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  for Metal Finishing since 1989
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Rhodium clock

I have a Tiffany and Co. clock from 1979 sold in their 84 blue book so I've read Designed by a man called John Loring so this is my question the description that I'm reading says brushed-rhodium trapeze clock not plated or brushed plated just brushed does that mean its a solid rhodium clock that is 2.2 lbs its very small with a weird shape to it so who knows when I took it to have a battery put in it the guy looked at me and said it was a very important clock I said thats nice but I recently bought a book called Tiffany Timepieces and I saw it in there do I really have 2-lbs of rhodium it looks like the coins they sale inside and out

Brodie Westfall
hobbyist - Anchorage, Alaska, USA
September 20, 2010

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Brodie,
It would be nice if it was solid Rhodium. As you may know Rhodium in its pure state is a very hard metal. So hard, it makes it almost impossible to machine or form without stress cracking. Another note is that even in 1979, two (2) pounds of Rhodium (29.16 tr. oz) was still very expensive and would not be used in clock making unless the parts were plated or brush plated. The Rhodium thickness of plating or brush plating is usually done as a flash coating (low micro inch thickness). I would say your clock is what it actually says, "brushed plated Rhodium". I would keep it just because of the Tiffany name.

Mark Baker
process engineer - Malone, New York
September 25, 2010

well it doesn't say that its brushed rhodium plated just brushed rhodium unlike many of there other clock descriptions that do state plated Tiffany has a long history of innovation and I believe this is one of them I've requested info directly from them and I will let you know how smart you are when I get their results at first I guessed the same thing until I looked inside so wee shall see thanx for the input I like it

Brodie Westfall
- Anchorage, Alaska, USA
September 27, 2010

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You will often see references to "brushed chrome", but the object is not solid chromium. Call Tiffany's if you want the last word, but rest assured your clock is not solid rhodium

Jeffrey Holmes, CEF
Spartanburg, South Carolina
September 29, 2010