What makes rhodium-plated jewelry so "exclusive"?
I have seen jewelry touting that it's rhodium-plated and that makes it more valuable and better than the other brands you can buy in department stores; specifically I see this from Lia Sophia and Jewels by Park Lane.
I am fairly new to this type of jewelry and looking for more information so I can better explain to my own customers (I make and sell jewelry) about what makes rhodium a great product to use, especially when most people look for the sterling silver stamp or the 14K on gold. Any help would be much appreciated - thank you!
Also, can rhodium-plated jewelry turn your skin green or cause skin reactions?
This answer was taken from the website listed below:
Rhodium is a member of the platinum metals group; the other members include platinum, palladium, ruthenium, iridium, and osmium.
From a decorative standpoint, what makes rhodium so desirable?
Among numerous other physical characteristics such as hardness, and high reflectivity, rhodium has an extraordinary resistance to most acids and corrosive substances. It is one of the few "white" metals that will remain bright and reflective under all atmospheric conditions at ordinary temperatures. As a result, electroplated surfaces that utilize rhodium plating remain scratch resistant, bright and attractive for years.
How scratch resistant are rhodium plated objects?
Among the "white" decorative platings, rhodium is considered "best in class" in terms of toughness and wear resistance. Most items plated with at least .5 microns of rhodium are usually more scratch resistant than prior to being plated! Electroplated rhodium has a hardness ranging from 400-550 vickers which makes it very resistant to incidental abrasions. Over sterling silver objects, rhodium plating can prevent the formation of fine scratches that occur from normal handling and cleaning.
Typically, what decorative metals are plated with rhodium?
Rhodium can be plated onto just about any metal surface. Primarily, our customers utilize rhodium to plate metals that are easily tarnished such as sterling silver, nickel, and copper alloys.
Where does rhodium occur in nature?
The primary sources for rhodium are in Russia, South Africa, and Canada. The industrial extraction of rhodium is complicated by the fact that it occurs naturally with numerous other native ores. Mixed with other metals such as platinum, silver and nickel, the separation and refinement of rhodium ores are quite expensive. Only about 9-10 metric tons are produced annually worldwide. As of this writing, its trading range on the world spot metals market are quite volatile. The costs per troy ounce of rhodium range between $400-$1100.
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From my own experience with selling jewelry, I had a friend whose 14K turned her finger green. Somebody, somewhere, will have a reaction to everything. Some people have very acidic body chemistry. The question is, How common is it? I imagine rhodium plated jewelry would be more resistant to turning green than some of the other metals.
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