[Jewelry making - Article 00172] - Re: [Orchid] Rhodium plating safe thickness

[James Binnion]

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>     From a practical perspective, platinum is much softer than white
>     gold, so trade one problem for another, rhodium wears off, platinum
>     can look scratched up and dull fairly quickly, 

    Which alloys? treated in what fashion? I work with one platinum
    alloy that is well over 300 HV when heat treated that is getting into
    the hardness range of tool steel (and quite a bit harder than any of
    the "white" golds). Some of the 950 Palladium alloys are in the same
    hardness ballpark as the "white" golds and are truly white. There are
    some "white" golds that are softer than 18 k yellow. It is not just
    the metal it is how it is treated both before you get it and what you
    do to it that will affect how hard or soft it is. More workable
    "white" gold alloys often are quite yellow, there is almost always a
    trade off between physical and mechanical properties when talking
    about "white" golds performance. 

    I have had some customers show me their engagement ring (bought
    somewhere else) and ask why it is discolored and then react very
    negatively when told it is a plating process that made that
    yellowish metal look white and some don't seem to care. 

    There are many factors to this question about to plate or not to
    plate and what alloys to use for what work, but the bottom line is
    no matter how you do it plating wears off. So if you plate you need
    to disclose that fact to the customer or deal with the surprise and
    possibly bad feelings when they realize their ring is not white. 

James Binnion
jbin AT mokume-gane.com
James Binnion Metal Arts
http://www.mokume-gane.com
360-756-6550
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