Need advice! Allergic to rhodium!

[M&MS]

So, I think I already made a decision, but I wanted to see if you guys had any bright ideas...

In general I'm a pretty allergic person. I have known for a looong time that I'm very much allergic to white gold, and I thought it was because they put nickel in it to make it white (I'm allergic to nickel). So as a child I wore yellow gold, and now I wear sterling silver and just recently rose gold (none of which I'm allergic to). Then my BF got me this beautiful sterling silver charm bracelet, because I THOUGHT we'd get me a platinum e-ring and therefore it would match, but much to my dismay I had a rash after sleeping with the bracelet on for one night! I was mortified because I've NEVER been allergic to sterling silver. I did a little research and it turns out the sterling silver of the bracelet is plated in rhodium, which is what white gold is also plated in...and platinum too!!!!!! NOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!! I tried to believe I could maybe get a white gold ring made with palladium instead of nickel, but it would just be impossible to find matching items (necklaces, etc). So, with my head hung low, I've decided I have no choice but to wear rose gold for the rest of my life, including my e-ring. Now, don't get me wrong, I really do actually like rose gold, but I feel like nothing makes a diamond look more beautiful than white metals. So, I've sort of come to terms with my situation and accepted it, but (1) I felt like complaining and (2) everyone here is so smart, I thought just maybe someone might think of something I didn't. Am I the only person on the planet with this problem?!

 

[JulieN]

Just don''t rhodium plate your platinum e-ring. There is no problem.

 

[M&MS]

Well, even if I did that, it would be really hard to find other items to match that I''m not allergic to...I can''t buy everything in platinum. And I think it''s pretty standard to rhodium plate platinum...I talked to some jewelers and they claim you have to or platinum looks yellowish.

I guess I already know there is no other solution that will satisfy me besides the rose gold. Does anyone have a rose gold ring already and like it? I feel like it''s pretty rare.

 

[neatfreak]

Date: 6/8/2008 8:33:43 PM
Author: M&MS
Well, even if I did that, it would be really hard to find other items to match that I'm not allergic to...I can't buy everything in platinum. And I think it's pretty standard to rhodium plate platinum...I talked to some jewelers and they claim you have to or platinum looks yellowish.


I guess I already know there is no other solution that will satisfy me besides the rose gold. Does anyone have a rose gold ring already and like it? I feel like it's pretty rare.

Those jewelers lie or aren't good jewelers. You do NOT need to rhodium platinum and it will NEVER yellow and it really isn't standard to rhodium platinum. Platinum or yellow gold are your other options unfortunately. You can probably do stainless steel or titanium for cheaper jewelery as well.

 

[laine]

Neatfreak is right, you absolutely do not need to rhodium plate platinum, thats part of the appeal of it--that is it will stay white/silvery without the upkeep of plating.

You could do platinum, palladium, white gold alloyed with palladium, stainless steel, titanium, or sterling silver, though you would have to specify no rhodium plating.

While these metals will not look like exactly the same color, they're pretty damn similar. I wear white gold, sterling silver, and stainless steel together and really don't notice any difference in color (and I've compared platinum, it is similar as well). As long as they aren't stacked on the same finger, I doubt you'd notice a difference in the metal colors (and even right next to each other, I can't see the difference in some of these).

ETA: I think rhodium is in the same category of metal as platinum, and that it would be unusual to be allergic to it, so I'd probably check into things further before you assume thats the problem. Also, I read somewhere (no idea how accurate this is) that some rhodium was being mined as a byproduct of nickel, and thus might contain nickel, which you're allergic too. Also, rhodium plating is quite thin, so you potentially could be reacting to the metal underneath.

 

[FrekeChild]

Ditto to neatfreak and laine. The only things I''d worry about getting the same metal in would be your wedding set. Not only for matching, but also for a softer metal to not get eaten away by a harder metal.

Were they talking about white gold? When the Rhodium wears off that, it can turn yellowish, but platinum never turns yellowish. Over time it develops a gray patina, but never yellow.

 

[honey22]

No props at all! You certainly don''t have to plate platinum, I have never heard of anyone that does actually. You can get lots of stuff in platinum, but you only really need to worry about your ering and wband being platinum.

 

[Deelight]

Date: 6/8/2008 8:49:16 PM
Author: neatfreak

Date: 6/8/2008 8:33:43 PM

Author: M&MS

Well, even if I did that, it would be really hard to find other items to match that I''m not allergic to...I can''t buy everything in platinum. And I think it''s pretty standard to rhodium plate platinum...I talked to some jewelers and they claim you have to or platinum looks yellowish.



I guess I already know there is no other solution that will satisfy me besides the rose gold. Does anyone have a rose gold ring already and like it? I feel like it''s pretty rare.

Those jewelers lie or aren''t good jewelers. You do NOT need to rhodium platinum and it will NEVER yellow and it really isn''t standard to rhodium platinum. Platinum or yellow gold are your other options unfortunately. You can probably do stainless steel or titanium for cheaper jewelery as well.

Ditto to Neatfreak Platinum definitely does not need to be rhodium plated.

I mix my metals all the time I personally like it

 

[Ms.Dreamy]

I love rose gold but most of my jewelery is white gold. I am allergic to nickel too - I never wear any silver jewellery but I don''t have problems with any wg peice I have... But I remarked that in the US they do often use a "lower quality" (less gold and more other stuff in it) of wg (14K wg) than in europe and maybe the put even nickel in it - but I am sure there is no nickel in one of my wg pieces (all european). Maybe you should talk to a jeweller about what you are allergic to and if he could do something in wg or plat for you without the ingrediences that you are allergic to. it has only to do with the other substaces he has to put into the wg to make it harder (100% wg would be too soft) - so I am sure there is a solution to be found. Especially with platinum there shoud not be a problem.

In your case I would have a simple band ring made first if you''ve found a meterial that might work for you and try that for a few weeks (don''t take the ring off overnight etc.) before you get your e-ring made. - you could use the band ring for stacking after that so your money isn''t lost and your 100% sure that the material is right for your e-ring.