The usage of rhodium plating as a bright protective finish on decorative objects has become increasingly popular. Rhodium is used in jewelry to plate over white gold (which tends to have a yellowish cast in it’s natural state) or for turning yellow gold white in color. The latter is done in small areas to give a two-tone effect or to completely change a ring from yellow to white. The process (rhodium plating) is not permanent, but can be re-done as many times as you like. How long the plating lasts is determined by how often the piece is worn, how abusive the wearer is to the piece, and the chemical composition of the wearer’s skin.

What is rhodium?
Rhodium is a member of the platinum metals group; the other members include platinum, palladium, ruthenium, iridium and osmium.

Where does rhodium occur in nature?
The primary sources for rhodium are in Russia, South Africa andCanada. The industrial extraction of rhodium is complicated bythe fact that it occurs naturally with numerous other native ores. Mixed with other metals such as platinum, silver and nickel, the separation and refinement of rhodium ores ar quite expensive. Only about 9-10 metric tons are produced annually worldwide.

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