Rhodium is a brilliant white metal used to plate both Sterling Silver Rings and jewelry made of white gold. Jewelry, including sterling silver rings that are rhodium plated will give the appearance of platinum when new.

The reason to rhodium plate sterling silver is different than rhodium plating white gold. Highly polished sterling silver is very white and brilliant. However sterling silver is a much softer metal than rhodium and with little wear accumulates many tiny scratches. As the surface wears it will no longer be smooth and highly polished. The brilliant finish will become dull. This is the natural characteristic of unplated sterling silver. Therefore a rhodium plated ring will retain it's original appearance longer that a natural sterling silver ring. Many times a plated item will be referred to as tarnish resistant. The plating itself is extremely tarnish resistant.

White gold is not as bright as perfectly polished sterling silver. Therefore it may be rhodium plated to give a whiter, more brilliant appearance. Some metal experts actually describe white gold as a slightly gray metal. White gold is a harder metal than sterling silver and will retain it's natural finish for a much longer period of time than sterling silver.

In either case the plating is a temporary enhancement. With time the plating will wear off. How quickly it will wear off depends on the thickness and the quality of the application process. Also a piece of jewelry worn every day will be subject to more wear, than a piece of jewelry only worn occasionally. However since both sterling silver and white gold are stable precious metals the ring or piece of jewelry can be repolished. A jeweler can reapply a rhodium plating. In the case of a sterling silver ring the cost of the service will probably exceed the original cost of the ring. Today (March 2007) the cost of Rhodium is about $6000.00 per ounce. Just a few years ago it was about $200.00 to $300.00 per ounce. A Rhodium plated ring should be considered a luxury item.

Costume jewelry is very often made of brass and then rhodium plated. It may look the same as sterling silver or white gold when brand new. But as the finish starts to wear off the brass will turn color, usually green, and the item is useless.

There is a group of metals know as Noble Metals the most well known members of the group are silver, gold and platinum. These are the most common metals used to fabricate precious metal jewelry. Rhodium's atomic structure is very similar to platinum. It's properties make it better as a plating material, than a jewelry fabricating metal. It is extremely hard compared to gold or silver.

Sterling silver rings on the following pages are fully rhodium plated.

Engagement Rings      Cluster Rings

Many of our sterling silver rings may have a Rhodium plated shank.