Does Rhodium plating wears off evenly?

[Agnesg]

Hello, I have a question. Does rhodium plating on rings wears off evenly or in uneven patches? It would be great if you have picture reference. What causes the rhodium plating to wear off? Scratches? Household Chemical? Thanks!

 

[thecat]

Rhodium plating doesn't wear off evenly. Areas with high contact wear off faster. For instance, the plating of the shank at palm side will wear off fast. Plating on prong or shank near head will wear off slower.

 

[rubybeth]

If you are concerned about rhodium wearing off, take off your ring(s) regularly or wear gloves when doing activities (like cleaning) that may put your rings into contact with chemicals. Body chemistry can also have a huge affect on how quickly the rhodium wears, so yours may wear slowly or quickly.

Personally, I like how my plain 18k white gold wedding band looks after wearing it daily for nearly 7 years--it's a very warm white gold all over (it doesn't have diamonds or engraving, so can wear fairly evenly). You will see some PSers prefer unplated (non-rhodium plated) white gold for their jewelry, as it adds a warmth to the white metal. I'm considering this option for my reset. I'll attach a photo of Packrat's unplated white gold ring as an example:

[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/packrats-avc-three-stone-and-wedding-band-by-single-stone.180821/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/packrats-avc-three-stone-and-wedding-band-by-single-stone.180821/[/URL]

 

[Agnesg]

I appreciate the replies and reference thank you. I believe that unplated 18k will be polished to a good shine when it's new. Will this shine fades off quickly on its own or will it only loses its shine when it's scratched?

 

[rubybeth]

I don't have an unplated ring myself but my band is still super shiny even though it has "warmed" over the years. You can always polish gold (you can buy a polishing cloth specifically for this) or a jeweler can do it. I believe it's platinum that begins to show wear more easily, but some people prefer this slight dulling--this is called patina, and I believe it can also be polished back to high shine fairly easily.

You can see how my wedding band (started wearing in 200 is still super reflective, even though it's slightly 'warmer' than my bezel band (purchased in 2011).

 

[decisively_unsure]

Yes it wears off in just a few years (on my fingers), IMO go for solid gold or a solid white metal like platinum, rhodium or palladium. It does wear (very) evenly on a wedding ring though, but I didn't like it when the gold started to show through. Having said this mine was fine on the inside, just outside wear.

 

[Agnesg]

Thank you! Those are great reference!
Another question, for instance, a 18k white gold solitaire ring have been plated with the diamond mounted on. Is there a way to remove the plating? From my understanding, plating are buff off, in this case, would the mounted diamond poses a problem?

 

[decisively_unsure]

You would need to remove the diamond from the setting and sand / polish the rhodium plating off. This is best done by a jeweller.

 

[Agnesg]

Appreciate the reply
Is it a must to polish before plating? How will it turn out if it's plated without polishing?

 

[decisively_unsure]

There is no need to polish it off for replating, but the surface must be immaculate beforehand.

 

[Agnesg]

Now I know thank you! By the way, will polishing off rhodium plating result in gold loss?

 

[baby monster]

I find that the rings worn on my right hand lose the plating much faster than the ones on left hand. The replating doesn't stay as long as the original finish.

 

[Dancing Fire]

Palladium is the way to go it'll never need replating, looks like PT for about 60% less. Here is my 500 fine palladium ring.

 

[decisively_unsure]

Palladium is the way to go it'll never need replating, looks like PT for about 60% less. Here is my 500 fine palladium ring.

Indeed. It won't wear it just moves around.

 

[Agnesg]

Thanks to all. Nice ring. Our local Jewellers in SIngapore only craft in platinum and gold though.

 

[Dancing Fire]

Palladium is the way to go it'll never need replating, looks like PT for about 60% less. Here is my 500 fine palladium ring.

Indeed. It won't wear it just moves around.

What do you mean?..

 

[chrono]

DF,
The metal will not be shaved off, only displaced.

I dislike palladium as the primary metal because it wears to a very dark smoky gray. I don't mind it as an alloy for white gold.

 

[Laila619]

Palladium is the way to go it'll never need replating, looks like PT for about 60% less. Here is my 500 fine palladium ring.

Yes, I love Palladium! Hypoallergenic, white, a member of the Platinum family, and never loses metal or needs plating.

I would not go for white gold. If your jeweler can't get Palladium, then I'd get Plat or rose gold.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

If you already have a white gold ring, by all means just have it replated as needed. It is plated to look white. Unplated is a light yellow as the gold shows more. I would not attempt to remove the rhodium plating. I also would not polish gold as it removes gold. You don't need to do that. Just take care of your ring and do not wear it when doing work or activities that could damage it. Replating will restore it to the bright white like it was when new.

 

[Agnesg]

Yes Diamonndseeker I intended to do the same. I was just curious about how plating goes thank all

 

[Dancing Fire]

DF,
The metal will not be shaved off, only displaced.

I dislike palladium as the primary metal because it wears to a very dark smoky gray. I don't mind it as an alloy for white gold.

I'll post a pic of my ring in the future and compare the colors.