Rhodium Plating Questions for the Experts

[MitchSteel]

Allright, so.....lets talk White Gold Rhodium Plating.

Is all Rhodium Plating created equally?Is there a better, more durable, shinier plating process?

Does RSC do this in house whilst servicing your watch?

Can independent watchmakers do the same job as RSC, regarding complete case redo and replate?

Rikki, Vanessa, Dalton......lets hear your opinions on the matter.

[Fredrik]

I am not an expert, but i do know that modern Rolex white gold is not plated at all.
They supposedly use palladium and platinum in the alloy to keep it from yellowing so no plating is needed.

I also know that older Rolex white gold will yellow a bit. I have a 1625 WG bezel that looks somewhat yellowish when indoors.

[MitchSteel]

Interesting.
I know that Rolex has their own alloys, but I'm guessing, the older models would need plating with time.

[Jocke]

My whitegold bezel need some plating.

[goldfixer21]

Most rhodium plating solutions are very much alike. They key to rhodium plating is the prep work. I use Kohler brand solution myself. Nothing else will give you the "bright white" color of rhodium. Some companies are now selling palladium plating solution that's a bit less expensive, but I haven't tried it.
Rhodium plating will NOT hide any imperfections, so the general rule is "your plating is only as good as your polishing" is true. Any finish work must be done before plating, i.e. if plating a watch band with a brush finish, it must be brushed before plating. Always electro-clean first, then an acid dip, then rhodium.
Rhodium solutions have a shelf life too. I believe 6 months is the general rule of thumb. I have to replace mine more often because I use it daily, and it is depleted fairly quick because I use a platinized titanium anode. This pulls the rhodium from the solution as it's used.

[goldfixer21]

Originally Posted by Fredrik

I am not an expert, but i do know that modern Rolex white gold is not plated at all.
They supposedly use palladium and platinum in the alloy to keep it from yellowing so no plating is needed.

I also know that older Rolex white gold will yellow a bit. I have a 1625 WG bezel that looks somewhat yellowish when indoors.

White gold alloys are an interesting lot. Keep in mind that with an 18 karat white gold alloy, 75% of the metal is yellow. The alloys are simply "bleaching" it white. Common white gold alloys contain copper, zinc, and nickel. "Whiter" alloys contain copper and palladium. There is no "pure white" gold alloy, but Rolex has found one that is far better than standard ones, and doesn't really need plating as it wears.
The World Gold Council , in 2003, came up with a Yellowness Index for white gold alloys. non-white alloys have a value of >32
standard white gold alloy has a value of 19-24.5
premium white gold alloys have a value of <19
premium alloys do not require rhodium plating
The European Union passed laws limiting the use of nickel in all metal alloys that come in contact with the skin, so anything manufactured in those countries will have very low nickel %.

[MitchSteel]

thats great info thank you very much.
I take it you're a goldsmith?

How about 70's-80's Rolex's WG alloys.....does it yellow much?

[goldfixer21]

Originally Posted by MitchSteel

thats great info thank you very much.
I take it you're a goldsmith?

How about 70's-80's Rolex's WG alloys.....does it yellow much?

Yes I am, how could you tell?
Older models will "yellow up " over time. Next to a yellow gold model, it's not that noticeable, but put it next to a stainless or newer white gold model , it will be very obvious.

[Fredrik]

Here is an old fuzzy picture I have of my -72 1625, it is taken indoors where the yellowing is most visible. It is the bezel that is white gold, the rest is stainless steel: