The contrast between the true colour of the gold with the bright Rhodium will make the gold look sickly. It is a by-product of Platinum mining and, therefore, is priced depending on availability. Rhodium is an incredibly rare and precious metal, which can cost ten times as much as gold if not more!
But it can also cost the environment dearly. This is a phrase high street jewellers are very fond of as it conjures images of your jewellery being dipped into a vat of liquid glistening and bright white metal. While your piece of jewellery is dipped into a liquid, this liquid is actually a heated tank of Rhodium sulphate, sulphuric acid and water. An electric current is run through the jewellery, which acts as a cathode or negative electrode so that the rhodium particles are attracted to it, forming a permanent bond between the metals.
The resulting effect is a micron-thick coating on the outside of the jewellery. Does this not raise the question of whether the base metal needs to be gold in the first place? When the solution is finished with, it then needs to be disposed of which raises obvious environmental issues. Do you really want to part with it as a regular occurrence while a jeweller re-plates it for you?
It is not a quick process as the piece of jewellery has to be scrupulously cleaned and re-polished beforehand. A worn piece of jewellery will be grubby and so will not plate well. It must be considered that every time jewellery is polished, you will lose metal. To polish metal is essentially to scratch the hell out of it, thus wearing away the surface and gradually thinning it out.
The plating on rings will wear really quickly but pendants and earrings will take a lot longer as they are not battered on a day to day basis with general wear and tear. Before opting for Rhodium plated white gold, you do need to think carefully about whether you are willing to take your jewellery in to be re-polished and plated on a regular basis for it to be looking its best.
I worked with the different natural colours of gold in this commission to achieve a sunset graduation effect in this mixed metal wedding ring. The 14ct white gold layer taken from an existing ring bought in Mexico sits in the centre of the blue-white toned silver layer above and the yellow gold stripe below, acting as a mediator between the two opposing colours.
In its original incarnation, the 14ct ring was Rhodium plated but this had worn away and formed the starting point for this remodelled design. These wedding rings are made from 18ct white and rose gold, with no rhodium on the white gold.
The warm tones of both metals complement each other perfectly. In my opinion, white gold should be left in its natural state. I think the consumer should be given the choice to plate it and they should most definitely have the opportunity to see it in its natural form without the plating. Who knows, more people might learn to love the warmer, darker colours of un-plated white gold like I do! Leaving white gold au naturel would give more of a rainbow choice of white precious metals when it comes to bespoke jewellery.
Clients can select which metal suits their skin tone; the colour of any stones included in the design, and of course, their budget. I believe that everyone should have the option to make their own decisions on plating rather than it being thrust on them as a matter of course.
There is simply not enough education available to general public on the high street and it frustrates me that so many people are left feeling negatively towards the jewellery industry. They may feel they have been deceived when the plating on their jewellery starts to wear and the true colour of the metal is slowly revealed.
To truly drive home my point, here are four gorgeous white gold rings without Rhodium plating by some of my favourite jewellery designers:. How utterly scrumptious is this chocolate diamond solitaire by Mirri Damer?
The warm, cognac toned brown of the diamond compliments the gunmetal hue of the 18ct white gold beautifully. The soft texture Mirri works into the surface of the metal emphasises the warm tone of the gold and compliments the diamond exquisitely. What I like about this mixed metal wedding ring by leading contemporary German jewellery brand, Niessing , is how the mix of white gold and Platinum demonstrates the different colour tones so well.
This highly textured wedding band by Karen Karch shows off the natural colour of white gold so well because of its width.
I love how she uses texture for an honest hand-hewn finish rather than trying to achieve a machine like finish; it almost looks soft and malleable. American brand, Greenwich Jewelers , have utilised the natural colour of white gold beautifully to contrast the intriguingly shaped diamond in the centre of the design. The invisibly set diamonds in the shoulder of the ring stand out as well because of this contrast in tone.
If the ring was Rhodium plated, they would all but disappear into a sea of icy white metal. Every design tells a story. Discover beautiful bespoke designs and get inspiration for your next timeless piece of jewellery. Toto too O. Nov 21, It is a bit darker, looks more grey.
It's a personal preference thing, we do sell palladium rings in our store, but white gold is still more popular and has better resale value. I would suggest comparing a white gold ring to a palladium ring to see if you like it.
Palladium is a different color, it looks a tad darker, more grey. It's a personal preference thing. Wow, just saw how old this thread is! And I didn't mean to post twice, sorry! Mar 31, 4, 4, Interesting thread. Thank you for the information on palladium! As for platinum, it develops a patina over time and can be re-polished. My jeweler re-plates in rhodium for free. You must log in or register to reply here. Register on TPF! This sidebar then disappears and there are less ads!
Because rhodium is very rare and expensive, plating is somewhat costly. The issue many people have with rhodium plating is that it is an ongoing cost that adds up significantly over time. However, note that there are always maintenance costs involved regardless of the metal you choose.
Even platinum tends to acquire scratches and scuff marks and requires periodic polishing. For more information, check out our article on white gold vs platinum , which details the issues of plating and polishing. James Allen offers free periodic rhodium plating.
See this ring here. Another solution is to purchase from a jeweler that provides free rhodium plating maintenance. Some reputable retailers, such as James Allen , offer a lifetime warranty that covers periodic rhodium plating services whenever needed, which can reduce your ongoing cost of re-plating. All white gold rings are rhodium plated because that is not the natural color of the piece.
As mentioned above, white gold in its original form is yellowish. Even so, it is a legal requirement that the retailer discloses whether your piece of jewelry has been rhodium plated or not. Quick Navigation What is rhodium? Why should I rhodium plate my jewelry? How thick should the rhodium plating be? Can I rhodium plate a yellow gold piece? Should I rhodium plate sterling silver? Is rhodium plated jewelry safe to wear? What is the process of rhodium plating?
How long does rhodium plating last? Will rhodium plating affect gemstones? It will not look like rhodium plated white gold. Palladium White Gold jewelry is a wonderful option for those sensitive to nickel. Using Palladium in white gold instead of nickel will leave you with jewelry that needs far less maintenance and ensures that your treasured piece stays the same beautiful color as the day you first you first laid your eyes on it.
Jewelry design is my absolute passion and brings me great joy. I make all my designs to order, whether it be creating intricate designs or bold statement pieces - you can rest assured that the finer details will receive my dedicated attention. All of the jewelry presented in my collections can be made in Palladium White Gold. I choose to work with Palladium White Gold because I strongly believe in providing heirloom jewelry that can be treasured and passed down to each new generation.
However, I can provide rhodium plating should you want your ring to match your existing Traditional White Gold jewelry. Please contact me to discuss your needs! Birthstone Jewelry. Ready to Ship Try At Home. Our Story Meet Alysha Blog. Search 0 Cart. Search our collections.
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