Fans of white gold jewelry actually love the rhodium plating on their piece. This is what they are looking at with a new white gold item. White gold jewelry is routinely plated with rhodium after its manufacture to ratchet up that glistening icy appearance. It was originally created to mimic platinum that came into popularity at the dawn of the 20th century. White gold is yellow gold mixed with alloys like nickel, palladium, or silver, which eventually begins to show the yellow base through the alloyed metal. The alloys used in making white gold turn the metal white, but also act to strengthen it. That’s a good thing since 24K gold is quite soft.

Another important benefit of rhodium plating is creating longevity for the item by providing resistance against everyday scratches and scrapes. It’s important to note that this shimmering white metal is also hypoallergenic, so it’s unlikely to aggravate an allergic prone wearer’s skin. Every jeweler knows this is a big deal for customers who have difficulty finding jewelry that won’t leave them with a red, itchy rash. Rhodium is highly resistant to corrosion unlike some of the alloys used in white gold. Pure gold (24K as found in the earth) doesn’t tarnish since it can’t combine easily with oxygen which promotes tarnish on metal.

Take a Dip

The rhodium plating process involves applying a thin layer of rhodium onto the piece of jewelry which makes the metal look significantly whiter and adds an attractive, reflective white finish. While this technique is routinely applied to white gold jewelry, it can also be applied to sterling silver and other precious metals.

Jewelry owners should consider re-plating their white gold jewelry with rhodium every few years – sooner if the piece is subjected to heavy daily use. Consumers might request an extra thick layer of rhodium for well-worn white gold pieces which are expected to continue having heavy wear.

What is Rhodium Anyway?

We rarely hear anything about this metal outside of its use as a plating material for white gold jewelry. Rhodium belongs to the platinum family and is considered not only precious, but rare to boot. Unlike gold and silver which were prized metals used since antiquity, rhodium is the new kid on the block.

English chemist William Hyde Wollaston discovered it in 1803 shortly after he identified the element palladium. Wollaston extracted rhodium from a chunk of platinum ore he acquired from South America. Rhodium often occurs where deposits of platinum are found, and with today’s mining, it is commonly separated through the refining process of platinum.