Rhodium Plating

Rhodium plating should not be put down. It is EXPENSIVE. It puts
a chrome like finish on materials that is hard and durable. It
does not readily tarnish. Alas it turns dark and unpolishable
when soldered. It covers fire scale. It’s like whipped cream on
ice cream. It’s not cheesy. I wish I could afford to put it on
my stuff, my customers would never have to polish.

Bill
Ginkgo Designs

Bill, you are correct. The cheap “cheesy” stuff someone
referred to is an immitation rhodium plating. True rhodium is in
the platinum family and is a good quality material. Much white
gold is plated with this to “whiten” the piece. White gold is
not as bright as many desire and the rhodium adds to its
appearance. Rhodium is especially good on silver chains. Rings
I do not like as I like the warm appearance of silver that is
used. Lewis Elrod

Try pricing a Rhodium plating pen and a silver and gold
plating pen... double your fun!!!

Mater of fact I’m trying to located a silver/gold plating
company now to purchase a pen

Jim

I do not think rhodium plating is put down what i think is that
most jewelers do not like it put on silver if you ever work in
silver and run in to that plating on it you will have this to say
#&%#!!!#$%^ now if you use it on gold or plat it is the best
finsh you can put on. Jack

I agree- I think that generally this mystery finish is actually
nickle. Don’t you agree that rhodium would be cost-preventative
to put on all this silver? In my personal experience it seems to
be a nickle plate as it is harder then a rhodium plate- if you
were to cut through it you can tell the difference, I
think.Regards-RL

Jim try lathrops in Houston Tx. the phone # is 713 665-0614 if
not in stock he can get one good luck

In our shop we never put silver into the Rhodium plate because
it tends to through off the solution. The current price of
Rhodium being $103.00 per quart bottle. We tend to deplete one
bottle per year. We do save the old Rhodium and that we will
plate silver in that. Jim alpine@hay.net

  Rhodium plating should not be put down. It is EXPENSIVE.  It puts
 a chrome like finish on materials that is hard and durable. It
 does not readily tarnish.  Alas it turns dark and unpolishable
 when soldered.   It covers fire scale. It's like whipped cream on
 ice cream.  It's not cheesy. I wish I could afford to put it on
 my stuff, my customers would never have to polish.

I agree that rhodium has it’s place. It’s useful for whitening
the inside of a yellow head if you have a stone that’s picking up
color from the metal. I do some pieces in white gold that require
a lot of soldering. There are underside hollow areas that oxidize
to a dark grey that I can pickle to a pink color, then plate with
rhodium to restore a white color.

I think it was probaly popularized by people who have had
thousands of pieces of sterling jewelry in inventory oxidize. :frowning:

Dick Caverly

In my opinion, the natural finish and appearance of the metal is
the most authentic, tactile, and beautiful finish…

Susan

Jim:

Regarding the plating pen, I haven’t made one, but I understand
from the books I’ve read that they aren’t very difficult or
expensive to make and the power supply can even be a 9v battery.
One of Wykoff’s books shows how to do it, but I can’t remember
which one just now. Can look it up for you if no one else chimes
in.

Someone was wanting to locate a rhodium pen
plater…Fargotsteins(and probably others) has the pen and
solution (provided you already have your own rectifier) for about
70.00…I purchased one about 6 months ago. It works great! I do
alot of retipping and repairs - and the pen setup is great
because you dont have to mask off any areas. Ken

In my opinion, the natural finish and appearance of the metal is
the most authentic, tactile, and beautiful finish…

I usually thinkthat’s true. Howeveer, white gold, which at best
is just off white or maybe just off yellow sure does look better
with a little rhodium.

Bruce D. Holmgrain
e-mail: @Bruce_Holmgrain
http:\www.knight-hub.com\manmtndense\bhh3.htm
snail mail: pob 7972, McLean, VA 22106-7972
phone:: 703-593-4652

Hi Susan,

Agreed, the colour of most metals stands alone quite well, but if
you put a stone in it? Not all stones look the same as when you
bought them, in a mount. If your showing a diamond to customer
unmounted that is a I colour and you put it in white gold. It
can come out looking like a K colour. Rhodium plating brings up
the colour to I colour again. If you have a nice canary yellow
.50ct dia. and you mount it in 14k yellow it looks washed out.
The colour come back and looks great in 14k Green gold.

Tactile!?? Plating doesn’t improve or even change texture or
polish on small jewellery shop scale. Plating should be use in a
carefully thought out manner and not as an automatic end process
for everything. Being a purist in jewellery limits your pallet
and put at a definite disadvantage. My .02 cts worth. Get
down off that soap box, Jimbo. alpine@hay.net

I’m looking for a pen that is full length… about 6 inches …
at $24.00 … had one about 4 months ago but lost the internet
address and can’t find the compan ny … I’ll try your suggestion

Jim

I have already got one… made it … even attempted to make a
pen but it got a bit messy and decided to just buy one that had
removal tips and a titanium or platium anode… titanium as I
understand it is as good as platitium for silver or gold …NOT
Rhodium then it MUST be Platitium.

But would be interested in the ‘’ plans ‘’ anyway. Jim

    In my opinion, the natural finish and appearance of the
metal is  the most authentic, tactile, and beautiful
finish..... I usually thinkthat's true. Howeveer, white gold,
which at best is just off white or maybe just off yellow sure
does look better with a little rhodium. 

I agree, but then again, white gold itself is unnatural, I
personally do not like to use it because it does not look nice
all by itself.

Susan

I beleive Rio Grande sells their midas pen, either with a kit
(which I don’t use) or alone. I think it comes with six extra
tips.

regards
allan freilich

Hi Esti & Victor, Here’s something you may to try, it worked for me.
Agitate the Rhodium solution with varying current first.(sort of put
the ‘fizz’ back in). You may do this to the cleaner and acid bath
(careful the fumes) as well. Cheers and good luck. Chris Macan

I have been told recently that it is necessary, or at least
preferable to plate white gold with nickel before rhodium plating. I
have never done this extra step. Do any of you know why it would be
necessary to nickel plate white gold before rhodium plating or if it
is necessary. I appreciate the help. Thank you, J.D. Wriston

  I have been told recently that it is necessary, or at least
preferable to plate white gold with nickel before rhodium plating.
 I have never done this extra step.  Do any of you know why it
would be necessary to nickel plate white gold before rhodium
plating or if it is necessary.  I appreciate the help. Thank you,
J.D. Wriston 

I know that it is proper to nickel-plate silver before gold-plating
in order to prevent the silver from oxidizing and eventually
affecting the color of the gold. Perhaps, since white gold also
oxidizes (or so I’ve been told), the nickel plating serves the same
purpose as a protective pre-coat before adding the rhodium.

Beth