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Rhodium

As we learned earlier from Nancy, white gold doesn’t start out as a white metal; it is yellow gold alloyed with other metals to give it its white color, so over time, it may tend to take on a yellowish tint.   A rhodium coating will make your favorite piece of jewelry maintain that bright white coloration we are all used to seeing!

Rhodium is an atomic element on the periodic table and is a sheen white metal. It is the rarest of all non-radioactive metals on Earth. Rhodium is a member of the platinum group and is one of three metals from this group used for jewelry. Rhodium is the most expensive metal of this group and is the most resistant to corrosion and tarnish under most conditions. It is durable, hard and extremely reflective.

For jewelry, rhodium is used for plating. White gold jewelry is often plated with rhodium to increase its wear ability and prevent scratching. Rhodium is also hypoallergenic. White gold is usually alloyed with nickel, and approximately 15% of people suffer from some kind of allergy to nickel; rhodium serves as an additional layer between the skin and base metal, preventing the development of an allergic irritation.

It’s important to know that not all jewelers’ re-rhodium white gold jewelry after it is repaired.  At Colonial, every piece of white gold jewelry that is repaired or refinished will receive a new coating of Rhodium to restore it to its original brightness.