Auckland Rhodium replating

How rhodium plating can make your jewellery look like new

Over the years, rhodium plating has become one of the most popular ways to

Rhodium replating Auckland

Image Round brilliant white gold engagement ring

give that bright and protective finish to jewellery. Rhodium belongs to the platinum metal group that also includes other metals such as platinum, palladium and iridium among others. One of the biggest reasons of the popularity of this metal for plating is that it is extremely strong and it also looks better than the real white gold available today.

 

It is chemically inert which means that it does not react easily with any elements. Allergies to rhodium are rare. However, this metal is extremely brittle which means that stand-alone jewellery pieces cannot be made from it, but it can be used for plating. Also, it is extremely expensive as compared to gold and is often used by jewellers to give a shiny, smooth and bright finish to the jewellery. The price is estimated to be at least 5 to 25 times yellow gold.

 

It not only makes jewellery look better at it also makes it stronger. Rhodium plating is easy to find these days, as it is extensively used on necklaces, bracelets, rings and other popular pieces of jewellery. It is preferred by jewellers, as it is highly durable and does not get damaged easily. It is also important to keep in mind that it does wear off eventually but it still lasts anywhere from 2 to 10 years.

 

As far as the durability is concerned, it depends on how often the piece of jewellery is worn. The plating is done by covering the silver or gold jewellery in nickel layer. The rhodium bath contains sulphuric acid that can damage the jewellery made of gold or silver. The layer of nickel protects the silver and gold from this rhodium bath.

 

Once the nickel layer is set on the jewellery piece, the jewellery piece is dipped into the rhodium metal for plating and the metal is allowed to solidify. Once the metal has cooled down, it is polished and presented to the client. Rhodium is also used in other applications including electrical contacts, spark plugs, mammography filters and many other such items including pens and wires.

 

Rhodium is one of the rarest metals available on Earth. In fact, less than 10 metric tons of this metal is produced globally on an annual basis. One of the biggest advantages of rhodium plating is that it is one of the few available white metals that retain its brightness and reflection under all weather conditions at room temperature.

 

It is scratch resistant and keeps looking attractive for a number of years. Also, it can be used with any metal surface. As far as the plating thickness is concerned, it usually ranges from 0.05 micron to 1.5 micron. Higher quality jewellery pieces come with a rhodium plating thickness ranging from 0.1 micron to 0.5 micron. However, it is also important to keep in mind that it is a brittle metal and therefore, too much thickness can actually damage the jewellery piece.

 

Rhodium plating is used by jewellers to turn white gold jewellery brighter. It adds a rich sparkle to the jewellery and also extends the life of jewellery by adding a strong protective layer. It can easily turn a dull piece of jewellery into a bright and shiny jewellery piece that looks good and will last for a long time.

 

It won’t be wrong to say that people have a lot of sentiment attached to their jewellery. Rhodium plating can be used for protection of yellow gold. Overall, in case you have a dull looking piece of jewellery, rhodium plating can give it a completely new look that will last for a number of years if you take adequate care of jewellery. And if you do need to upgrade or fix some items of yours, then look for an Auckland jewellery repair service like this one at Orsini Jewellery.

 

www.orsini.co.nz