Rhodium Plating

Rhodium Plating

After some extensive research, as well as our in-house testing, we will now be rhodium plating all of our Asha® white-gold jewelry, at our cost. The improved appearance of rhodium plating was initially noticed because of its extra beauty to the naked eye, but as the points below will show, it not only enhances the beauty of both white gold, it helps ensure the longest-lasting, most durable finish for your jewelry. The result:  stunning jewelry that stays stunning much longer than un-plated white gold.

Rhodium is a member of the platinum precious metals group. The full platinum metals group is:

Why Rhodium?
Rhodium is considered best in class of all the platinum metals family for resistance to corrosion and tarnish. Rhodium will also remain bright and shiny under most environmental conditions. Not surprisingly, of all the metals in this group, rhodium is by far the most expensive to utilize.  Rhodium is nearly 4x as expensive as platinum, and 9x as expensive as gold.

Rhodium is the most tarnish resistant member of the platinum metals group. As a protective coating, rhodium finishes virtually eliminate any chance of surface discoloring even when exposed to extreme environmental conditions under normal temperatures. The surface hardness of plated rhodium is also the highest of the precious metals, and is thus highly resistant to incidental scratching and abrasion. Rhodium plated finishes are best in class for wearability among the precious metals.

Additionally, rhodium is hypoallergenic. White gold normally employs nickel to provide the whiteness of white gold, however, approximately 20% of women will have some form of allergy to nickel. Thus, by rhodium plating, a possible allergen is removed from contacting your skin.  The one exception to that is on white gold stud earrings. Because the nut of the earring drags along the post, the post will not remain plated for long. In those instances where nickel may be a problem, we recommend using platinum posts/nuts on a white gold basket, or simply going with platinum earrings.

Rhodium plating can dramatically increase the long term durability, brightness and luster of the finish. Because it is a plating, it will wear off over time. How soon depends on how much wear and tear the jewelry item takes. However, virtually any jeweler can quickly re-plate your jewelry, usually for around $45, to bring back the original shine and luster that only rhodium can provide.