The authoritative public forum
  for Metal Finishing since 1989
  

  -----

Can a rhodium plated item be referred to as platinum plated?

Hi,

I have a steel housing that I am having plated in rhodium, but I am unsure about how the nomenclature in the platinum/rhodium family works. I know that some watch makers plate watches in rhodium, but when they sell them they refer to them as being platinum plated.

As rhodium and platinum are in the same family, is it possible to do this, or would I have to refer to my housing as being 950 Rhodium-plated, or along those lines.

Does any one know the protocol when it comes to this? I would prefer to be able to label my items as being platinum plated even if they are rhodium, because of the perceived value of platinum.

Thanks in advance for any help.

Ruth Townsend
Product designer - San Francisco, California, USA
2007

---

2007

Rhodium plating is too thin, brittle, and porous to use directly on steel, Ruth. Whether you have discussed it with the plater or not, my bet is they are probably planning on nickel plating or white bronze plating under the rhodium because your intimate product will rust otherwise.

These pages at finishing.com are overflowing with reports of nickel and other metal allergies, so I think you should insist on a nickel-free white bronze underplate. Without conceding your statement about rhodium plated watches being labeled as platinum -- regardless of any labeling laws I would not label your phallic shaped intimate product as being of a different material than it is, because of metal allergies real or imagined. I think you should label it 'plated with rhodium -- a precious metal ten times as costly as gold'. Good luck.

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





ad