Another Rhodium coat = fewer scratches on WG?

[marygrace]

I have had my WG ring for 2 months. No matter how careful I am with it, it gets banged up. It has been polished twice already. It has Rhodium plating from the manufacturer. Is that adequate? Could I add more rhodium plating to make it more durable?

I am tired of getting scratches from opening doors and turning steering wheels. I hope that there is a solution for me.

 

[JulieN]

No, rhodium plating does not make it less prone to scratches.

 

[Gypsy]

Rhodium has nothing to do with scratches. It covers the warmth of the color of unplated white gold. The scratching is just what it is. Platinum is worse for scratching. So is Palladium. So that leaves you with titanium or tungsten. Also polishing REMOVES rhodium, you after polishing you need to replate. That has nothing to do with the manufacturer's Rhodium quality at all. And extra Rhodium will not make your piece any harder.

 

[Dreamer_D]

Let the rhodium wear off and a patina develop, then you won't notice scratches anymore! I am only partly kidding!

Are you seeing scratches with your naked eyes or loupe? I wear my rings all the time and don't notice anything really significant in my wg or plat pieces with my naked eye.

 

[Upgradable]

Be very careful about over polishing white gold!!! Every time it is polished it loses a little bit of metal. If you keep polishing at this rate, you might not have anything left of this ring after a few years. Your jeweler should have told you this.

 

[Eilonwy]

How do you clean your ring(s)? This probably sounds funny but I'm fairly convinced that the little brush that came with my jewellery cleaner actually caused little scratches. Ok, I am a lot more careful with my jewellery than I used to be, take it off to clean, or when I think I'll be carrying something heavy, showering, etc. But since I got my ring polished I've had no more visible scratches on it, and all since I stopped using the brush to clean my jewellery and just started soaking it in cloudy ammonia and polishing with a cloth instead. And my rings are platinum so they would scratch easier than white gold. This seems to be working out for me a lot better so I'm sticking to it

 

[marygrace]

DD - I can see it with a naked eye. It looks like a beat up old car.

I clean it with the cloth I use for my eyeglasses.

As it has been repolished twice, I think I will plate it again with rhodium, then protect the ring with my dear life. It is strange though. My other WG rings through out the years have gotten minimal if not no scratches.

Thanks for all your advice!

 

[Skippy123]

can you post a picture so we can see?

 

[yssie]

I understand the thinking... a topcoat of anything should protect a bit more...

It probably does, but the rhodium plate layer is microns in depth, and so offers really no extra practical protection at all. Short of never wearing it, it's going to get scratched!

I have found that cast and die-struck white gold wear differently, the cast gold is a bit softer and over time acquires a semi-patina (still shiny, just a slight patina'd overlay, almost, that dulls the mirror finish) whereas my die-struck bands stay mirror-shiny between the (visible, clearly delineated) scratches.

 

[Clairitek]

I used to be nutty about scratches and patina on my platinum rings. I would get them polished 2-3 times a year the first two years. Now, I just accept that this is something that happens and that I needed to let it go. I know, easier said than done when your ring is so new but you will do yourself a huge favor by realizing that this is just something that happens with things you wear 24/7.

Better on your finger and scratched, than in your jewelry box and shiny, I say!

 

[Dreamer_D]

Where is your ring from? We have heard stories of rings wearing faster than they should. Perhaps the alloy is poor quality?

Protecting your rings sounds like a lot of work. Can you just wear and forget it?

I too would like to see photos if you have them.

ETA: I looked trhough your threads and see your ring is from Blue Nile. They are generally known for good quality so I doubt it is that. I also noticed you have had a lot of fears and issues with your ring in the short time you have had it