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Would You Rhodium Plate?

Would you rhodium plate this ring?

  • Total voters
    13
snaphappy

snaphappy

Rough_Rock
Joined
Mar 30, 2025
Messages
92
I made the mistake of reaching out to David Klass and he said I wouldn’t lose any detail in the engraving if I rhodium plate my ring. It would also lighten up my diamond, considerably? Look underneath the diamond, imagine all that rhodium plated… wouldn’t it brighten up the diamond? Plus it’s j-m. Rhodium will whiten it up a bit? I like the sound of that!

But am I betraying the original intention of the designer? I almost feel like this is an egyptian inspired ring from the early 30’s. Should I just honor the original design? This is the best looking yellow gold setting I’ve ever seen!

IMG_9847.jpegIMG_9850.jpegIMG_9934.jpegIMG_9936.jpegIMG_9952.jpeg
 
No way.
 
I needed to do more research. I just watched a video that shows how the rhodium cannot get into nooks and crannies. And my entire ring is nooks and crannies. Bummer. Mods can delete this thread, if possible, sorry
 
I personally would rhodium plate (if it can be done cleanly) because I like WG settings for everyday wear. Plus rhodium isn’t permanent, if you don’t like how it looks, it can be removed (though in doing so you will clean up any patina on the metal).
 
If you like the look of white gold then by all means rhodium plate it.

For me, I love yellow gold and I think this setting is already there. I wonder if DK can gold plate it with say an 18k antique gold to bring out the details on the ring.
 
That would be one very big, very shiny ring! Personally I prefer the subtlety of the yellow gold, and I’d hate to lost the chased detailing… but it’s not my ring.

I know this might just be an artifact of the photography, but is it possible that the ring might originally have been two-tone? It looks as if the cup holding the diamond might be a lighter color than the band. Would it be possible to plate just that with white gold or rhodium, and give the rest of the ring a good to bring out the beauty of the design?
 
I wouldn’t personally because I love the patina older pieces have… it’s like aged wine if you will.

Can I hijack your thread for a moment with another non related metal question? Suppose you have something that is 18k yellow gold, can you plated it with 18k rose gold?
 
Unmount the stone and plate there - maybe.
The whole thing - no.

Areas that rub anything will wear away and need replated as the yellow will show through. Then you live with that or get it replated. If the first plating doesn’t happen to muddy up the engraving too much - I’d think the next ones would. Replating just the lower shank that gets the most wear - I don’t know if that’s a real possibility or a good idea?

I’m not really a fan of the look of white plating (or the never needs plating white gold x1 alloy either) nor do I think I’d be that happy with the look of plating over old engraving - so that’s where I’m coming from.
 
I would not plate it. The plating will wear off and if you wear the ring all the time, it can happen fairly quickly. Plus, the ring is beautiful as it is. It's a great setting. I wouldn't mess with it.
 
Like @Rfisher suggested, I wonder if there's a way to plate just the inside of the head? But @snaphappy , as I'm looking at your photos, and at the original TRR photos, I'm curious. The head almost looks like an unplated white gold, and not yellow. Is that the case, or is it just a trick of the eye?
 
lala646 said:
Like @Rfisher suggested, I wonder if there's a way to plate just the inside of the head? But @snaphappy , as I'm looking at your photos, and at the original TRR photos, I'm curious. The head almost looks like an unplated white gold, and not yellow. Is that the case, or is it just a trick of the eye?
Click to expand...

I can never decide. When I put my hand in my pocket that part of the ring catches on my pants. I think that caused considerable wear over the decades. Most of the engraving around the diamond is gone. So maybe the white gold around the diamond wore away too?
 
I’m not plating it though. Just going to leave it be. I’ve had a lot of fun researching OEC and watching this diamond glow in the dark. I had no idea I was getting an OEC and had lots of research to do!
 
^ Happy to see this decision. There is a lot of authentic-looking loss of detail in the engraving that has occurred with age. What remains is highlighted by the patina. If you were to remove that and superimpose gleaming rhodium, it would just look like poorly-made brand-new jewelry, imo. High price to pay for a color-grade jump in the (appearance of the) diamond.
 
Oh good! There’s an inscribed antique 22k yellow gold Tiffany band listed on eBay. Gorgeous right? Wrong.

The previous owner had it polished to a like new condition for its next owner :angryfire: … I get so mad every time I see it when I’m scrolling on there lol
 
VRBeauty said:
That would be one very big, very shiny ring! Personally I prefer the subtlety of the yellow gold, and I’d hate to lost the chased detailing… but it’s not my ring.

I know this might just be an artifact of the photography, but is it possible that the ring might originally have been two-tone? It looks as if the cup holding the diamond might be a lighter color than the band. Would it be possible to plate just that with white gold or rhodium, and give the rest of the ring a good to bring out the beauty of the design?
Click to expand...

This. I noticed the 2 tone instantly. I would totally plate the bezel etc around the diamond. And it’s not permanent.
 
lavenderdragonfly23 said:
I wouldn’t personally because I love the patina older pieces have… it’s like aged wine if you will.

Can I hijack your thread for a moment with another non related metal question? Suppose you have something that is 18k yellow gold, can you plated it with 18k rose gold?
Click to expand...

Yes
 
Mrsz1ppy said:
This. I noticed the 2 tone instantly. I would totally plate the bezel etc around the diamond. And it’s not permanent.
Click to expand...
Does the stone have to be removed to plate the bezel?
 
snaphappy said:
I’m not plating it though. Just going to leave it be. I’ve had a lot of fun researching OEC and watching this diamond glow in the dark. I had no idea I was getting an OEC and had lots of research to do!
Click to expand...

Aren’t they fun? I’m addicted to old cuts.
 
VRBeauty said:
That would be one very big, very shiny ring! Personally I prefer the subtlety of the yellow gold, and I’d hate to lost the chased detailing… but it’s not my ring.

I know this might just be an artifact of the photography, but is it possible that the ring might originally have been two-tone? It looks as if the cup holding the diamond might be a lighter color than the band. Would it be possible to plate just that with white gold or rhodium, and give the rest of the ring a good to bring out the beauty of the design?
Click to expand...

Platinum, or maybe it’s white gold around the diamond? DKJ could tell OP, using XRF.
 
Last edited:
Mrsz1ppy said:
Never heard of platinum being used to plate anything, so I don’t know.
Click to expand...

There’s a jewelry designer whose pieces show up on RR that uses platinum to plate silver or another base metal. So I’m assuming yes, but just a guess.
 
It would be great if DKJ could lighten just the white metal bezel and interior surround, but maybe impossible to do safely (don’t know). I would not touch the aged yellow gold patina though.
 
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