[Jewelry making - Article 01243] - [Orchid] Beware - Orange Peel on Palladium

[Lizzieq]

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    A coworker put together a beautiful palladium ring recently. The
    metal is white but not truly as white as seen in rhodium plated white
    gold or in the newer white golds, X1 from Stuller or Precise White
    from Cobb. 

    The thought was had toapply a simple rhodium plate to the palladium.
    The customer desired a less grey metal but liked the palladium ok if
    it could not be plated. Seemed simple enough. Don't do it unless you
    are prepared to go back and refinish the item! The simple
    electrocleanng and rhodium dip left an orange peel surface on the
    palladium. This had to be sanded off to regain a smooth and fine
    surface. 

    Why did this happen? We experimented with electrocleaner alone,
    rhodium alone, distilled water with just enough salt to conduct a
    current and even mild ultrasonic solution as the "plating bath". In
    each case, there was some orange peel on the palladium. A piece of
    scrap was used for the experimenting. 

    Palladium alone immersed in the electrocleaner or rhodium solution
    with no current is totally unaffected, as it should be. Palladium
    immersed in any of the "experimental" baths is unaffected. Only when
    there is a current flowing does the orange peel show. Is it the
    electricity? Is palladium adverse to electroplating processes? 

    Can anyone tell me what is going on here? With all the hype on the
    wonders of palladium as a "white metal of the future", needing no
    rhodium plate, why is there no mention that "if" plating is
    attempted there may very well be frustrating and time consuming
    refinishing needed. We were quite surprised at the orange peel
    effect. 

    The item in question was a forged shank and cast top. The palladium
    was 950 with either iridium or ruthenium as the alloy additive. 

    Thanks for any insight. Also, I hope this post saves you the same
    problem if for some reason you want to rhodium plate a palladium
    item. 

Thomas.
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