Can white gold be dipped or something applied to remove the rhodium?

T

tbbbjb

O.G.
Jul 21, 2006
1,805
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#1
Hi fellow jewelry lovers,

I have often heard of people dipping their yellow gold in rhodium to make it white, but can you remove that or reverse it somehow to make it yellow again?

One of my girlfriends had it done because white gold was in and it was not very expensive to dip her yellow gold wedding and engagement rings and make them white.

So, it has always made me wonder if you could do it the other way around too. Anyone know if a jeweler can do that or coat it in yellow gold?

Thanks.
 
#2
We have to wait for the professionals to chime in, but I think:
- Gold and silver can easily be dipped in YG. I'm not sure if it stays nice if you dip WG in YG.
- If you just wear your WG dipped in rhodium, the rhodium layer will be gone before you can blink with your eyes. It usually don't take long before the layer fades.
- Possibly the rhodium can be removed by polishing the surface.

Is your preference for YG growing tbbbjb?
 
#3
Me? I only wear Yellow Gold. Always have always will, whether it is in or out does not matter to me. I was just asking as I was talking with another member and since yellow gold is coming back 'In' style it made me wonder if it would be possible to since it is the other way around.

The more I think about it, it seems like it would have to be especially in my girlfriend's case were it was yellow gold to begin with.

But, I would love to hear from some experts . . .
 
#4
It can be done. My mom took her white gold ring in to fix a prong. During the process they had to heat the gold which caused the rhodium to melt off. When she went to pick-up her white gold ring, it was now yellow gold (had to be sent back to have rhodium put back on of course).
 
#5
Ok. But these cases the base is already YG?
YG is gold with bronze
RG is gold with copper
WG is gold with tin or palladium; the rhodium is added to make it white

The true color of WG will be a yellowish/grayish "white". If the white rhodium fades, the jewelry piece will be the yellowish/ grayish white again. Not the real yellow as we know YG.
 
#6
My 3 stones ring in yellow gold and prongs are in white gold. I had the ring deep in rhodium to make it all white. After wearning for 4-6 months, the ring turn to my yellow/grayish white like Monica describe. I then have to redeep again.
 
#8
In the OP's original example, however, the ring was set in YG and later rhodium dipped to make it appear white. In this case, yes, the plating can be polished (or "burned") off and the finish of the original ring would remain. It would be yellow once again. That would be preferable, IMO, to having it redipped in yellow over the rhodium plating.

If a piece was originally white gold, it will appear greyish or like a dirty white metal without the plating. In that case, yes, it can be dipped in yellow gold but the coating will not be any more durable than other gold-plated pieces and the gold will wear off with wear, revealing the dingy whitish metal underneath.

In the end, while plating can make a piece appear to be a different metal, the plating is never permanent and the piece will need periodic re-dipping to maintain the look. Some people need a piece re-dipped every 6 months, while others can wear something for several years before they notice the wear. But it will always take maintenance.
 
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