If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. |
|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#1
|
|||
|
|||
Rhodium Plating to improve setting
Hello all,
Here's another crazy question. I just talked to a jeweler who tells me a solid 14k gold ring has some rhodium plating at the diamond area to improve upon the setting strength. In other words, he says the rhodium helps keep the diamonds secure. This is a mens channel set diamond ring. I've never heard of rhodium being used to strengthen a setting. Because rhodium wears away in time, wouldn't the setting be compromised? Am I a naive rookie and is this common or is someone telling me something funny? |
Ads |
#2
|
|||
|
|||
Rhodium Plating to improve setting
On Wed, 14 Dec 2005 18:59:31 -0800, in rec.crafts.jewelry "Ronald"
wrote: Hello all, Here's another crazy question. I just talked to a jeweler who tells me a solid 14k gold ring has some rhodium plating at the diamond area to improve upon the setting strength. In other words, he says the rhodium helps keep the diamonds secure. This is a mens channel set diamond ring. I've never heard of rhodium being used to strengthen a setting. Because rhodium wears away in time, wouldn't the setting be compromised? Am I a naive rookie and is this common or is someone telling me something funny? Rhodium plating is commonly used behind diamond settings in order to makethat metal very white, non-tarnishing, and somewhat more scratch resistant. It doesn't usually improve the security of the diamond setting, but does improve, in some cases, the appearance. One possible exception to this might be that rhodium plating covers the white gold with a metal that is more resistant to corrosion than nickle based white golds can be, especially if exposed to chlorine, such as swimming pool water and the like. This can cause, over time, stress corrosion that can weaken white golds, but it's normally an issue with prongs, not channel settings. Butin those cases, the rhodium plating might lessen the potentially damaging effects of the chlorine in the water (or a couple other things that can also attack the gold). This isn't, by the way, a major problem for most people. But thefolks who wear the white gold jewerly while swimming at the club every day, might be affected... The other aspect that might be true to the statement is simply that rhodium is indeed a harder surface than most white golds, so for at least the periodof time while it exists on the exposed surfaces of the ring, it will slow down the abasion and wear on the gold. Not eliminate it, but slow it for a time. Once you've worn off the rhodium (and you will, as you note, on exposed areas,but not in recessed ones behind the stones), then the rate at which the whitegold will be worn down will increase. So while one can say your jeweler was not lying, it would also be fair tosay that he's overstating the case. The actual increase in durability of the mounting is somewhat small, and possibly not very significant. But thereis some increase. And certainly, the potential for the rhodium to improve the appearance of the mounting is significant, and the main reason it's widely used. Peter |
#3
|
|||
|
|||
Rhodium Plating to improve setting
It seems to me that the affect the rhodium would have on the security
of the setting would be far eclipsed by fundamental and basic stone setting practices. In just about everything, the application of basic fundamental principles/practices is a necessary foundation before you can fine tune anything. Once you have the fundamentals mastered, the fine tuning leads you toward perfection. This reminds me of something I learned in the Corps many years ago. "If you can't dazzle 'em with brilliance, baffle 'em with BS". I've been absent from rec.crafts.jewelry for a while. I left an inspection job to take a job outside jewelry in Seoul Korea. I've finally got a shop set up here in my home and look forward to being a small part of this community again. |
#4
|
|||
|
|||
Rhodium Plating to improve setting
Ronald wrote:
Hello all, Here's another crazy question. I just talked to a jeweler who tells me a solid 14k gold ring has some rhodium plating at the diamond area to improve upon the setting strength. In other words, he says the rhodium helps keep the diamonds secure. This is a mens channel set diamond ring. I've never heard of rhodium being used to strengthen a setting. Because rhodium wears away in time, wouldn't the setting be compromised? Am I a naive rookie and is this common or is someone telling me something funny? The jeweller in principle, may not be overstating the case, it will depend on the thickness of the plating. there is a parrallel here to the use of bright/hard nickel plating on softer metals like copper , brass and the like. This metal when plated is extremely hard and strong, in some applications doubling the strength of the under lying metal. As Ive mentioned before im not a stone person, but in this example ie channel setting its unlikely to add any strength unless the setting is very thin. In a prong setting it might just increase the strength of the prongs quite considerably. |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
Advice on rub-over settings | Bob | Jewelry | 2 | August 26th 04 04:39 PM |
How to make Rhodium Plating and Palladium Plating Bath | Kartik Doshi | Jewelry | 0 | March 10th 04 03:24 PM |
Peter's techniques for setting items with prongs | Patricia A. Swan | Jewelry | 4 | November 16th 03 05:25 PM |
Partial Plating | Don Wagner | Jewelry | 3 | November 6th 03 04:29 AM |
Looking for rhodium electroplater in San Diego | [email protected] | Jewelry | 3 | October 29th 03 05:16 AM |