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My rhodium necklace sticks to a magnet

I recently brought a necklace that is pretty expensive. They said that it is made of Rhodium and the pendent was made of crystal. I think I am allergic to the necklace because whenever ( wear it makes me skin itchy. One time my brother was playing with my necklace and he found out that my necklace can stick to this magnet. Did I got ripped off, or Rhodium does stick to magnet?

Vanessa Chung
Student - Calgary Canada
February 21, 2009

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First of three simultaneous responses --

Sounds like it was nickel plated, then plated with rhodium. Allergy to nickel is fairly common..

George Brackett III
- Maine
February 25, 2009

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Second of three simultaneous responses --

Rhodium is mega too expensive to be made out of it. Most likely, it has a very very thin coating of rhodium. If your skin is not turning green from it, I will guess that it has nickel plating under the rhodium plating. Nickel itch used to be rare, but a growing number of people are allergic to nickel now. Sell it to someone that it does not bother.
The shop that sold it to you might take it back, but I doubt it.

James Watts
- Navarre, Florida
February 25, 2009

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Third of three simultaneous responses --

Rhodium is very,very expensive precious metal(500 USD/1 gr)-probably your necklace is rhodium plated stainless steel or nickel(nickel is slightly magnetic) and rhodium plated silver.Hope it helps and good luck.

Goran Budija
- Cerovski vrh Croatia
February 26, 2009