Rhodium plating is a quick and easy way to brighten the white gold look of your jewelry.  We'll show you just how easy it is.  The most important step to plating is starting with a clean piece of jewelry.  To do this, begin by polishing the ring to a brilliant finish.  Then clean thoroughly with an ultrasonic cleaner.  Rinse the piece in distilled water and then steam clean.  If the piece is not surgically clean, you will not get a good plating.

To begin the actual plating process, you will first need to mix the following chemical baths. Place a stainless steel anode in a 600 milliliter beaker that is three-quarter filled with distilled water.  Next, place two teaspoons of the electroclean powder in this beaker.  Now, place two teaspoons of the activator powder in another 600 milliliter beaker that is three-quarter filled with distilled water.  Now mix the actual rhodium solution by pouring the two containers of rhodium into an empty bottle and fill the rest of the bottle with distilled water.  Pour this solution into a 600 milliliter beaker with a platinized titanium anode.  You will also need to 600 milliliter beakers of just distilled water.  Now that the jewelry is clean in the baths are ready, you are ready to plate.

Set the rectifier to six volts and heat the electro clean and rhodium solutions to 100 degrees.  Place the positive lead of the rectifier on the stainless steel anode and the negative lead to a hooked gold wire.  Suspend the jewelry piece from this wire.  Lower the piece into the electro clean and agitate for two minutes.  Then remove and rinse in distilled water.  Next, lower the ring into the activator which should be at room temperature with no volts for 30 seconds, then remove and rinse and distilled water.  While the piece is in the activator, readjust the rectifier to three volts and place the positive lead on the platinized titanium anode in the rhodium solution.  Remove the piece from the activator and rinse in distilled water.  Finally, lower the piece into the rhodium solution for 30 seconds and agitate.  Once removed from this solution, your jewelry has been rhodium plated to a white gold finish.  Now you have a brilliant white gold piece of jewelry that customers will love.

For any other plating questions you may have, contact our tools tech line at 1-800-877-7777, extension 4300.