Question
Rhodium Necklace
hubby bought me a white gold/black rhodium necklace....I am highly allergic to nickel....I broke out with what I thought was the white gold chain and had it replaced...broke out again and replaced it with my own white gold chain. No problem but now getting break outs where the Rhodium is on my chest. Does Rhodium have nickel in it? I have never had Rhodium before so I need to know what's in it.
Here is a picture of the necklace:
AnswerDear Mydly, thanks for the question. BTW, I love your name.
What skin sensitivity reaction you are having is not coming from the black rhodium. Jewelry is not made of rhodium but is electroplated with rhodium Rhodium is a single metal, an element in the platinum family of metals.Rhodium is inert and does not cause skin reactions. The solutions used to put rhodium(white or black)onto jewelry are acid based containing salts of rhodium, the rhodium sulfate seen on the MSDS at the link. The solution could burn your skin from the acid content. However, when electroplating is done, all that is on the metal is rhodium metal and there is nothing in rhodium metal to cause a skin sensitivity reaction. The reaction you have must be caused by another source, perhaps the pendant itself leaching metals through the rhodium layer and causing a reaction with your skin.
Rhodium is used on jewelry for 4 primary reasons: 1. On silver to prevent tarnish of the silver 2. On white gold to make the gold appear whiter 3. As a decorative coloration such as black rhodium on white gold or white rhodium with diamonds set into yellow gold or as accent color in a recess in the jewelry 4. Occasionally applied by a local jeweler to provide a barrier between jewelry metal and skin, such as on the backs and posts of earrings for a person with nickel or other metal sensitivity.
Rhodium is only rhodium with no hidden ingredients.
MATERIAL SAFETY DATA SHEET, Black Rhodium Electroplating Solution
http://www.gesswein.com/images/MSDS/BCR_Plus.pdf
Black rhodium is known not to be as dense or durable as white rhodium, tending to wear away more quickly than white rhodium. The thin black rhodium layer is easily polished away as many jewelers discovered quite by accident when cleaning and polishing an item with black rhodium plate. I was one of those and I went scurrying to find a supplier of a small container of the black rhodium plating solution!
A white gold chain or ring with a thicker than normal and durable plate of white rhodium may be worn with no nickel touching the skin and therefore no reaction. A thinner plate may wear or be uneven allowing nickel to migrate to the skin and causing a reaction. Some white gold does not contain nickel and some does contain it in a proprietary manner which prevents nickel loss and is not a cause of skin reactions.
Dark patina whether black rhodium or some other blacking agent may also wear off and cause smudges, most likely when on skin where there is makeup such as the upper neck. The abrasives in makeup will work like quite fine sandpaper and wear off the metal leaving a black smudge; this happens even with yellow gold because the particles are worn off in too small a size to reflect yellow color and appear black.
Myldy, my suggestion is to have a jeweler examine the pendant and tell you exactly what the body of the pendant is made of. There in is your answer.
Best wished with avoidance of skin reactions. I know that is a pain to live with.
God Bless and Peace. Thomas.
