All About Rhodium in Jewelry

Jewelry that contains even a small particle rhodiumare very popular with most consumers. A few decades ago, obtaining this metal from platinum was quite problematic. However, today the situation has changed for the better, so rhodium is periodically used to create jewelry.

According to the periodic table, rhodium is an element included in the subgroup 8 of the 5th period group. It corresponds to atomic number 45. Translated from Greek "rhodium" means "rose". He is very expensive metal with a silvery white color... Most people know it precisely as a substance that is used to cover expensive jewelry.

It is worth noting that there is very little rhodium in nature. It can be found in platinum or nickel ores, gold sands mined in South America.

As for the properties of rhodium, they are as follows:

• the temperature at which this metal melts is 1964 ° C;
• hardness, measured on the Mohs scale, is 6 units;
• rhodium is resistant to chlorine, fluorine and sulfur, which gives it an advantage even over platinum;
• despite its rather high resistance to various mechanical damage, this metal is considered very fragile, which means that rhodium cannot be used in jewelry as a base material - it is usually used as a coating for expensive jewelry or bijouterie.

Despite the small amount of mined rhodium, the demand for it is very high. It is used in various fields. It could be manufacture of mirrors or sensors for measuring temperatures. But this metal is most in demand in jewelry production. So, with its help, special filters are made that help to grow crystals of precious stones in artificial conditions.

However, most often, various items made of white gold, silver or platinum are coated with rhodium. After plating with rhodium, the jewelry becomes not only beautiful, but also more shiny. The resulting product can have different shades: it is white and even black. As for the latter, with the help of black rhodium plating, the masters artificially age their creations. This color will enhance the brilliance of stones such as sapphires or diamonds.

If rhodium plated, all jewelry will have additional markings:

• silver jewelry is marked as rhodium silver jewelry;
• black rhodium-plated gold jewelry is marked black rhodium gold;
• white gold items that have 375 assay value are marked as rhodium plated white gold.

To learn a little more about how rhodium is good or bad, you need to familiarize yourself with its pros and cons.

First of all, such a metal used to protect finished jewelry from wear and tear for several decades, and also give them shine and beauty. After all, if this is not done, then after a while, the products will fade and will not look as aesthetically pleasing as before.

In addition, rhodium makes jewelry durable and resistant to any mechanical stress. Rhodium-plated products are perfect suitable for people who are allergic to silver or gold. They are completely harmless.

As for the shortcomings, there are very few of them. First of all, the impact of time on rhodium-plated jewelry is worth noting. After a certain period of time, it will wear off or simply crack - it all depends on the thickness of the layer, as well as the conditions for wearing such products. However, many simply re-cover in order not to make additional purchases.

In addition, if a person wants to sell his jewelry, then the integrity of the coating will need to be violated. After all, only in this way can a full assessment of them be carried out. Another disadvantage is high cost both rhodium plating technology and rhodium mining. Accordingly, the price of jewelry is quite high.

This process involves the application of a very thin layer of rhodium to the surface of the jewelry. Most often, its thickness does not exceed 0.25 microns. To make electroplating, craftsmen follow simple instructions.

1. To begin with, the jewelry is sanded and then polished until the surface is perfectly flat.
2. The next step is to thoroughly rinse, dry and then degrease the items.
3. After that, they are carefully placed in an electroplating bath containing a special solution.
4. Then an electric current is passed through this solution. The result is the release of rhodium. After a certain period of time, the products begin to be covered with a thin layer of this unusually beautiful and expensive metal. Its thickness depends entirely on the time spent on the process, as well as on the intensity of the current discharge.

After a certain period of time, the rhodium plating will wear off... This is especially noticeable in those places where the product touches the human skin. The same applies to chains or bracelets, in which the links are constantly in contact with each other. As mentioned above, the wear period of such products depends entirely on the thickness of the rhodium-plated layer. In the event that the coating is made with high quality, even with daily use, the jewelry can last a long time. For example, rings are about 5 years old, earrings are about 10 years old, bracelets and chains are about 4 years old.

But even when it is partially or completely erased, it can be upgrade in any jewelry workshop, which is in the city. The cost of such a service will depend on the amount of coverage and how noticeable the changes are.

In order to postpone the moment of going to the jeweler a little, you need to know how to properly care for the purchased accessories.

1. It is necessary to store such jewelry in a box, moreover, separately from other products. It is very important that they do not come into contact with each other. The best storage box is a box that has several compartments.
2. You should try to avoid any contact of jewelry with household chemicals. Therefore, it is best to remove them before starting cleaning.
3. They also need to be removed before going to the gym, pool or sauna. It is advisable to do this before bedtime.
4. Rhodium-plated jewelry should not come into contact with makeup and makeup. Therefore, before applying the cream to your hands, the ring must be removed. You can put it back on only when the cream has already completely absorbed into the skin.
5. Do not use a product such as toothpaste or toothpaste for cleaning products. as they can destroy the rhodium plating layer. For cleaning it is enough just to rinse the jewelry in warm water, and then wipe it with a special “jewelry” napkin. At the end, the product needs to be polished.
6. Once every 5 years, you need to go to a jewelry workshop, to make sure the coating is intact. If necessary, the coverage must be corrected.

Rhodium jewelry will appeal to everyone, without exception. In addition, caring for them is as simple as for ordinary jewelry made of precious metals. The only drawback is that due to the rarity of this material, products with such a coating are quite expensive.

See below for rhodium plating of jewelry.