Hi there,
Im working with a customer to create a white gold and Emerald signet ring. I’m wanting to gypsy set 2 x 3mm emeralds into the band. Im wondering what to do as I believe rhodium plating with ruin the emeralds? is there a way to protect them?
I’m considering plating it before I set the stones, however I’m worried the process of setting the stones with scratch off the rhodium plate and itll be visually obvious?
Any tips or tricks much appreciated!!
I can’t see how Rhodium can damage an Emerald chemically anyway.
The Rhodium is quite hard and as plating very thin,
so maybe it can cut into the Emerald if it is set after the plating is done?
Anyway I would be more concerned with destroying the plating if you set it after it is plated.
I really do not know if it is customary to set stones prior to plating or not.
I would be happy to get some information on this 
The main concern would be that pretty much all emeralds are oiled or fracture filled. The steps to clean and sterilize the mounting before plating will likely damage those treatments. As well as any heated plating solutions. If you do end up with the stones looking worse soak them overnight in cedar oil.
We prefer to not offer white gold in our studio and offer platinum or continuum silver alloy instead. Both are far more white than white gold and white gold is not very malleable thus making stone setting pretty tough. Especially with fragile stones like emeralds.
-Jo