Have you ever wondered why your white gold engagement ring seems to be turning yellow? That is because your white gold ring is rhodium plated. Your ring is made of gold which starts out as a yellow metal. Pure gold is 24 karat which is too soft to be made into jewelry for everyday wear. So the gold has alloy metals added into the gold to make it stronger. You may notice that your ring has a stamp on it that says 14K or 18K. The higher the number, the higher the gold content. All white gold is alloyed with other white metals, such as nickel or palladium to give it the white color. After white gold is made into jewelry, it is rhodium plated to give it a nice bright white finish.  

Rhodium is a member of the platinum family and is resistant to corrosion and is very reflective. The rhodium is applied by a plating process. This process involves thorough cleaning and using an electroplating machine to plate the rhodium onto the jewelry.  This process is not harmful to gemstones or diamonds. Over time the plating will wear off and your ring will begin to get a yellowish tint to it. This can easily be resolved by having your ring rhodium plated or “dipped” as it is sometimes referred to. This can be done as many times as you like over the life of your ring to keep it looking as bright and shiny as the day you got them! 

If you would like to have your ring Rhodium Plated you are in luck because, Parker Jewelers in Carlisle has three jewelers on site to assist you!