Where to get jewelry rhodium dipped

Rhodium plating is often added onto white gold or silver jewelry — and engagement and wedding bands in particular — to increase shine, luster and durability. Rhodium plating will also make the metal more scratch resistant and, when used on silver jewelry, less prone to tarnishing. Nickel allergy is increasing across the population, so it makes sense to choose your metals wisely. This means it will wear off over time how long depends on how much wear and tear the jewelry takes and you will need to have the piece re-plated periodically.

How long will the rhodium plating last? First, it depends on the item is it a ring that suffers a great deal of wear? Or a pin or broach which receives almost no contact? But the life of the plating also relies on two other very important and controllable factors —. How good is the quality of the plating? Good quality plating done by a reputable jewelry store is always better than having your rings dipped in a chain store with cross-contaminated rhodium.

What color is the underlying gold? If the white gold underlying the rhodium plating is a nice acceptable color, it will be less noticeable as the plating begins to wear thin in spots, so you can go a long time between replating.

Rhodium actually holds the distinction of being the most expensive metal in the world! The appeal of this metal in the jewelry world is that it is highly reflective, and it is non-reactive won't cause an allergic reaction. Rhodium was discovered in in platinum ore by William Wollaston.

It is only found in trace amounts within platinum or nickle ore. I mentioned it was rare - only about 20 tons per year are mined. Why is rhodium used in jewelry? Almost all white gold jewelry has been rhodium plated. The rhodium process is typically completed while you wait for a reasonable fee.

If your white gold jewelry was purchased with Jewelry Designs, this service is free for the first two years and discounted thereafter. Before plating, your consultant will inspect your jewelry to be sure it does not have any loose stones or require additional repair. Once it has been determined it is safe to proceed, a jeweler will give it a thorough clean to prepare it for the rhodium process.

Rhodium is safely applied to your white gold jewelry surface through electroplating, returning it to bright white. Depending on how much wear and tear your jewelry experiences, you may want to re-plate every 3 to 6 months. Rings and bracelets worn daily will need to be re-rhodiumed far more frequently than pendants and earring that do not get knocked around. Until the resurgence of white gold as the metal of choice, most consumers had little knowledge of rhodium plating or its use in fine jewelry.