Ever wondered why some jewellery has that extra sparkle or looks pristine even after years? The secret might just be rhodium plating. This popular technique involves coating jewellery with a thin layer of rhodium—a rare, shiny metal from the platinum family.
Rhodium-plated jewellery has a beautiful, mirror-like finish and is more resistant to tarnish and scratches. If you’re looking to keep your white gold or silver pieces looking brand-new, rhodium plating could be the answer. Let’s dive into what rhodium plating is all about and why it’s become so popular for both gold and silver jewellery.
What colour is rhodium plating?
The colour of rhodium plating is one of the main reasons people love it. Rhodium has a stunning, silvery-white finish that’s much brighter and shinier than most other metals. This brilliant white colour is why rhodium plating is especially popular for white gold jewellery—it can give pieces a fresh, high-end look that’s way more vibrant than unplated white gold, which tends to have a subtle yellowish tint. Rhodium’s reflective, glossy surface makes jewellery look polished and sophisticated, making it perfect for both everyday wear and special occasions.
What are the benefits?
The benefits of rhodium plating are ideal for anyone who wants their jewellery to stay beautiful and low-maintenance.
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Brilliant Finish: The high-shine, mirror-like finish that rhodium plating gives is ideal for anyone seeking a luxury look. This bright surface keeps jewellery looking vibrant, fresh, and high-end.
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Tarnish Resistance: Rhodium doesn’t tarnish as it creates a protective layer that keeps metals from developing a dull look over time. This is especially helpful for silver jewellery.
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Scratch Resistance: Rhodium is a hard metal, which adds some scratch resistance to your jewellery, helping it stay smooth and shiny even with regular wear.
- Hypoallergenic: Rhodium is naturally hypoallergenic, so plating can prevent skin irritation, especially for those sensitive to metals like nickel.
Rhodium-plated gold and silver
Rhodium plating is especially popular on white gold and silver jewellery. When applied to white gold, rhodium plating creates a brilliant white finish, adding a more vibrant appearance than unplated white gold, which has a natural yellowish tint due to its gold content. By adding rhodium, jewellers can achieve a pure white tone that’s both modern and luxurious, making rhodium-plated white gold highly desirable.
For silver jewellery, rhodium plating prevents tarnish, a common issue due to silver's reactivity with sulphur in the air. Rhodium-plated silver jewellery retains its brightness longer, requiring less maintenance to keep it looking polished and clean. This makes rhodium plating especially useful for frequently worn jewellery items, like silver rings and necklaces.
Wear and tear of rhodium plating
While rhodium plating offers excellent benefits, it is not permanent and will gradually wear off, especially on jewellery that is worn daily, such as rings. Rings are often subject to friction and contact with various surfaces, causing the rhodium coating to wear away faster than it would on less-contact jewellery like necklaces or earrings. Once the rhodium layer begins to wear off, the base metal can show through, altering the jewellery's appearance.
To maintain the protective and aesthetic benefits of rhodium plating, jewellery pieces may need to be re-plated periodically, typically every 1-2 years depending on the amount of wear.
Sapphire Jewellers offers rhodium re-plating services to restore your jewellery, keeping it in pristine condition. Regular re-plating is a straightforward process and helps maintain the jewellery's brightness, scratch resistance, and hypoallergenic qualities over time.
At Sapphire Jewellers, we offer a wide range of rhodium plated white gold and silver both online and in store. We also offer rhodium plating services in store, if you have any questions about rhodium plating, please do not hesitate to reach out!
Visit us at: Sapphire Jewellers, 26 The Burges, Coventry, CV1 1HL
Or call us on: 02476 225 391
