QuestionQUESTION: I know that German and Sterling silvers are two completely different things -- so to speak. I love sterling silver to death and love that it doesn't turn my skin different colors. Now, I just bought two pieces of jewelry that were made of German silver.. I have been pondering this question for a while and haven't been able to find any information on the internet about it. Since German silver has so many "impurities" and turns skin different colors, I was wondering if there was a way to put some type of coating of some kind on it so that it wouldn't turn my skin different shades. (If possible, it would only go on the inside of the band that touches the skin.) Thank you.
ANSWER: Hi, Sarah. I believe this is the first if not one of the few questions I have received about german silver. The other name for this alloy (mix of metals) is nickel silver.
Nickel Silver is the generic name for any of a range of non-precious bright silvery-grey metal alloys, composed of copper, nickel and zinc. Despite its name it contains no real silver. It is commonly called German Silver.
My suggestion is to have the jewelry plated with rhodium. Rhodium is a hard and durable metal and one of the most white metals. The plate is often used on white gold to give the metal a whiter look and is commonly used on silver items to prevent tarnish.
When silver is rhodium plated, typically there are also undercoats of other metal plates to make the plating durable and of the right color. These metals are copper and nickel. Since german silver is a nickel mix with other metals, most alloys of this metal will plate fairly well with rhodium. Some will not. It is a try it and see situation.
I recommend rhodium since it is durable, inert to the skin and provides a relatively effective barrier between the skin and the metals in german silver. Over time, the rhodium will wear off but inside a ring, for instance, a heavier than usual rhodium plate will provide a reasonable wear time. How long? I really cannot say and that appears to depend on the person wearing the item and what environmental and wearing contact the jewelry receives. Some ladies get a good year from a rhodium plate and some less time. This is not a permanent solution but is the best fix and most durable fix I can recommend.
Sarah, let me know if you need more info with the follow-up option.
God Bless and Peace. Thomas. March 4, 2008 8:34pm
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QUESTION: I have never stepped foot inside of a real jewelry store. What type of place would I be able to get the rings plated with rhodium and could you round up about how much I'd be paying? I have provided two links so that you can see what each ring looks like.
http://i11.ebayimg.com/01/i/000/da/a5/bd61_1.JPG
http://i3.ebayimg.com/01/i/000/d8/b7/0aa6_1.JPG
Answerfollow-up March 4, 2008 9:34pm-----------------------------------
Sarah, thanks for the links. Allexperts.com allows images to be uploaded but sometimes that appears to be cut off. You sent fine images for me to see and the links are greatly appreciated.
Never set foot in a real jewelry store? Well, that is an education but not much different from any other sort of store. You may want to visit a few and simply look and let the sales person know you are just looking. In a nutshell, there are different sorts of stores, from the mall chain stores to the locally owned and operated ones. All vary a lot in quality of jewelry sold and in services offered. What you need to do is call a few and ask if they have a bench jeweler in-house. The bench jeweler is the one who actually does the work, the repairs, the designing an making and modifiying jewelry and also does the rhodium plating. Some stores farm out the work and do not have a bench jeweler. Choose stores to visit which have a bench jeweler working at the store.
Ask about the prices for rhodium plating. You will likely be surprised at the price since it is higher than might be expected. You see, rhodium is a very expensive metal and even in plating the cost rises for the store as metal prices go up. Gold and platinum are at all time high prices and rhodium is no exception. Even if the plate work requires only a little rhodium, the costs are higher for the store than in years past. Also, the jeweler may want to polish the jewelry first, a good step to insure a fine look to the finished item. If only the inside is plated, the polishing may be skipped but there is extra time to mask off the rest of the ring. What I mean by mask is this: The parts not to be plated are covered with a lacquer which prevents the plate from going there. A typical mask is simply red nail polish painted onto those areas not to be plated. Still, the ring must be thoroughly cleaned to allow the metal to accept the plate evenly and with good results.
We charge about $40 to refinish and rhodium plate a ring. Considering the cost and what the rings likely cost, you may choose not to do the plating. I suggest you wear the rings a while and see how it works out. Some folks can wear nickel silver just fine while others find it discolors and may have a dermitius skin reaction to the nickel in the metal.
Call the stores first and ask if the bench jeweler works there and if they will, ask about prices for rhodium plating the insides of the ring. That will help you make the decision.
A very inconvienent option and one which does not last long is to paint the insides of the rings with clear nail polish. Use a durable polish, cleaning the rings as best you can first with dish detergent and rinsing then wipe with alcohol. Then when dry, the nail polishe will stick better and last longer. This might be an option to try. As I said, it will not last very long but is low enough in cost to apply over again.
Thanks for getting back.
God Bless and Peace. Thomas. March 4, 2008 9:51pm
