If you have shopped for silver jewellery recently you will have seen the phrase "rhodium plated" or "rhodium finished" attached to the better pieces. It is rarely explained. Here is what it means, and why it is the difference between silver that stays bright and silver that goes grey in a drawer.
Rhodium is not a coating. It is a precious metal.
Rhodium belongs to the platinum family. It is one of the rarest metals mined on earth — considerably rarer than gold — and for most of the past decade it has traded at a higher price per gram. It is brilliant white, extremely hard, and almost completely unreactive.
Only a very thin layer is ever applied, typically measured in fractions of a micron. But because rhodium simply does not react with the sulphur compounds in air, that thin layer does a great deal of work.
What it actually does for your jewellery
- Stops tarnish. Sterling silver darkens because the copper in the alloy reacts with airborne sulphur. Rhodium seals the surface, so the reaction never starts.
- Resists scratches. Rhodium is significantly harder than silver, so a finished piece holds up better to daily wear.
- Protects sensitive skin. An inert barrier sits between your skin and everything underneath.
- Adds brightness. Rhodium is a cooler, brighter white than silver. It is the reason a finished piece catches light more sharply.
How long does it last?
Honestly: it depends on the piece and on you. A ring worn every day on a working hand takes constant friction and will show wear sooner than a pair of earrings, which barely touch anything. As a rough guide, expect a year or two of daily wear before a finish begins to thin, and considerably longer on pieces worn occasionally.
Things that shorten it: chlorinated water, perfume and hairspray sprayed directly onto the piece, household cleaning products, abrasive polishing, and commercial silver dips.
Things that extend it: putting jewellery on last and taking it off first, removing pieces before swimming or bathing, cleaning only with mild soap and water, and storing dry.
When it wears through
Nothing dramatic happens. The exposed silver simply begins behaving like ordinary silver again — it will start to tarnish where the finish has gone. The piece is not damaged and the silver underneath is untouched. Rhodium can be reapplied by any competent jeweller, and it is an inexpensive job.
This is worth sitting with for a moment, because it is the whole argument for buying real silver in the first place. Plated fashion jewellery cannot be restored — when the coating goes, the brass underneath is exposed and the piece is finished. A rhodium-finished sterling piece can be cleaned, re-finished and worn for decades.
How to know what you are buying
Ask two questions: what is the base metal, and what is the finish. A seller who can answer both plainly is a seller worth buying from. "Silver-toned" and "silver-plated" are not sterling silver. The stamp to look for is 925.
Every HEIRA earring and bracelet is solid 925 sterling silver with a rhodium finish. Our two ring styles use a nickel-based plating instead, which we state on their product pages. Want to keep that finish looking new? Read how to clean silver safely at home, or browse the collection.