Lesser-Known Facts about Rhodium Plating

Diamond cutters and diamond ring manufacturers use rhodium plating to boost the durability, strength, and bright appeal of white gold, platinum, and silver diamond rings. Yet one of the major downfalls of rhodium plating diamond silver rings is that the plating on these rings will gradually wear off. Still, if you buy a silver diamond ring with the perfect thickness for plating, then you might be able to avoid constant re-plating and the discoloration of the diamond ring.

Rhodium can be defined as a pure element of silver white metal, which is also considered as a transition metal in the periodic table. Rhodium is one of the most expensive metals in the market and a single ounce of the metal costs approximately 2000 dollars.

The process of plating a diamond ring with the metal is known as rhodium plating or rhodium flashing. During this process, a thin layer of rhodium is placed over platinum, gold, and diamond silver rings to improve their brilliance and to extend their life.

You will need to replace the rhodium plating of a silver diamond ring that has been exposed to daily wear and tear within a couple of years. The process of re-plating diamond rings does not take that much time but it can be quite expensive.