Why Are Some Sterling Silver Charms Covered With Rhodium Plating?

March 14, 2013 | By fitzcharming | Reply More

Rhodium plated charm vs charm with patina

There are several reasons. First I’ll explain what rhodium plating is. Rhodium is a rare metal that is mined along with platinum. It’s very expensive and not practical to use to make jewelry, however it is very commonly used as a thin covering for gold and silver jewelry because of its reflective properties. The process of applying rhodium to other metal is called electroplating.

A good use for rhodium plating is in the creation of white gold, which is not by nature actually white. Pure gold starts out yellow and white gold is made by adding several alloy metals to “bleach” it. The result is a pale yellow or grey-ish color metal. Rhodium is very commonly used to plate white gold jewelry to make it sparkle and shine.

Another reason for plating jewelry, particularly in wedding rings, is that the reflective surface makes diamonds look more brilliant. The mirror like surface makes diamonds look bigger and brighter. Nothing accents diamonds like rhodium plating.

Rhodium plated pendant

So what is the reason for rhodium plating sterling silver charms? It’s a very hard finish and many manufacturers cover their charms to protect them from tarnishing and scratching. They make the charms sparkle like other jewelry and sometimes the nature of the charm bracelet requires that type of finish. You will find this a lot with high fashion jewelry made by companies like Dior and Gucci.

For those of us that collect vintage sterling silver charms, rhodium plating is generally not considered desirable. Most collectors like the warm patina that develops as a piece of silver jewelry ages. Real tarnish can be wiped off with a soft jewelry cloth leaving the smooth sheen created by years of tiny surface scratches from every day wear.

Un-plated vintage charm

Another reason vintage charm collectors tend to shy away from rhodium plating is that the finish doesn’t last forever. The plating process nowadays is very good but still jewelry pieces that receive a lot of wear, like wedding rings, need to be replated from time to time. Vintage charms, like most vintage collectibles, are more sought-after when they are in their original state.

Here is an example of what happens when rhodium plating starts to peel. I ran across this while looking through some old jewelry. This charm isn’t even what I would call vintage, and the finish is coming off. It would be almost impossible to peel all of the plating off and make the charm unfinished, and because it’s not a designer label, sentimental, or rare, it’s not likely worth having it replated. As far as collectible or resale value, this piece is garbage. I’ll send it to the refinery as scrap.

Charm with peeling rhodium plating

The choice of buying rhodium plated charms or untreated charms is all about personal preference. Some people like shiny charms, some don’t. And some like a few of each. It’s just a good idea to know what the difference is before you buy. What type of silver finish do you prefer?