Question about Rhodium plating

[junhox212]

Hello,

my wife and I found a 14k gold ring that we liked where we can use our 0.23 diamond we already have. Only issue is that the yellow gold color looked a bit “tacky”, like childish or fake looking color- for a lack of better word. We asked our jeweler and he said it would eventually become darker. When we compared it with our 18k gold yellow gold ring it just looks less expensive and “tacky.” Our jeweler says it would cost way more to do the 18k like we want because the company that make it would have to make a tailor made one. My question is whether anyone know what I am talking about in color of yellow gold ring and another question is whether you can buy a 14k yellow gold ring and rhodium plate it with 18k gold material to make it have a 18k gold color which to me is what we want. Can anyone provide us with any advice? Thank you!

 

[sledge]

If you aren’t aware, gold is typically mixed (alloyed) with other metal types when making jewlery. The amount (or purity) of gold is then reported as karats.

• 24k= 24/24 = 100%
• 18k = 18/24 = 75%
• 14k = 14/24 = 58.3%
• 10k = 10/24 = 41.7%

The higher the gold content the more yellow the gold and also the softer the jewelry. Rarely is 24k used for rings because they are very soft and almost orangish in color. Many people like 18k as it has a rich yellow color, and firmer than 24k but still soft in comparison to 10k or 14k gold pieces. As you continue to decrease karats, the yellow will get more “watered” down or pale as there is less true gold content and higher fillers of other metals. The advantage is strength goes up a bit as karats go down. As you noticed, 14k has a noticeable color difference to 18k gold.

It’s worth noting also that the fillers that are alloyed with the gold will vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. Popular metals are copper & nickel and one of the reasons pure white metals, such as platinum, are popular to those with nickel allergies. The exact filler material(s) used will also contribute to color & strength characteristics as well as pricing.

Because gold is a precious metal and more expensive than the fillers it is alloyed with, a higher karat piece of jewlery will also cost more money because it has higher gold content. Exact pricing will vary based on manufacturers and/or dealer markups. As an example I pulled a very basic solitaire from a popular vendor here and you can see 14k gold is $350, whereas 18k is an extra $150 making the total $500.

4-Prong Classic solitaire for fancy-cut | 8

4-Prong Classic solitaire for fancy-cut. Experience the simple allure of a solitaire engagement ring. | 8

www.whiteflash.com

Most vendors will offer their rings in various metal types although not every metal type is always offered. If the original designer doesn’t offer 18k my guess is the jewlery store is making a “copy cat” on their own bench using the metal type you want. Depending on the ring it may be difficult to duplicate exactly so it may be worth asking before you proceed.

Rhodium plating is used on yellow gold to give a white appearance, or “white gold” look. It eventually wears off over time and has to re-plated on a continuous basis. Exact duration varies person to person as our internal chemical composure can react different to the plating. Many people see 12-18 month of use before plating again.

I am not as familiar with yellow options, so will let others comment but I believe a gold plate or gold fill are the options you seek. I typically see this done on cheaper pieces of jewlery such as silver where a different look is desired. I believe the fill is much thicker than a plate.

 

[caolsen]

@sledge gave you a fantastic run down on why gold can and does vary in color. Where gold was made will impact the color as well, as the fillers can and do vary. Russian yellow gold uses a lot of copper, as there is a lot of copper is Russia So yellow Russian gold versus American may be more red in tone.

Also, rhodium is a metal, as is gold. You can’t rhodium plate gold as plating is an electrochemical process by which a thin layer of gold is deposited on the surface of another metal. An electric current draws gold ions, which are positively charged, through a gold bath solution, allowing them to adhere to the negatively charged piece of metal.

 

[OECfan]

Gold colour is a matter of preference - I prefer the watered down/lighter gold sledge referred to because it’s more flattering on me. I have a 99.9% gold chain that I inherited from my grandma that I’ll be melting down to make other jewelry because it’s far too dark and yellow and makes me look sallow.

Personally I’d just have the ring made in the gold karat/colour you want. How much is “way more” when you compare paying for a higher amount of gold in the alloy? Unless it’s a hand forged or hand carved piece, I really can’t see it being that much more (beyond material cost) if it’s wax cast and a standard design they have? Do you have photos?

Sounds like the jeweller may be trying to make a quick sale off you. I’ve never had a jeweller suggest I settle.

 

[oldminer]

Both gold plating and rhodium plating generally are applied in a thin layer. They look great, but generally have a relatively short lifetime before they wear away. Rhodium prices currently are $29,000 per ounce, so expect especially thin plating from some users even though it does not use much rhodium to plate a ring. A typical ring uses less than $1 of metal to plate it, but labor, equipment, preparation and EPA issues add substantially to the overall expense. Gold plating is less costly since gold is so much less costly than rhodium , but requires somewhat more knowledge, skill and labor to get the desired color and effect. There are the usual technical and EPA issues, too. With gold plating you can have nearly any color, bright polish or soft surface finish you want but it is in the hands of the plater to be able to give you the desired results. Without a sample to see, a plater may need to do the job several times until the right color and finish is achieved. A visual sample can makes it easier to communicate.

