and broadcast applications look much better.

We also press our own mirror gold colored records similar to what Evatone once did, except that we use metal to optimize the appearance instead of vinyl to optimize the sound. Music is still pressed in the grooves, since the modulation in the trace can be seen and needs to be there for the gold record or platinum record to look right.