Things To Know About Rhodium Plated Jewelry And White Gold

Rhodium is a precious metal that is very rare, prized for its beautiful reflective surface, extreme hardness, and durability. Rhodium plating is a method of coating jewelry with a thin layer of rhodium. Using rhodium plating to gold and silver creates a high-shine that is resistant to scratches. It is a popular choice for jewelry, as the color of rhodium is similar to white gold, but without the yellow hue.

Rhodium plating used to plate white gold can make jewelry more durable and rhodium can also make you white gold or platinum resistant to wear and tear. It can also be used to make jewelry hypoallergenic. Let's explore some things and learn more about rhodium plating and the properties of rhodium, why jewelry is rhodium plated, if all white gold needs to be rhodium plated, as well as rhodium as an expensive metal and how long it lasts.

What Is Rhodium And What Are The Benefits Of Rhodium?

Rhodium was discovered in 1803 by William Hyde Wollaston, who was a physicist and chemist from England. Rhodium is found in platinum or nickel ores with the other members of the platinum family group. Rhodium is a rare, silvery-white metal that is mined from the earth.

Rhodium is one of the rarest and most expensive metals on the market today. Pure rhodium is a popular choice for plating jewelry due to it being harder than gold, durable, corrosion-resistant, resistant to scratches, and has a high reflectance.

What Is Rhodium Plating And What Is The Process Of Rhodium Plating?

In the jewelry industry, the term rhodium plating is a process that involves electro-plating jewelry with a thin layer of this beautiful, durable finish. The benefits of rhodium plating are that it's used to add a brilliant white shine and luster to jewelry. Rhodium helps protect it from losing its white appearance when used as plating. The rhodium plating process is usually done with an electric current in an electroplating process. This requires special equipment. A thin rhodium layer is applied over gold or silver in an electroplate fashion.

What Color Is Rhodium?

The color of rhodium is a brilliant, silvery-white shade. Used in jewelry, it is not affected by heat or moisture and is very resistant to tarnish. Rhodium also has a high reflectivity. This makes it sparkle and shine even more for a wgite gold or silver finish. Protect your jewelry with rhodium as it can also make your white gold piece last longer with its protective coating.

Why Is Jewelry Rhodium Plated?

Jewelry is often rhodium plated for a number of reasons. Rhodium plating is used to keep your white gold and silver jewelry looking beautiful and new. It helps it to resist tarnishing, provides a long-lasting shine, and aids to protect it from scratches and wear. It also helps to give the jewelry a unique look and feel. It provides you with a bright white look.

Does All White Gold Need Rhodium Plating?

In our opinion, yes! All gold that is white needs to be rhodium plated. Yellow gold, has a natural yellow color, however gold that is white is not bright white in color. It cannot be mined naturally. It cannot be mined out of the ground because it does not exist in nature. White gold is an alloyed metal created in the 19th century to emulate platinum. It became commercially available to consumers around 1912. It was developed in Germany as a more cost-effective alternative.

White gold is created by using pure gold that is mixed with an alloy of palladium, sterling silver, or nickel. After it has been alloyed, it is no longer yellow. It is closer to a white color, but not completely white. It still has a yellowish tint. Even though white gold is not naturally "white,” this is solved by being rhodium-plated in their final polishing process.

The rhodium finish gives it that bright white and shiny look. Rhodium electroplating is necessary to give it a shiny and bright white finish, with a more durable surface that is resistant to being marked. Without a rhodium finish or referred to as gold plating, it will have a yellowish appearance.

As your jewelry is exposed to real-world conditions and daily wear, they can both lose their luster over time. A rhodium finish can wear down or wear off over time. A professional jeweler with the proper equipment can refinish your jewelry and reapply the rhodium finish.

Is Rhodium Jewelry Hypoallergenic?

Yes, rhodium is hypoallergenic like platinum because it is in the platinum group of metals. Rhodium plating can also make your jewelry safe to wear, for certain individuals with allergies, as it will not cause any allergic reactions. It is also commonly used in medical and dental applications. Any jewelry like white gold rings or silver pieces plated with rhodium is generally okay to wear even for those with sensitive skin. Just keep in mind when rhodium plating wears off, re-plating is a must to prevent any allergic reactions a wearer may have.

Is Rhodium Expensive? What Is The Cost of Rhodium?

Rhodium holds the record for being the world's most expensive precious metal, although it is well worth the cost when it comes to jewelry. Currently, the price of rhodium is approximately $6000 an ounce. Recently, the cost of rhodium spiked up to roughly $26,000 an ounce back in 2021.

How Long Does Rhodium Plating Last?

A coating of rhodium is known to last for a long time – up to many years. However, when applied to a piece of jewelry, even rhodium can wear off over time and then the original color of the base will shine through. The longevity of the plating really depends on the application process as well as what wear and tear the plated item is subjected to. The quality of the rhodium solution your jeweler uses and thicker plating, make the plating better and make it last longer.

The longevity of a rhodium finish can also vary based on the item that was plated. As an example, rhodium jewelry plating wears down faster on the shank of a ring, which is the bottom half towards the palm of your hand. This will typically get more use and come in contact more often with other materials, causing the plating to wear down a bit faster than other areas of the ring.

Rings plated with rhodium plating usually last from 6 months to a year before it needs to be re-plated. Longer or shorter time frames depend on what is the type of jewelry, how often it is worn and what it gets exposed to. Rhodium on earrings or a pendant may last a lot longer than rhodium on a gold ring or bracelet. Earrings and pendants don't have as much abrasion or exposure to harsh activity throughout the day. Normal daily activities such as grabbing and picking things up can have an effect over time on your jewelry surfaces. It is essential to take proper care of your jewelry. Keep it out of prolonged contact with harsh chemicals, especially if the plating is not of high quality.

Final Thoughts On Rhodium Plated Jewelry

Rhodium is incredibly rare and expensive and comes from the platinum metal family. Rhodium plating is a process that adds a protective layer over white gold jewelry. It can also be applied on certain parts of a yellow-gold piece of jewelry to give a two-tone effect. It helps to protect your jewelry by resisting tarnishing and dents/markings. Not only does rhodium plating provide a beautiful shine to jewelry, but it is also incredibly durable, long-lasting, and protective.

Come to Ziamond for all your fine jewelry pieces. All Ziamond 14K and 18K white gold jewelry has a high-quality rhodium finish that is both beautiful and affordable. Ziamond manufactures all its lab grown diamond alternative cubic zirconia and man-made gemstones and jewelry. You can be assured that if your Ziamond jewelry needs to have its rhodium finish reapplied, we can do it. Reach out to our service department for post-purchase services like professional cleaning and polishing, as well as jewelry repair services. For further assistance, please contact us directly at 866-942-6663, option 2 to speak with a knowledgeable representative.