Here we outline the 10 things you need to know about rhodium plating before you buy. Quick Navigation. First things first, rhodium is a rare and precious element that can be 10 to 25 times more expensive than gold. Rhodium is a member of the platinum group of metals and is silver-hued, highly reflective and does not tarnish or corrode. It is harder than gold and is highly durable. However, rhodium is a very brittle metal and is not easily shaped or formed.
As a result, pure rhodium cannot be made into jewelry. On its own it can easily crack and break somewhat like glass. But when used to plate other jewelry, rhodium enhances the durability of the metal. Rhodium plating on sterling silver by Delarah. See more here. Rhodium plating, also known as rhodium dip or rhodium flashing, is used to increase the durability, luster and light reflection of a piece of jewelry.
Because it is a hard metal, a rhodium plated piece of jewelry will be more scratch resistant. Rhodium plating is mainly used on silver-hued metals, such as white gold, palladium or silver. Most rhodium plating has a thickness of. The ideal thickness for rhodium plating is. Although this may sound extremely thin, it is considered thick enough for rings and other jewelry items that are exposed to rough wear. For jewelry items such as earrings and pendants that are more sheltered or for jewelry that is not worn frequently, a thickness of.
If, however, rhodium plating is too thin, it can cause the jewelry to become discolored. Jewelers have to ensure that they plate the jewelry with the ideal thickness. Rhodium plating can be used on yellow gold to change its color to white. However, bear in mind that as the plating starts to wear off, the yellow color will start to bleed through. This will result in a piece of jewelry that looks discolored or yellow-tinted. To avoid that, the piece may require re-plating more frequently.
Sterling silver is a white metal and does not need rhodium plating to acquire its color. However, it tends to tarnish over time. To prevent this, rhodium plating silver jewelry will ensure that the piece is highly lustrous and remains tarnish-free for a long time. Over time, as the plating wears off, the white of the silver will come through, but will not be noticeable like gold. Those exposed sections may acquire some tarnish but this can easily be polished at home.
Rhodium is very rare as it is never found as a single mineral. Rather, it is cultivated in very small quantities within nickel and platinum ores. The production rate of the metal globally is roughly 30 tons yearly, which is actually very small compared to other metals. Copper, for example, is produced at a rate of 20 million metric tons per year. Aluminum comes in at 63 million metric tons. Combine this scarcity with the huge demand for rhodium and its high-shine appearance, and you can see why rhodium is the world's most expensive precious metal.
In fact, it beats out both gold and silver by a huge margin. Rhodium has been used as a coating for jewelry and silverware since the s. It was also used as a plating for cigarette lighters and writing instruments during that time. One of the many companies that used rhodium plating was the Ronson Lighter Company, which produced many art-deco style items in the 30s. Today, your search for the best jewelry piece is guided by several elements of the jewelry and on top of that list is whether the piece will react with your skin or not.
With most of us suffering the effect of the nickel allergies from jewelry, having a non-reactive piece of jewelry is a welcome relief. Rhodium is non-reactive, making rhodium-plated jewelry safe to wear as jewelry. In rhodium-plating, the layer of rhodium applied to sterling silver is quite thin, actually microscopic.
Re-plating is expensive, and it must be done by a professional. Also, the re-plating process takes a bit of time since the old rhodium layer has to be removed before a new coat is applied.
Rhodium-plated sterling silver will not tarnish, hence little to no need for polishing — note that is the plating thins and starts to wear off when polished, it means that you are not dealing with a rhodium-plating. Fading plating on sterling silver is flash plating, and it involves the use of pure silver. Plain sterling silver, on the other hand, tarnishes and requires polishing.
Sterling silver is cheaper than the rhodium-plated sterling silver piece. Which is why most people contemplating between the rhodium-plated and the bare sterling silver would rather settle for stainless steel. Plating with rhodium might increase the price of the sterling silver, but the price difference between the plated and bare is not big.
Rhodium-plated sterling silver has a high resale value, although this value is lower than that of while pure sterling silver which has a higher resale value. If you are looking for sterling silver that will last long without losing its luster or tarnishing, a rhodium-plated sterling silver could be the best alternative for you.
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