Plating used on a daily wear ring will not be highly durable. Plating one sees on Victorian brooches and pendants often is well over 100 years old and looks just fine. It is more a matter of infrequent wear than an extra thick coating.

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

Both gold plating and rhodium plating generally are applied in a thin layer. They look great, but generally have a relatively short lifetime before they wear away. Rhodium prices currently are $29,000 per ounce, so expect especially thin plating from some users even though it does not use much rhodium to plate a ring. A typical ring uses less than $1 of metal to plate it, but labor, equipment, preparation and EPA issues add substantially to the overall expense. Gold plating is less costly since gold is so much less costly than rhodium , but requires somewhat more knowledge, skill and labor to get the desired color and effect. There are the usual technical and EPA issues, too. With gold plating you can have nearly any color, bright polish or soft surface finish you want but it is in the hands of the plater to be able to give you the desired results. Without a sample to see, a plater may need to do the job several times until the right color and finish is achieved. A visual sample can makes it easier to communicate.

Plating used on a daily wear ring will not be highly durable. Plating one sees on Victorian brooches and pendants often is well over 100 years old and looks just fine. It is more a matter of infrequent wear than an extra thick coating.

If @junhox212 doesnt mind may i take this opertunity to ask a rhodium question of my own please.
Does rhodium plating have any effect on the hardness of a ring ?

 

[sledge]

If @junhox212 doesnt mind may i take this opertunity to ask a rhodium question of my own please.
Does rhodium plating have any effect on the hardness of a ring ?

Any structural value would be very, very minimal. Rhodium plating is very thin, about 1-2 microns. For comparison, a human hair is 100 microns thick.

In addition to that, the plating is not always evenly distributed/coated. So you have high & low areas.

 

[caolsen]

Another tidbit is that Rhodium is actually very brittle, on its own. A pure rhodium ingot would snap in half like a cracker if you put it in a vice. Virtually no ductilability…

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

Thank you @sledge and @caolsen

 

[monipod]

The gold content in 18K is higher but the colour can still vary quite a bit. You might end up plating your 14K in 18K but still not like the colour. As long as your jeweller understands what you're aiming for, it's worth having a go at plating the ring.

 

[sledge]

The gold content in 18K is higher but the colour can still vary quite a bit. You might end up plating your 14K in 18K but still not like the colour. As long as your jeweller understands what you're aiming for, it's worth having a go at plating the ring.

Very true. It’s the combination of the gold itself plus the EXACT material types & percentages of the fillers/alloys used by the SPECIFIC manufacturer of the ring.

As @caolsen pointed out earlier, a Russian yellow gold may be more yellow/orange due to their higher use of copper.

By chance is this the same jeweler that sold you the original ring? Was it a custom band their shop made, or was it made by one of the designers like Stuller? Knowing the source of the original may help you determine what filler/alloys were used so the new piece can match closely.

 

[junhox212]

Hello,

thank you everyone for your responses and I apologize for a late reply. I explained to my jeweler that this color issue is very important to my wife and he said he would make one 18k yellow gold with the goal of color of my wife’s liking. He will show it to us this Saturday and if we like it, he would mount the diamond on it. This difference from 14k to 18k would cost us $100. I don’t know anything about gold prices but i appreciated his efforts. I will keep you all posted with how it all goes! Thanks

 

[monipod]

Hello,

thank you everyone for your responses and I apologize for a late reply. I explained to my jeweler that this color issue is very important to my wife and he said he would make one 18k yellow gold with the goal of color of my wife’s liking. He will show it to us this Saturday and if we like it, he would mount the diamond on it. This difference from 14k to 18k would cost us $100. I don’t know anything about gold prices but i appreciated his efforts. I will keep you all posted with how it all goes! Thanks

I think that's the best outcome and the extra price is worth it.

 

[sledge]

Hello,

thank you everyone for your responses and I apologize for a late reply. I explained to my jeweler that this color issue is very important to my wife and he said he would make one 18k yellow gold with the goal of color of my wife’s liking. He will show it to us this Saturday and if we like it, he would mount the diamond on it. This difference from 14k to 18k would cost us $100. I don’t know anything about gold prices but i appreciated his efforts. I will keep you all posted with how it all goes! Thanks

Sounds like a win-win deal for you. You get to see the color before you commit and if you aren't happy I assume you can walk away with NO lost money. Also, the $100 premium sounds more than reasonable.

I know we are picking here....but did the jeweler clarify if it's a true 18k ring? Or if it's a 14k ring with 18k gold plating/filling? Think of the difference like an M&M (the candy). The inside chocolate is the 14k and the shell is the 18k in a plating/filling operation.

Fingers crossed it's true 18k and not just plated/filled.

 

[OECfan]

Hello,

thank you everyone for your responses and I apologize for a late reply. I explained to my jeweler that this color issue is very important to my wife and he said he would make one 18k yellow gold with the goal of color of my wife’s liking. He will show it to us this Saturday and if we like it, he would mount the diamond on it. This difference from 14k to 18k would cost us $100. I don’t know anything about gold prices but i appreciated his efforts. I will keep you all posted with how it all goes! Thanks

I think this is a very reasonable cost to ensure you get exactly what you and your wife want! Definitely much better than plating which would cost $$ to upkeep over time. I'm glad it worked out!