Those who acquire a new piece of jewelry have one desire - it must remain as beautiful, elegant and attractive even after many years. To do this, you should put a lot of effort, and sometimes means. But usually there is not enough time even for basic home cleaning, not to mention trips to jewelers. Precisely for this purpose, jewelry rhodium was invented .
What is an element of rhodium?
Rhodium is often used in jewelry. He is considered a noble representative of the platinum group. This is a bright metal with an unusual strength. Its main feature - rhodium is not susceptible to oxidation in air and acid. Outwardly, it is a light metal, very similar to silver, having a steel sheen, but with respect to hardness the other precious metals are inferior to it. When heated, it becomes plastic and interacts well with other metals, many craftsmen actively use rhodium in jewelry, creating beautiful jewelry.
The secret of rhodium
How is rhodium used in jewelry? Let's see what rhodium is. This is a coating of any precious metal with a thin layer (from 0.1 to 1 micron) of rhodium. This procedure gives the metal high strength, immunity to oxidation and the effects of certain chemicals, as well as some other advantages:
- Protection against temperature changes (cold, heat, dry or humid air).
- The decoration takes on a completely different look. A beautiful steel shine appears, which does not disappear over time.
- There is no need for constant cleaning, because rhodium does not allow large particles of dirt to lie on the surface of the product.
- A thin layer of this metal perfectly distinguishes noble stones against its background: diamonds, rubies, emeralds, sapphires.
How much does rhodium-plated jewelry cost? The price of the product will depend, first of all, on what metal it is made of. That is, jewelry made of cheap metal can be bought for 1500-2000 rubles. Accordingly, from expensive metal the product will cost much more.
How is the procedure for applying metal
How is rhodium used in jewelry? Is the process of applying it to a decoration difficult? The process of coating one metal with another is not complicated, and any jeweler of the "average hand" can conduct it, but you need to trust only specialists in their field. Therefore, you should choose only trusted masters.
To understand how the ruling process is carried out, it is enough to look into the textbook of physics of the seventh grade, but you can explain a couple of sentences:
- It is best to carry out the rhodium on new jewelry, on the surface of which there are no flaws and damage. Then the rhodium layer will lie more precisely and thinner, as a conclusion: less cost, a prettier thing.
- The decoration is polished, thoroughly degreased and washed. The rhodium layer must be integrated with another precious metal, and any layer of dirt or dust microparticles can cause failure.
- The basis of the whole process is the same physics, or rather, the phenomenon of galvanization. In a galvanic bath with a specific solution, the jewelry is lowered and electric current is supplied. Under its action, rhodium is released from the solution and covers the product with a thin layer. By the strength of the current and the duration of the process, the thickness of the coating layer can be freely varied. On average, the process takes several minutes.
The disadvantages of the rhodium process
Rhodium plating jewelry has many advantages. But no matter how good this element of the periodic table is, it also has its drawbacks. They are not significant, but it is better to familiarize yourself with them in advance.
- The coating procedure itself does not take much time, but it requires certain tools and the ability to handle them. Real jewelers who are able to work with rhodium, take a decent fee for their art. Therefore, having decided to cover his jewelry with rhodium, the client should be ready to invest certain funds in this.
- True connoisseurs of precious products believe that rhodium hides the natural beauty of metals. And in the case of application, it overlaps the true value of the decoration.
- Unfortunately, rhodium cannot be soldered. When the jewelry is deformed, the rhodium layer has to be applied again over the entire surface, and the initial procedure is repeated. And since even the thickest layer of rhodium erases with time, sooner or later it will have to be done.
- If the owner of the product coated with rhodium is about to sell it, then this will cause some trouble when evaluating. It will not be easy for a jeweler to determine the metal from which the jewelry was originally made. What if rhodium was used in jewelry? The price of pure rhodium is quite high. But given the fact that the top layer will have to be violated in order to find out what metal the jewelry is made of, the cost of the product can significantly suffer.
Some tips for caring for rhodium-plated products
As mentioned above, close care for such products is not required, it is enough to do the following:
- Wipe the jewelry every few months. As a liquid for wiping, it is best to use ordinary shampoo.
- In no case should you use any chemicals to clean the coating from fine dirt.
- Do not use materials with fine crumbs for cleaning.
The best option is to provide the professional with a choice of actions. Just take the item to the jeweler.