How long should a rhodium plated black finish last?

A. Women's engagement rings wear completely through over the course of a long marriage, so platings, which are thousands of times thinner have a limited life. But there is an implication when you sell an heirloom like an engagement ring that it is an item of heirloom quality; something that lasts for 2 months doesn't sound heirloom quality and I think any judge or neutral party will agree.

If you look at a school ring, you'll see that it is "relieved", and the recessed areas are blackened while the raised wear surfaces are gold or white gold or silver. Such rings last for decades and longer. But you'll never see the reverse, where the recessed areas are shiny metal and the raised wear surfaces are black, because the black would wear off and the bright recesses would get dirty. Not being a jeweler and not having seen the ring, it's a stretch for me to make this claim, but I think the design is the problem; I think any blackened areas should be recessed rather than exposed. I doubt that there is any coloring that can be applied to make the finish on this ring robust, although it is perhaps possible to apply a finish of sufficient quality that it will last 6 months rather than 2 months.

This stupid 'body chemistry' argument is one day going to cost a jeweler a multi-million dollar personal injury suit! If the ring is not inert to the woman's body chemistry, but is reacting with it, how are we to know that those reaction products aren't absorbed into her blood and aren't toxic and cumulative? If the jeweler himself claims that that is what is happening, and is going to insist that the ring cannot be returned, is he assuring her that this process is safe for her, or is he saying he doesn't give a damn whether it is or not? Either way, I'd want to be on her side of the table, not his.

I'm only answering to keep your inquiry from going unanswered; so if anyone has better insights, fire away. But other readers should take note that rings are very high wear items, rhodium plating can only be millionths of an inch thick, and if you want a specialty ring, make sure to follow the school ring example where the special finish is recessed where wear will be minimal.

A. I was not proposing that your friend's fiance should claim a personal injury and file a suit as a strategy to getting a refund, Jacquie. If my reply homogenized the hypotheticals in with the case in point, sorry. I was only venting that I think it is stupid and short-sighted for jewelers to keep using this "unusual body chemistry" argument, and that it may come back to bite them.

A. I think that is really bad business for the store owner. I would go to 7 on your side and see if they can help you. I have a rhodium ring and it has lasted a long time. I don't wear it every day. The ring should have lasted longer than that. I would tell all my friend the name of the store and tell them to be careful about shopping at that store.

A. The "unusual body chemistry" argument might actually have some bearing with the copper that is alloyed with gold if the skin's acids have an effect on copper itself (not actually sure if it does). However, Rhodium isn't attacked by most acids, and would probably NOT be affected by the body's chemistry. I would say that plating on rings should be treated as if it will not last long, no matter how thick it is. Assume that when you buy ANYTHING with a decorative finish on it, that said finish will not last. Just because the paint on your car lasts a good long time, doesn't mean that metal electroplating has the same properties as your car paint. As far as the jeweler informing you that the plating wouldn't last, that's a rather gray area. In my book, it is to be assumed that nothing will last forever, and would be up to me to ask the jeweler, electronics dealer, etc. how long I could expect my purchase to last.

A. Hi Michael; I agree that finishes don't last forever, but I really can't agree that people should expect an engagement ring to only last two months.

Regards,

A. Hi Brett. What is your black ring made of and plated with? I don't think the plating can possibly last very long unless it is only in recessed areas.The thing with rings is that if you build in contrast -- trying to make a white ring black or a yellow gold ring white -- the life will be very short before the contrast is ugly.

Regards,

A. Hi. I meant YOUR ring, the one that is already black, not her ring that you want to match yours.

Regards,

Q. I'm sorry, I misunderstood your question. My ring is tungsten.

A. Thanks. So you're trying to plate black rhodium onto a silver ring to make it look like a tungsten ring. Black rhodium plating is doable, but its durability won't come close to matching your ring. It's very hard to say how long it will last since it depends on thickness, quality, the design of the ring, and wear patterns, but I doubt that it will go more than a year between replating. Sorry, that this may not be a satisfactory answer for you.

Regards,

A. You didn't say how much your friend paid for the ring, which sounds lovely in its original state.

Most States have Small Claims Courts where one doesn't need a lawyer, just the paperwork, write out your story to help prepare you, and the judge will hear both sides and issue a legally binding ruling. You will be the clear winner, this jeweler knew nothing of the product he was selling and the line about her odd body chemistry will get a hearty laugh in any state, red, blue, or purple. Get your money back without a lot of fuss and legal fees and keep him from ripping off other people. I'm sure your fiancé will be thrilled with a new ring, maybe choose it together as a token of your love.

Large companies, do sell black rhodium coated jewelry and it is becoming more popular. Check around on the web, I'm sure you'll find many for sale. Obviously people have figured out how to do it to make it work. This might be beneficial information if you go to small claims court. Unfortunately fine jewelry is a "shady" business and some people think the more they pay the better product they are getting, not always true. I know you want something unique, but for this kind of elemental chemistry you might need to check with a few high-end national brands, the kind that advertise on TV and see what you can find. You can also purchase a 3 year guarantee which might prevent a substantial loss. It can be done, this guy just didn't know how to do it and you should NOT have to pay for this.

Go to you County Court House and ask how to set up a date. When he is served, he might get nicer and more reasonable and you can afford actually going to court, but I don't think you should be afraid of Small Claims Court. That's why State's have them, for small cases that one will not have to end up giving your winnings to a lawyer. Just my opinion, I would not consult a lawyer, just find out the laws in your state. After all this, the marriage deserves a pretty ring, and I wish you both the best with the ring and beyond.

A. Hi Douglas. We appreciate your thoughtful reply, but rings and other jewelry are not the same thing. An engagement ring experiences, at the least, 100X the wear that a pin or broach or tie-tack does, and is expected to be worn for a lifetime, not put in a drawer or discarded as fashions change. No black finish will last on a white metal ring unless the blackening is in recesses, and even then maybe not really well.

Luck & Regards,


Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey

(To show dark relieved areas)
Courtesy: Balfour.com

A. Hi Jamie. Please take a look at a high school or college ring, or this picture of one.

The blackening is probably not going to wear off over time, in fact it will probably keep getting darker. Are the black accents on your ring in depressions like this or are they on prominences which will wear off quickly even with relatively hard & thick plating? Good luck.

Regards,

A. Hi Elizabeth. More problems than you can shake a stick at in your brief paragraph :-(

Rings are very very high wear surfaces. Most people think you shouldn't try to change a ring color with plating. If you do, the dark colors should be in the recesses, and the shiny bright colors on the prominences as we see with high school and college rings, oil-rubbed bronze handles, and other 'living finishes' -- not the unnatural reverse ...

But that doesn't mean that the rhodium was properly applied, that a proper barrier layer of nickel or white bronze was deposited, that the plating was not defective and was not too thin. You could have a top-notch instrumented jewelry plating shop take a look and offer advice on whether you must abandon the project or whether excellent plating might give a life long enough for your customer's satisfaction.

Luck & Regards,

Thank you so much for your input; very helpful!