Rhodium plating and Platinum?

Jewelry Discussion
1

Heard someone on one of the Home Shopping Channels say the
Rhodium is related to Platinum… ??? Is this True, if so
how???

Jim

2

Rhodium is in the group of platinum related metals.

3

Jim:

I’ve been doing this work for about 20 years and I’m ashamed to
say that, until corrected by a fellow Orchid member, I thought
rhodium plating was plating with platinum. I now know that
rhodium is in itself a seperate metal often found along with
platinum in the mines.

Best;
Steve

4

Rhodium is one of the six PGM’s (Platinum Group metals) They are
Platinum, Iridium, Ruthenium, Osmium, Rhodium and Palladium.

Hope that helps
PLATINUM GUILD INTERNATIONAL USA
Jurgen J. Maerz

5

Heard someone on one of the Home Shopping Channels say the
Rhodium is related to Platinum… ??? Is this True, if so
how???

The platinum group is a series of six closely related metals,
usually found mixed together in nature. Includes Platinum,
Palladium, Iridium, Osmium, Rhodium, and Ruthenium. Generally,
Platinum is the most common, with the others being found mixed
with it in varying amounts, often also with iron. The platinum
group metals share a white color, and generally high resistance
to chemical attack/tarnishing, etc. Rhodium is particularly hard
and white, and it’s principal use is as an electroplated deposit,
where it’s color, non tarnishing nature, and hardness are used to
improve the appearance or performance of other white metals such
as white golds or silver.

Peter Rowe

6

Jim wrote:

Heard someone on one of the Home Shopping Channels say the
Rhodium is related to Platinum... ????  Is this True, if so
how???

G’day Jim; True. Rhodium is one of the so-called ‘noble
metals’ which were so named because as they don’t tarnish easily,
they were regarded as being of ‘noble birth’! This group is also
known as the ‘Platinum Group’ because they are found with
platinum, are all rare and are similarly heavy. They are all
silvery metals in the 8th group of the Periodic Table of the
Elements with high melting points: Rhodium melts at 1966C;
Platinum melts at 1769C; Rhenium at 3180C; Palladium 1552C;
Osmium 3000C and Iridium 2410C They may all be alloyed with
each other and notably, with platinum. Most are found in crude,
unrefined platinum and all can be used in electroplating.
Platinum has been known since Pliny, who wrote about it, and
nearly all the others of the group were unknown much before the
18th century. Gold, of course, is also known as a ‘noble metal’

        /\
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7

Jim,

Rhodium is of the platinum family metals along with osmium,

ruthenium,iridium, and palladium. It is almost always used as a
plating solution to give jewelry a white chrome appearance. It
gives the acquiring metal a harder and brighter surface.

Russ

8

Hi Jim,

Rhodium is related to platinum as iodine is related to chlorine!
They are elements that are grouped together in the Periodic
Chart of Elements because of their similarities. Rhodium and
platinum in the Platinum group and iodine and chlorine in the
halogen group. Rhodium is not a derivative’ of
platinum!

Regards,

Skip

Skip Meister
@Skip_Meister
N.R.A. Endowment &
Certified Instructor
in all disciplines
Certified Illinois D.N.R.
Hunter Ed, Instructor

9

Are any of the others ever used in plating … never seen or
heard of plating with them… is it because of the cost or just
that Rhodium is the best of the lot for plating?

Jim

10

Rhodium is the whitest metal in the platinum group.

Steven Brixner - Jewelry Designer - San Diego CA USA
mailto:@Steven_Brixner4
http://home.att.net/~brixner

11

Are any of the others ever used in plating … never seen or
heard of plating with them… is it because of the cost or just
that Rhodium is the best of the lot for plating?

Partly it’s that rhodium is the whitest of them, and thus best
for the plating needs it serves. Also, rhodium can be made into
a stable sulphate form, a soluable salt. That makes it suitable
for plating baths. Not all of the platinum group metals have a
stable, easily made chemical form which would make a good, safe
to use, plating bath. Of them, the only other one I’ve heard of
which is used now and then for plating is palladium. Less used,
but it’s out there in industry… Not sure exactly when it’s
specified instead of rhodium…

Peter Rowe