[Jewelry making - Article 00117] - Re: [Orchid] Palladium alloy for 18K white

[Gary]

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>     context is everything. The original post in this thread was
>     seeking a less costly alternative to platinum. So if its any of the
>     white gold alloys, its just not going to be the color of platinum,
>     hence rhodium. Rhodium being a hard plate, it resists the fine
>     scratches that turn metal dull. Even platinum rings age. They get
>     dull and steely grey rather fast given any appreciable wear. So the
>     customer brings it back for refinishing. I don't see a functional
>     difference between refinishing a platinum piece and refinishing a
>     white gold piece (except that the PT is more laborious). Either way
>     the worn piece's finish is restored and the customer leaves happy
>     once again. 

    On this I must disagree. I see lots of rhodium plated white gold in
    the shops, but there is seldom a statement that its plated, and even
    if there was, most customers wouldn't appreciate the significance.
    White gold was originally formulated as a platinum substitute and
    most customers who buy it are completely unaware that its rhodium
    plated - they *think* the rhodium whiteness goes right through. When
    it wears away to reveal the off-white gold below it makes the item
    look very cheap and tacky and the customer gets upset because,
    basically, they have been deceived. 

    Yes, platinum does "age" and lose its shine a bit, but it does so
    very slowly, and "honestly". I've worn the same platinum ring
    continuously for the past 30 years. It gets *lots* of wear (far more
    than the average ring) but its still bright and not too different to
    when I originally made it; the colour hasn't changed at all.
    Customers expect a ring to show signs of wear after a while, but they
    don't expect it to go patchy and drastically change its colour. They
    buy it as white gold because they think that white gold is white. Its
    nearly always a surprise when I tell them that it isn't. 

    If a customer knowingly buys a plated item, and is fully aware of
    the consequences, then fair enough. Unfortunately this is seldom the
    case; the customer feels they have been cheated, as indeed they have. 


    What's wrong with the natural colour of white gold? I never plate it
    and many people actually prefer it. 

    JOLT (just one little thing) from a maker's point of view, repairing
    or resizing plated rings is a real PITA. 

Regards, Gary Wooding
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