Rhodium plating of gold jewelry is the application of a thin layer of rhodium to the surface of the metal. This allows the product to acquire a special shine, improve its original quality and characteristics, which will help to be more resistant to external irritants. The metal itself has a special light shade and metallic luster, which, at first glance, is very similar to silver. The use of rhodium-plated coating has become relevant because the material is resistant to corrosion and has high strength. Jewelers who deal with rhodium plating gold are ready to tell you what it is in this article.
What is it and what is it used for
Rhodium plating of gold (not to be confused with radiating) is the application of a thin layer of sputtering from another precious metal to a product. The substance used for this manipulation is rhodium. This is a noble precious metal of the platinum group, inert and hard. Another advantage is its high reflectivity, thanks to which it shines brightly.
This substance was discovered relatively recently - in 1803. Its content in nature is extremely low. No more than 30 tons of rhodium are mined annually around the world. The metal has a high cost, but at the same time the demand for it is growing every year, as new ways of using it appear.
Platinoids
Platinoids are the names of 6 metals that are part of a single platinum group. Its composition includes palladium, ruthenium, rhodium, iridium, platinum, osmium. They all have similar chemical and physical properties, and are often found in the same natural deposits.
Today, each of the metals in this group is used to a greater or lesser extent in the production of jewelry. Previously, they were used in ancient Russia to produce coins. In the 1970s, these metals were used in the production of automobiles.
Types of rhodium plating
Rhodium plating is used to achieve several purposes: the formation of a hard wear-resistant layer, the elimination of blackness in silver jewelry that occurs during the oxidation of silver, giving the product shine, and decorating inserts made of precious stones.
Standard
With standard rhodium plating, jewelry acquires a silver color with a cool, bright shine. Due to its hardness, rhodium perfectly protects soft precious metals from minor damage and scratches, preventing wear. The product remains attractive for a long time and looks new.
Black
Black rhodium plating, while maintaining its protective benefits, can give the decoration the noble blackness of an expensive antique item. The coating can range from pale gray to jet black. Such items inlaid with black pearls or black stones look amazing.
The effect is achieved by changing the chemical composition used in the rhodium plating of gold, as a result of which a layer of black rhodium oxide is formed on the surface of the product.
What color is rhodium
Rh precious metal has white, black, yellow or pink color, which makes it possible to add unusual shades to jewelry. White rhodium plating is considered common, as it protects and highlights the shimmer of cubic zirconia, diamonds, and other transparent stones. Coating precious trinkets with a layer of rhodium, which have small stones as decoration, allows them to shimmer and combine with gold of various colors.
Gold rings coated with black rhodium plated and trimmed with dark diamonds look beautiful, rich, and sophisticated. Such a technological process is accessible to few and is quite labor-intensive, which significantly increases the cost of such jewelry.
Rhodium plating technology
The process is carried out by electrolysis. Thoroughly cleaned jewelry is placed in special solutions and an electric current is passed through them. With this treatment, rhodium molecules are embedded in the top layer of another metal, forming a uniform, durable coating no more than 25 micrometers thick, which is 4 times thinner than a human hair.
White gold
When rhodium plating items made of white gold and silver, a layer of rhodium is usually applied to the entire surface of the item. This is due to the color of the base alloy - when the rhodium is erased, the damage will not be too noticeable, since the item itself is similar in color to the shade of the coating.
Red and yellow gold
Despite the same process technology, objects made of non-ferrous gold alloys are not sprayed over the entire surface, since over time the non-ferrous metal will begin to bleed through the rhodium, creating a sloppy effect and disrupting the aesthetics of the item. In products made from such alloys, the beds of precious stones are coated with rhodium. Due to the high reflectivity of this substance, the stones shine especially brightly.
Category: question-answer
Doesn't rhodium plating make gold cheaper?
Expert opinion
Pribrezhny Gennady Valentinovich
Jeweler 6th category
Rhodium is more than 10 times more expensive than gold. Therefore, a product coated with this metal is only more expensive.
How much does rhodium treatment cost in Moscow very urgently?
Expert opinion
Grishanov Mikhail Petrovich
Jeweler, director of the Grishanov and Co. workshop
If the rhodium layer is applied for the first time, it costs several hundred rubles. Replating a white gold ring in Moscow or Chelyabinsk costs up to several thousand rubles. The cost varies depending on the area covered or the weight of the jewelry. If rhodium plating is urgently needed, this also affects the price.
How often should the rhodium procedure be repeated?
Expert opinion
Pribrezhny Gennady Valentinovich
Jeweler 6th category
The re-spraying procedure is carried out differently for different products. It depends on the conditions under which the jewelry is worn and stored. The gold standard has a certain influence on the duration of preservation of the layer; for non-ferrous types of metal it is shorter. The coating of chains and pendants is renewed once every year and a half, this depends on the thickness of the layer. The coating on rings lasts up to 3 years, and on earrings and brooches - up to 7-10 years.
Rhodium-plated gold
Why is white gold plated with rhodium?
Expert opinion
Grishanov Mikhail Petrovich
Jeweler, director of the Grishanov and Co. workshop
White gold has a characteristic yellowish tint. When rhodium plating is carried out, it acquires a perfect white color.
Properties of rhodium-plated gold
Regardless of the color and grade, gold plated with rhodium acquires a silver-steel color and a bright shine. Due to the hardness of the protective layer, you can wear such things for much longer. At the same time, inertness to some oxidizing agents increases.
