Rhodium is part of the platinum family of precious metals, and is 10 to 25 times more expensive than gold. This silver-coloured, highly reflective metal is tarnish proof, corrosion proof and very durable — however, although rhodium is harder than gold, it can actually crack when formed into jewellery. That, in addition to its rarity, is why you never see pure rhodium rings. What rhodium is great for is enhancing white gold, platinum, and silver jewellery.
Benefits of rhodium plating
Applying an extremely fine layer of rhodium plating to your jewellery makes it much shinier and more resistant to scratching. It’s hypoallergenic, which means it’s safe for everyone. In fact, rhodium can even be used to plate a piece of jewelry that you have an allergic reaction to, making it possible to wear without a rash. Rhodium plating is sometimes applied to yellow gold, to create the illusion of white gold. However, due to natural wear the original yellow colour will eventually show through again.
That brings us to the downside of rhodium plating; it’s not permanent. Rhodium plating will inevitably wear off sooner or later, through normal daily wear. Even your unique body chemistry can potentially affect its longevity. Because of this, your rhodium plated jewellery will need to be re-plated every 6-12 months to maintain its lustre.
How do I keep it looking good?
There are a few simple steps you can take to protect your rhodium plated jewellery:
- Remove rings when washing your hands, showering, or swimming, especially in chlorinated pools
- Wear rubber gloves when washing dishes or handling any chemicals
- Avoid letting perfumes, hand lotions or cosmetics get onto your jewellery
How do I get my jewellery rhodium-plated?
Many of our white metal rings are already rhodium plated during the manufacturing process, ensuring that they look amazing from day one. When the time comes to restore that original shine, replating will cost between $70 and $100 per ring. Between replatings, we invite you to bring your ring back in for a free cleaning in our ultrasonic bath at any time. This lifetime offer applies to all of our rings .