echelon6
Shiny_Rock
- Joined
- Jul 5, 2007
- Messages
- 270
This has always intrigued me:
If white gold looks like what it is solely because of its Rhodium plating, why bother with having white gold in the first place??
In theory, a ring made of poop, plated with rhodium would look just as nice.
Is there any science behind having white gold under rhodium at all? e.g. is someone going to argue that "electroplating rhodium only works on an alloy containing gold!"?
I''m no chemist, but I contend that electroplating rhodium works just as well with iron, or just about anything else, with minor, unnoticeable differences in chemical suitability of the mix. And I also argue that gold - rhodium is a sub-optimal mix anyway, since rhodium is a member of the platinum group.
Conclusion? is there''s no point to white gold other than the emotional / "knowing you''re wearing gold" factor?
If white gold looks like what it is solely because of its Rhodium plating, why bother with having white gold in the first place??
In theory, a ring made of poop, plated with rhodium would look just as nice.

Is there any science behind having white gold under rhodium at all? e.g. is someone going to argue that "electroplating rhodium only works on an alloy containing gold!"?
I''m no chemist, but I contend that electroplating rhodium works just as well with iron, or just about anything else, with minor, unnoticeable differences in chemical suitability of the mix. And I also argue that gold - rhodium is a sub-optimal mix anyway, since rhodium is a member of the platinum group.
Conclusion? is there''s no point to white gold other than the emotional / "knowing you''re wearing gold" factor?