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What is rhodium-plated silver: reviews when it gets dark
Silver jewelry is refined and elegant and, moreover, according to legends, protect a person from evil otherworldly forces. However, products made of this noble metal have one drawback – they darken from prolonged contact with human skin. Rhodium plated silver solves this problem. Jewelry made from it retains the refined beauty of ordinary silver, but becomes less susceptible to external influences.
What is Rhodium Plated Silver
What is Rhodium Plated Silver
In order to protect silver items from blackening and give them a greater shine, jewelry is covered with a thin layer of rhodium – a metal from the platinum group. It also belongs to the precious and even costs much more than gold (over $ 700 per ounce). But this metal is fragile and practically impossible to process, therefore, by itself, it is not suitable for crafts.
But the galvanized rhodium coating significantly improves both the appearance and the quality of the products.
By the way, the metal is called rhodium and it has nothing to do with the radioactive element radium. Therefore, the frequently encountered phrase “radiated silver” is a common grammatical mistake.
Despite the fact that rhodium-plated silver is becoming more and more popular in the world of jewelry, reviews about it are different and not always positive. This is due to the disadvantages of jewelry with such a coating.
- The appearance of rhodium-plated silver items is still somewhat different, for example, too shiny and whiter surface. Silver fans don’t always like this.
- From prolonged wear, the rhodium layer can be erased, and if not handled carefully enough, cracks and chips appear.
- If the rhodium-plated silver jewelry is damaged, then neither soldering nor gluing will help. We’ll have to go to a specialized workshop.
- Such jewelry is more expensive than just silver.
If all this does not bother you, recommendations for the care of such jewelry will come in handy.
What to do if rhodium plated silver darkens
Although the rhodium plating method is primarily intended to protect silver items from blackening, it happens that such jewelry also darkens. The reasons for this may be different:
– simple contamination from contact of the product with the sebaceous glands of the skin and dust;
– exposure to sweat;
– frequent contact with the decoration of alcohol-containing liquids: lotions, deodorants, perfumes;
– exposure to household chemicals, especially those containing ammonia.
To avoid darkening of rhodium-plated silver, it is recommended to take off items during sports activities, washing dishes and cleaning the apartment. And apply perfume and deodorant before wearing a silver chain, necklace or earrings.
If rhodium-plated silver jewelry is dirty and has lost its luster, then they should not be cleaned with chalk, tooth powder, and even more so with alcohol. You just need to rinse the jewelry under running water and wipe it with a soft cloth.
Compliance with these simple rules can extend the life of rhodium-plated silver items, so they will delight you for a long time with exquisite beauty and brilliance.
Mam par retizku s rhodiem a to vcetne kanu jako je cesky granat, uz od pohledu se samotny retizek vubec neleskl vypadal jak sedy kov. Na krku mi za 2 hodiny uplne zcernal, no zklamana jsem byla tedy velmi!. Mam stribra dost desitky let a snadno je vycistim za 2 minuty ovsem s tim rhodiem je to porad sede takze ty sperky proste nenosim. Proste to nechapu? Vubec to nevypada jako stribro ze bych se napalila a koupila neco spatne?? Dekuji Oldriska