Iridium Wedding Rings

[Kirsten88Gallegos]

I’m getting married and my husband-to-be is a Ph.D metallurgist and he wants to exchange IRIDIUM (?) wedding bands, I told him platinum would be perfectly fine, but he said iridium is even more expensive and very rare. I took a look at the company that makes them and the metal appears to be safe but I don’t know. Does anyone know if iridium rings are safe to wear? Do they break easy? What does the metal look like? Gold? Platinum?

 

[oldmancoyote]

Hello Kirsten, congratulations on your wedding.

Iridium is safe to wear and non allergenic. In fact, pure iridium is practically inert chemically (pure iridium will not dissolve in aqua regia)

In many countries including the USA platinum/iridium alloys are considered and hallmarked as if they were made of platinum alone (as long as platinum is at least 50% of total weight). At any rate, it hardly matters, given that pure iridium is more valuable/expensive than platinum.

It's harder and slightly denser than platinum, however final mechanical properties will depend on what it is alloyed with. Whatever the case, I doubt it's going to be more fragile or requiring more care than platinum (i.e. very little).

Iridium is also whiter than platinum, almost silvery - platinum has a grey cast, which is why sometimes it is rhodium plated.

 

[musey]

Date: 9/5/2008 3:32:59 PM
Author: oldmancoyote
Iridium is also whiter than platinum, almost silvery - platinum has a grey cast, which is why sometimes it is rhodium plated.

Platinum is sometimes rhodium plated, or iridium is?

I''ve never heard of platinum being rhodium plated. Learn something new every day!

 

[oldmancoyote]

Platinum is sometimes rhodium plated; some alloys can be quite grey, almost steel-like. I like grey platinum a lot, especially when satinated/brushed, but others prefer the silvery shine of rhodium.

 

[oldmancoyote]

Just to correct my bad above. Iridium is rarer than platinum, but it''s about 1/3 of the price since there is less demand for it.

http://www.taxfreegold.co.uk/preciousmetalpricesusdollars.html

 

[tberube]

I hear so much about rhodium plating...if rhodium is so nice and shiny, why aren''t jewelry pieces made of pure rhodium?

 

[ilovethiswebsite]

Date: 9/14/2008 11:00:59 AM
Author: tberube
I hear so much about rhodium plating...if rhodium is so nice and shiny, why aren't jewelry pieces made of pure rhodium?

If I am not mistaken - it's just a cheapy metal... All of Swarofski's jewelry is Rhodium plated.. I hate it... I got a bad ear infection last time I wore my swarofski earrings

 

[Fly Girl]

Date: 9/14/2008 11:00:59 AM
Author: tberube
I hear so much about rhodium plating...if rhodium is so nice and shiny, why aren''t jewelry pieces made of pure rhodium?

Rhodium is extremely expensive. Earlier this summer it was over $9,000 an ounce. Link So, it is generally used in a thin coat over another metal.

 

[tberube]

haha...how interesting...one answer calls it a "cheap" metal, and another calls it expensive. I have a tendency to believe the latter, considering the linky. Thanks! Wow...has anyone ever seen a piece of jewelry that was pure rhodium? Such an icy-silver metal, it would be beautiful, I''d think.

BTW - sorry for the threadjack, kirsten88....eek.

 

[PawnShopHustler]

I''ve never seen a rhodium ring but a Neil Garnett Ltd in London makes them (Rh80/Pt20).

 

[ilovethiswebsite]

Date: 9/14/2008 12:10:01 PM
Author: Fly Girl

Date: 9/14/2008 11:00:59 AM
Author: tberube
I hear so much about rhodium plating...if rhodium is so nice and shiny, why aren''t jewelry pieces made of pure rhodium?

Rhodium is extremely expensive. Earlier this summer it was over $9,000 an ounce. Link So, it is generally used in a thin coat over another metal.

I stand corrected then... I always thought Rhodium looked and felt cheap but I suppose it''s due to the thin coating they use...

 

[gladyskristen]

Date: 9/14/2008 11:31:28 AM
Author: ilovethiswebsite

Date: 9/14/2008 11:00:59 AM

Author: tberube

I hear so much about rhodium plating...if rhodium is so nice and shiny, why aren''t jewelry pieces made of pure rhodium?

If I am not mistaken - it''s just a cheapy metal... All of Swarofski''s jewelry is Rhodium plated.. I hate it... I got a bad ear infection last time I wore my swarofski earrings

I think your allergic reaction was probably from the nickel in the earring setting, rather than the rhodium plating.

 

[somehowcollide]

Some interesting information about iridium on this PS thread. Keep in mind that the thread is from 2004.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Date: 9/15/2008 5:16:29 AM
Author: gladyskristen

Date: 9/14/2008 11:31:28 AM
Author: ilovethiswebsite

Date: 9/14/2008 11:00:59 AM

Author: tberube

I hear so much about rhodium plating...if rhodium is so nice and shiny, why aren''t jewelry pieces made of pure rhodium?

If I am not mistaken - it''s just a cheapy metal... All of Swarofski''s jewelry is Rhodium plated.. I hate it... I got a bad ear infection last time I wore my swarofski earrings

I think your allergic reaction was probably from the nickel in the earring setting, rather than the rhodium plating.

Yep! Rhodium is very expensive. But what is underneath may be very cheap!