Expert opinion
Vsevolod Kozlovsky
6 years in jewelry making. Knows everything about samples and can identify a fake in 12 seconds
People who are allergic to gold can easily wear such jewelry.
Cost of the procedure
Much depends on the method the jeweler uses for manipulation. Rhodium plating is offered in almost all jewelry workshops, and the indicated prices and the formation of the cost itself vary greatly: in some shops the weight of the product is taken as a basis, in others - the coverage area.
On average, a ring or chain can be plated with rhodium for about 300 rubles. However, prices for updating or restoring such coverage are usually 3-4 times higher than the initial procedure.
Pros and cons of rhodium plating
The obvious advantage is strengthening the surface layer of the metal, increasing service life due to increased resistance to scratches and damage. Many people find such jewelry more beautiful and sophisticated than jewelry made from conventional metals.
If you have a rhodium-plated piece of jewelry in front of you, then it is impossible to visually determine what gold or even what metal it is made of. I am inclined to classify this feature as a disadvantage.
Another negative side is that such coverage does not last forever. It wears off and may be damaged or scratched. If the procedure is performed poorly, the rhodium layer peels off from the surface of the product. And even a perfectly performed rhodium plating will require periodic repeat procedures, for which you will have to pay each time.
Rhodium plating of jewelry. Why is jewelry plated with rhodium?
Rhodium plating of jewelry is a galvanic process that involves coating jewelry with a layer of rhodium. This procedure allows you to refine the jewelry, remove the yellowness characteristic of the white gold alloy, protect silver from tarnishing, and also improve the protective, anti-corrosion and reflective properties of the product. What is rhodium plating and why has it become one of the most popular processes in modern electroplating?
How to care for rhodium-plated gold
Such jewelry does not require exceptional care. In order for the coating to last for a long time, it is enough to remove the jewelry before visiting the shower or swimming pool, or performing household work related to water.
Do not use cleaning products on rhodium-plated jewelry. In jewelry stores, you can purchase special wipes soaked in cleaning and polishing agent for these purposes.
Contact a specialist in a timely manner to renew the coating so that your jewelry looks elegant and fresh.
Also watch the video on the topic below:
All cons
The coating can be applied to any product, but its main disadvantage can be considered the price. Gold plating is also applied to lower value jewelry, but it is not as expensive as rhodium. And gilding increases the anti-corrosion properties of the metal.
In addition to the cost, another disadvantage of the coating is that both gold plating and rhodium wear off during wear. The following factors can contribute to erasure:
- non-compliance with wearing rules;
- high humidity;
- contact with chemical reagents;
- violation of storage rules.
Any metal is not eternal. Over the years, the coating wears off and the appearance of the decoration changes. If the product is not removed before visiting the shower, gym or swimming pool, its wearing life will be shortened.
Humidity is another reason why the coating will deteriorate, which is why it is worth removing jewelry before cleaning and going into the bath or shower. It is not recommended to wear jewelry to the bathhouse.
Reagents, even ordinary soda, can negatively affect the coating. They destroy it, the reaction continues even after the product has been removed and placed in the case. Therefore, before doing housework, you should take off your jewelry and put it in a box.
Gold Rhodium Plating Process
It is best to store jewelry in a case; it is also necessary to wipe the jewelry every day with a special napkin. If you don’t have a napkin, you can use suede.
Reviews
Maria: My husband gave me rhodium-plated earrings. I love them very much and wear them almost constantly. I am allergic to gold jewelry, but such jewelry does not cause any negative effects. True, it's time to update the spraying.
Svetlana: I bought myself a ring made of white rhodium-plated gold, but, unfortunately, not everyone is familiar with this method of processing products. Many people mistake this thing for jewelry, which I personally don’t like very much.
Olga: I received such a thing as a gift, but I wear it reluctantly. Although the metal is gold and really has a bright shine, its shine seems dead to me.
The effect of rhodium plating on jewelry. What does rhodium plating on gold mean?
Gold is coated with a rhodium film for aesthetic reasons, as well as to give the products special properties.
Rhodium-plated yellow gold takes on a distinctive appearance, comparable to that of white gold. Moreover, the coating is applied to the base metal of any standard, starting from 585. Regardless of the original color of the noble metal - yellowish or reddish, it becomes shining with a silver-steel tint. White gold, which has a characteristic yellowish tint, acquires a perfect white color after being plated with rhodium.
Rhodium plating of jewelry
The shiny appearance of the surface with a particularly durable coating distinguishes it in appearance from the characteristics of jewelry made in the traditional way. This option for processing rings, earrings, rings, chains, and bracelets is gaining its fans. Gold rhodium plating enhances the brilliance and beauty of precious stones.
Placing rhodium on the base of a white or clear stone, such as a diamond, visually increases its size. In addition to design properties, products acquire qualities that increase their safety for a long time.
Purposes of rhodium plating gold
By applying rhodium plating, the surface of jewelry becomes durable and not subject to deformation, scratches or small cracks. Similarly with silver: rhodium-plated products are protected from oxidation and the appearance of a characteristic black coating, retain their shine, and do not tarnish.
The main areas of use of rhodium plating:
- giving a certain shade to jewelry;
- processing of places where precious stones or other design elements are inserted;
- The technological feature of the coating is the strengthening of the fastener, which is most susceptible to deformation and wear.
