JEWELRY THAT IS RHODIUM PLATED

 For great vintage jewelry and hand-created charm bracelets, please visit http://www.etsy.com/shop/LoriLakeTreasures

GOLD: Gold and Platinum are often rhodium plated. Gold is a yellowish precious metal. Because gold is a relatively soft metal, it is usually hardened by alloying with over metals such as nickel, palladium, and other whiter metals. White gold is an alloy of gold with usually platinum, palladium, or nickel.

Karat is the way to grade the amount of gold in the alloy. For instance, 18K indicates that it is 75% pure gold. Since this leaves only 25% of the alloy for other whiter metals, the 18K white gold will be more yellowish than a 14K white gold.

PLATINUM: Platinum is a precious grayish-white malleable element that is not as bright as rhodium and is sometimes plated.

RHODIUM: Rhodium is a hard, durable, silvery-white metal that is part of the platinum family. It is actually more costly than gold. It used for plating jewelry, because of its resistance to corrosion and tarnish. It gives a highly reflective sheen and helps prevent scratching. Rhodium is often used to plate white gold, silver, and platinum jewelry to increase its wearability. It is also hypoallergenic.

RHODIUM PLATING: Plating jewelry with rhodium not only gives longer wearability, but it beautifies a jewelry piece with a bright white mirror-like look, which is unique to only rhodium. Any plating will wear over time. *This depends on how well and thick the plating was applied. It also depends on how much the jewelry piece is cared for and worn. Rings usually receive a great deal of wear, but with a brooch, there is probably almost no contact. Even body chemistry can be a factor.


Rhodium jewelry can be re-plated at a minimal cost at any reputable jeweler. Even though rhodium is an expensive metal, when it comes to plating, it doesn’t cost too much because very little is actually used.
* lorilakejewelry.com has selected the finest jewelry manufacturer to offer the highest in quality and value. More gold and precious metal plating is used on their jewelry to increase the lifespan of the shimmer and shine than anyone in the industry. They polish and plate all of their jewelry more rigorously which offers longevity and true value in our customers’ purchases.

CARING FOR RHODIUM PLATED JEWELRY

1. Clean with a solution of mild detergent and a little water.

2. Rinse well and dry.

3. You can use a polishing cloth that is designed specifically for rhodium plated jewelry.

4. Do not use chemical cleaners such as jewelry dips.

5. Never use anything abrasive.

6. Avoid rubbing jewelry against other surfaces.

7. Remove rings when doing heavy work.

Rhodium plating jewelry adds shimmer and shine, and also adds longevity and value as well. When it does come to re-plating, the cost is reasonable, and it will continue to add longevity to your favorite jewelry items.