Rhodium plating over yellow gold

[mishy]

Hi,
Has anyone had their yellow gold jewelry dipped in rhodium to make it white? I am considering doing this with my wedding set since I mostly wear white gold these days. If you have had this done, I am interested in how happy you were with the results/any regrets, how often it needs to be re-done, and how easily it can be removed if I want it yellow gold again in the future. Thanks!

 

[valeria101]

It holds like nail polish.

How I know: I had a wide gold band plated with white - to enjoy the wear patterns, like some admire peeling tree bark. Within a year, I had my gold band back as it were.

With a different combination of materials, I'd do it again. [ feel free to laugh... ]

 

[MissElizabeth]

Before we were married, my husband's mother asked me if I'd like to use her mother's wedding band as my own. The style is beautiful, and I loved the sentiment - especially since my engagement ring belonged to my husband's grandmother on his father's side so, in incorporating this wedding band, my set represented both the matriarchs of his family.

I accepted, but the ring was yellow gold. It was important enough to me that I decided to have it rhodium plated and make it work. After a year worth of wear, there is definitely a gold tone showing through on the palm side of the ring - but honestly, on the sides and top, it's completely intact. You'd never know it wasn't white gold. It would look fresher overall with a re-dip every year (that's the pace for mine, at least), and I'm sure I'll get it done eventually. But, overall, it was totally worth it for me to keep the ring for sentimentality, and a re-dip even every year isn't that bad.

Best of luck - let us know your experience if you decide to go forward.

 

[Lisa Loves Shiny]

Check with your jeweler. One jeweler in my town will rhodium dip a yellow gold ring for a "lifetime" for $137. If the rhodium wears off he will re-dip it as many times as needed.

 

[Niel]

Oh you break my heart dipping it. Also I'm not sure you could ever go back to yellow gold of you wanted.

 

[mishy]

Yes, not sure I will do it unless I know that I can go back. I still wear it - I just wear so much white gold these days that it would be nice to have it match most of the rest of my pieces.

 

[Niel]

I feel like I've asked in the past and I don't believe there is a process to get rhodium off. You'll have to ask the Jeweler. If there's not, it'll wear unevenly and I don't know how long if ever it would get out of little nooks and crannies.

Can you by a wedding band that's white metal that would match your current set? What's your ring look like. Can we have a pic?

 

[WinkHPD]

The plating is done with dipping the ring in a solution and applying an electric charge to get the suspended plating material to attract to the original ring.

To strip the plating off, you reverse the charge. In theory it works perfectly. In reality there are always a few nooks and crannies where the plating refuses to leave.

Still, you can do it if you like, and it will wear off over time and need to be redipped. We have always cautioned people that it will wear off, and how quickly depends on how well you protect the ring.

Wink

 

[Niel]

The plating is done with dipping the ring in a solution and applying an electric charge to get the suspended plating material to attract to the original ring.

To strip the plating off, you reverse the charge. In theory it works perfectly. In reality there are always a few nooks and crannies where the plating refuses to leave.

Still, you can do it if you like, and it will wear off over time and need to be redipped. We have always cautioned people that it will wear off, and how quickly depends on how well you protect the ring.

Wink

Good to know it can be removed I've asked in the past and did not get that answer!

 

[JLW05]

As others have written, the rhodium will wear off. My friend had her yellow 14kt gold diamond wedding band plated a few years ago. I didn't know it would wear off (and I'm certain she didn't either). After a year or two I was surprised to see it was yellow again.

 

[mishy]

This is the ring in question

 

[Wholovesskunks]

My mom had an old 80's ring in yellow that she completely transformed by dipping. Every few years she redips it and absolutely loves it.