Plating is a very popular process that comes with its share questions .  With this in mind we want to not only introduce you to Stuller's latest plating product, black rhodium, but also give you tips and techniques to make your plated jewelry really shine.  We've asked one of our expert plating technicians to guide us through this process.

Today I'm going to be demonstrating an exciting new product Stuller is going to be offering in the near future.  It's called black rhodium.  Your customers are going to come in by the droves for it.  I assure you that the process is extremely simple and I'm really excited for you to see it.  So let's get started.

For this process you will need the following tools.  First we will add 500 milliliters of distilled water.  You always want to use distilled water because tap water contains minerals that will contaminate your plating solution.  Next we will add in 50 milliliters of part one of the black rhodium additive.  Next we will add in 50 milliliters of part two of the black rhodium additive.  Next we'll add in 20 milliliters of a two gram per liter rhodium concentrate.  Then you will top off the solution with distilled water.  You now have a one liter black rhodium plating bath.  You should heat this to approximately 90 degrees and mix for approximately one hour.  This will allow the chemicals to become homogeneous and give you a great plating result.   I like to use a heating magnetic stirrer for the best results.  

Now that you have your bath mixed, it's time to do some plating. First you should heat your solution to between 90 and 100 degrees Fahrenheit for best plating results.  Before you start the plating process, you want to make sure your part is clean and free of scratches, so it's a good idea to give it a good polish and clean it in the ultrasonic cleaner before you plate it.  Now we're ready to do some plating.  We will hang the part from the negative lead of the rectifier which is called the cathode, the positive lead is called the anode.  You will then turn the rectifier on depending on what type of electric cleaner you use, adjust the volts to the appropriate voltage for your solution.  I will be using six volts for about one minute.  You will then rinse in distilled water for approximately 15 seconds.  This will remove the excess of electrocleaner from your part.  Next you will move the part to the acid activation which does two things:  it neutralizes the excessive electroclean solution and charges the surface of your part which will ensure good adhesion during the plating process.  You will leave the part in here for approximately 15 seconds.  Next, you move the part to the final distilled water rinse for approximately 15 more seconds.  We want to ensure to remove any excess of acid as not to affect the pH balance of your plating solution, which may cause you plating problems down the line.  Before you put your part into the plating solution, you will need to adjust your rectifier to 5 volts.  Then place the part into the black rhodium bath for approximately three minutes.  Some type of agitation should be used during the plating process.  I am using a magnetic stirrer which will help remove any hydrogen bubbles to ensure a good, even plating surface.  Next, you'll need to move to a distilled water rinse for about 15 seconds before placing the item in the black rhodium stabilizer.  Make sure you're okay with the color of the piece.  Once you're satisfied with the color, place the item into the black rhodium stabilizer to ensure a good deep rich color.  The stabilizer also has an anti-tarnish compound that adds life to the product.  Final step is to move to the last distilled water rinse.  You have now completed a black rhodium process.  

Great job on such a beautiful ring.  As you can see, rhodium plating is an easy and very rewarding process.  Our new black rhodium provides a true black color that your customers will love.  This is the only black rhodium bath in the world that can be replenished.

For further questions, feel free to call our tools tech line with all your plating questions at 1-800-877-7777, extension 4300.