[Jewelry making - Article 00594] - [Orchid] Rhodium Plating Charge

[David Geller]

========[ Invite a Friend - http://www.ganoksin.com/invite.htm  ]========

    A 1 pint (1 gram) of rhodium plating solution today is $513. A
    jeweler friend of mine who is also a college graduate chemist told me
    you can get 75 to 100 platings out of a bottle of rhodium plating
    solution. if you can get 75 to 100 platings per bottle (1 gram
    bottle), each plating has a cost of goods of between $5.13 to $6.84
    for the material. If you triple the cost of goods on the rhodium
    itself, the rhodium you used would sell for $15.50 to $20.50. 

    I had originally figured $10 to $15 in labor to DIP the ring into
    the bath. 

    Therefore if you use a 1 gram bottle of rhodium plating (1 pint)
    solution and add $20.50 retail on the rhodium itself and add the $15
    to dip, then RETAIL is $35. Many folks charge $45. 

    If you buy a 2 gram bottle (a whiter color-many folks use this on
    their stock and the 1 gram bottle on repairs) then the bottle cost
    $1010 today at Stuller. So your cost of goods and retail for rhodium
    only is 

    Cost of goods               3 time markup

    $10.10                      $30.00
    #13.45                      $40.00

    If you add $15 to dip, plus the $40.00 rhodium itself at retail
    you'd charge $55.00. This is using a 2 gram bottle of rhodium. Again
    many folks charge $45 and up to $75 for this. 

    You should look and see if you bought a 1 gram bottle or a 2 gram
    bottle. Most folks buy a 1 gram bottle and $45 is fine in my book and
    this assumes my chemist friend was right, which I'd agree with (75 to
    100 platings per bottle). I've seen jewelers talk themselves into
    telling every customer $9000 an ounce and get bigger bucks. There are
    31+ grams to an ounce. If you divide $9000 by 31 grams then a gram of
    rhodium is $290.32. The bottle of plating solution cost YOU $513.00
    and $290.00 is the cost of the rhodium swimming inside the bottle and
    the difference is the markup by the supplier on the rhodium and to
    make the bath, the bottle, profit, etc. 

    So whatever gives your brain justification to sell for more, go with
    it. I figure costs, markups and add in labor. 

Hope this helps
David Geller
JewelerProfit
www.JewelerProfit.com
____________________________________________________________________
T h e   O r c h i d   L i s t
Open Electronic Forum for Jewelry Manufacturing Methods and Procedures
____________________________________________________________________
Orchid FAQ:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/faq.htm
Orchid Archives:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/archive
Orchid Galleries:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/gallery.htm
Invite a Friend:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/invite.htm
____________________________________________________________________
Tips From The Jeweler's Bench - Article Archive
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/borisat/tip_sear.htm
The Jeweler's Selected Bibliography List
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/jewelry-books
Buy Orchid Jewelry:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/shop
____________________________________________________________________
-Unsubscribe:
-Email: orchid-request AT ganoksin.com Body=unsubscribe subject=blank
____________________________________________________________________