QuestionQUESTION: Hi, and thank you in advance for your answer. My toddler daughter recently lost a very precious ring to me, and, since where I bought it no longer carried it, I set about having it remade. It is comprised of pave chocolate diamonds set in black rhodium-covered gold. I was able to see the first wax the other day, but was told today that the rhodium is added after the stones are set. There are 171 tiny stones in this pave ring, and it didn't sound right to me, though I am no jeweler, that the rhodium would go on after all those stones are set. I fear it will get on the diamonds in the back and cloud them-- that they will lose their brilliance. Is putting the rhodium on after all this little pave stones are set the correct process? Thank you so much.
ANSWER: Dear Christine,
Your reasoning is sensible and would seem correct, however, the rhodium plate is applied with fairly precise control and the black rhodium does not act like a paint and run onto the diamonds causing a black coating there. All the black rhodium work is done with a "pen plater", a device allowing the jeweler to apply the plate in quite small areas rather than on all areas at once.
This link had a good photo of a pen plater system and you will notice the name comes from the fact that the plating device is handled and applied like a writing pen:
http://shorinternational.com/Rectifiers.php
Now, to get to your primary question of why the plating is done after the stones are set: Any stone setting will in the process move metal to the gemstone by one means or the other. When the setting is done, the metal will show tool marks to some degree. Part of what a competent jeweler does is clean-up of any evidence of too marks and scratches, restoring the clean and polished surface to the metal. If the black rhodium is applied first, you see what is going to happen. The clean up finishing work is done and there goes the black rhodium with it! Any sort of plating is generally a final process with all the metal otherwise finished and ready to go.
The pen acts as an anode, the source of the black rhodium. The jewelry becomes the cathode. In effect, ions of the black rhodium move with the electrical current from the solution to the metal of the jewelry,depositing there to form the plated surface. Once the plating is done, polishing is avoided to prevent damage to the plated surface and preserve the visual effect of the blackened prong ends.
Your jeweler knows what is to be done and how.
God Bless and Peace. Thomas. BTW, we love visiting your state.
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
Lizard Ring Sans Rhodi
QUESTION: Thank you, again, Thomas, for such a complete answer, and I now have the privilege of asking a follow-up question, again, about the rhodium. Please forgive the extensive and some extraneous background:
I was given the choice between two lots of stones-- a lighter, and a darker, and I chose the lighter for my ring. When a few of the stones were laid on the cast of the ring, I thought it might be pretty without any rhodium, and my angel of a jeweler told me we could have it completed without, added later (since it was the last step anyway), and then, if I liked it better without, it could even be taken back off. Well, I picked up the ring, and, it was really pretty and a sparkler without the rhodium. I can't decide now whether to add the rhodium.
The replacement ring ended up about 10% bigger but with only 5% more stones than the original, but the prongs ended up much, much bigger, resulting in a still beautiful but not as tight-looking stone effect as the original ring. Actually, it still looks pretty tight, but the prongs are very noticeable whereas on the original, they were maybe 1/3- 1/2 the size and really about melted away where all you really noticed were the stones. My fear by adding the rhodium is that it will highlight all the negative space in the ring and all those big prongs, whereas now the rose gold prongs are quite forgiving against the pale cognac stones.
The argument for adding is to have the contrast of the body from the hands, eye outines, and shank, and to have it stand out more in general, and be truer to the original, which had the rhodium. In my initial mourning for my lost treasure, I was hell-bent on an exact replica, but through the process changed the colour of the gold, and opened my mind to what a new ring could look like and how I could love a new non-exact replica perhaps even more.
I also decided since the cast/print was done to do an all-white version-- white gold, white diamonds, changing the round eyes to bezel set marquise sapphires. What can I say, I love this ring.......
Sooooooooooooooooooooooo,
1.) Would you add the rhodium to this rose gold ring or enjoy the ring as-is? and
2.) If I opt to add it and don't like the way it highlights both the negative space in between the stones and the big prongs, will it really all be able to come off leaving no residue whatsoever on this ring? (It honestly sounds nearly too good to be true).
I so appreciate your insight and opinion. I trust my jeweler, but I also don't want to make him crazy, so the more research I can do on my own, the more informed and better a client I can be to this wonderful jeweler.
Thank you so much, and my state welcomes you any time!
Christine
AnswerDear Christine, the photo is well done and the reflective surface adds a real aesthetic value to the image. Thank you for that!
As mentioned previously, when a pen plater is used the black rhodium is applied where the pen touches. In that case, the black should be confined primarily on the prong surfaces. Forbid it that the rhodium is applied in a normal fashion of electroplating by immersion in the solution because the deeper areas would be blackened also to some extent depending on "visibility" to the electrical current. Rhodium is removed by polishing, not by chemical or electrical means. Any plate removed must be reachable with the polishing brush.
From what you have said and in seeing the wonderful ring, I believe your jeweler to be quite capable of doing the black rhodium and keep it contained to areas where it may be removed. All that said, having seen the ring, why use the black rhodium? I ask the same question you give me and have come to an opinion.
We are now getting into style more than technical jewelry methods and in style. The prong sizes are not unusual even if thicker than on the original ring. I imagine the stones are quite secure in this setting.
Now, I will tell you exactly how I feel about the black rhodium. Forget the rhodium and leave the ring as is with the rose gold showing its color. The color of the metal against the stones and the sapphire eyes is wonderful as is. You might ask to have the "eyes only" outlined to see how it looks but honestly if my ring, it would stay as is. Rose gold is unusual enough to stand well on its own in beauty. I see the black as only changing the look, not adding any beauty.
NOTE: A black "magic marker" pen can simulate the black rhodium (very temporarily of course) and be removed by a short dip in denatured alcohol (jewelers have this), assisted with an ultrasonic cleaner if desired for speedier removal.
Thanks so much for this follow-up. The ring is altogether unexpected in design and I do like it.
Glad to hear from you. God Bless and Peace. Thomas.
