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Plating to Prevent Rust on Gibeon Meteorite Wedding Bands

Hi,
I recently purchased a pair of etched iron-nickel Gibeon Meteorite rings, which almost immediately began to rust. I don't want to have to apply gun oil and alcohol to these things on a daily basis, so I was hoping to get them plated with a metal that doesn't rust or tarnish. I was considering either platinum or palladium, and possibly silver. I was wondering which of these would be the most wear resistant.

The rings have cooling lines from space on them which were brought out with acid etching when they were made, so the rings can't be polished because I want the lines to stay. I am having a hard time finding any online businesses that plate jewelry with metals other than silver, so any references would also be extremely helpful.

Thanks

Briana Anderson
buyer - Minot, North Dakota, USA
November 16, 2010

Ed. note: Sorry, this RFQ is old & outdated, so contact info is no longer available. However, if you feel that something technical should be said in reply, please post it; no public commercial suggestions please ( huh? why?)

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Plating on porous material is not easy and there seems to always be a few pores that resist plating and will puke out rust.
I am cheap, I would try a wax, probably a liquid carnuba if I could find it. If it is a solid wax, I would melt a small amount in a tiny double boiler arrangement and then dip the ring. This will require a lot more rubbing to get the bulk of the wax off. You only need a thin coat. Save the double boiler for additional attempts if required.

James Watts
- Navarre, Florida
November 18, 2010

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Hi, again.

In addition to James' suggestion, you could try a clearcoat, such as ProtectaClear from the site's supporting advertiser, Everbrite [a finishing.com supporting advertiser]. As I consider James' idea and re-read your inquiry, I think plating may not be the best solution.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
December 6, 2010

Do you think this would be as long lasting as a metal plating, and not affect the crystallization lines on the rings? If so, this does look like a good option, especially since Metal Arts Specialties won't answer the phone and I am having a hard time finding other places that know anything about meteorite. My husband hates the idea of clearcoating wedding bands, so I am still leaning towards a metal plating if it would still be able to work.

Briana Anderson
- Minot, North Dakota, USA
December 6, 2010

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You are asking for the near impossible from a practical standpoint. As you note, sterling or more pure silver does not wear well. Lower alloy will wear much better as in plated silverware. Platinum group metals are extremely expensive, so they are put on very thin and thus some do not wear well.
If this really has pores, it will need to be vacuum impregnated prior to plating. That may bring problems with it as they will probably have to polish off the excess. I am not aware or knowledgeable of solvent wiping.

I would buy a cheap ultrasonic jewelry cleaner ⇦this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] and use hot water with a couple of teaspoons of sodium bicarbonate in it to see if you can clean out the pores enough that it does not rust as fast. Harbor Freight is possibly the cheapest source.

James Watts
- Navarre, Florida
December 7, 2010