Rhodium Plating

Why should I Rhodium Plate my Jewellery?

Rhodium Plating is used to improve a piece of jewellery’s shine, durability, and light reflection. A piece of jewellery that has been plated with Rhodium will be more scratch resistant because it is a hard metal. Most often, silver or grey hued metals such as white gold, platinum, palladium or silver are plated with Rhodium. This is also applied to achieve a desired type of a whitish tone.

What is the process of Rhodium Plating?

A piece of jewellery must be properly cleansed to get rid of any impurities before it can be plated. Also any old plating and scratches must be removed prior to polishing followed by plating. The plating will not hold if the item has any dirt on it. Before being dipped into the Rhodium solution, the object is cleaned using distilled water, steam cleaning, and electro cleaning, among other methods. Following that, the Rhodium is fused to the metal using a positive electrical charge.This is scientifically achieved with caution to get the proper coating and results.

How long does Rhodium Plating last?

Many consumers think that Rhodium Plating is unchangeable. Like any other precious metal used in jewellery, it is permanent, although due to exposure, it tends to tarnish. Over time, Rhodium Plating wears out and must be replaced because this is only a thin coating on the exterior surface of the metal. The amount of wear and tear an item experiences, and the colour of the metal in its original state may all affect how often a piece has to be replated, which is typically once every 12 to 18 months for rings. The wearer’s body chemistry can occasionally have an impact on how soon the plating fades off as well.

How can I make Rhodium Plating last longer?

Rhodium Plating is bound to wear off after a while, but there are some steps you can take to make it last as long as possible.

• Avoid rubbing the Rhodium Plating on your ring. For example, with other jewellery items and constantly washing your hands can wear it off quicker.
• Avoid exposing your jewellery to harsh chemicals. Always take off your jewellery when dealing with chemicals or wear rubber gloves to protect your rings.
• Take your jewellery off when swimming in heavily chlorinated pools as the chlorine can damage the plating.
• Perfumes and cosmetics can also affect rhodium plating. Avoid contact with these and wipe away any residue if it does come into contact.

Jewellery Polishing

Here at Mario B Jewellery polishing is part of our daily ritual and plays an integral part in the final finish and appearance of the item. To achieve premium results each piece of treasure is handled with care and we do this by the following : We’ve gained many jewellery polishing skills throughout years of practice helping us to reveal the beauty of precious metal. Should you require this service we begin with observing the jewellery item to check the condition and current state it is in followed by using a cleaning machine to eliminate any dirt or dust and making sure there are no loose stones. We then progress to use tools with finer grits or emery paper until deep scratches and undesirable forms are eliminated. We gradually shape the metal’s surface to produce an even smoother finish that follows the design’s lines. By eliminating uneven or rustic metal surfaces we employ a wide range of equipment and manual tools to guide us through the procedure. Surfaces are shaped and contoured using certain brushes and polishing mops that have been charged with abrasive compounds. The metal will start to shine during the following stage of jewellery polishing as rotary wheels composed of soft fabrics used to buff the metals surface. The high speed wheels are then charged with less invasive compounds that spin a dazzling finish into the precious metal to bring out the required brilliance while revolving on hand held flexible shafts or full upright polishing machines. Many textures and finishes can be applied to certain jewellery surfaces after the proper polish has been attained to add character or improve the design, these finishing techniques can range from straightforward satin finishes one with emery or sandblasting to name a few.

Jewellery Cleaning

Steps to Jewellery Cleaning

BRING IN YOUR JEWELLERY → INSPECTION PROCESS → JEWELLERY CLEANING

1. Bring In Your Jewellery

At Mario B Jewellery, Jewellery cleaning is typically a free service and can be completed while you wait, by placing them in a special machine. If you have a number of items, you can always leave them in the store for a reasonable fee, to be thoroughly cleaned and inspected.

2. Inspection Process

Before cleaning, your consultant will inspect your jewellery to be sure it is structurally sound and pay attention to any worn down parts. The specialist will chat to you there and then to suggest and make any recommendations should your jewellery need further attention. In order to protect your jewellery piece and any gemstones on it to make it secure and long lasting which will also help prevent ongoing repairs and added costs down the track.

3. Jewellery cleaning

Once it has been determined it is safe to proceed, Mario B will assess the best method of cleaning your Jewellery. The polishing wheel brightens up precious metals, the ultrasonic cleaner removes dirt and grime from small crevices. If you are cleaning white gold Jewellery, you may also consider Rhodium Plating.

Professional Jewellery Cleaning

As a Mario B Jewellery client, you’ll quickly discover that our crew does an outstanding job of cleaning jewellery. Not simply the typical “dip in the tank” method, but a complete, expert polishing done by the same craftspeople that make beautiful jewellery in our shop.

You can benefit from our jewellery cleaning services and all of the tools we need to properly refinish your jewellery whenever you visit our shop. Our personnel will polish your jewellery in phases. Our skilled jewellers are aware of the characteristics of fragile materials, gemstones, and know how to deal with them without causing harm.

Jewellery Inspection

We will perform a complete Jewellery inspection to identify any wear or erosion that is forming before polishing your belongings. We will advise preventive maintenance if we notice any signs of wear or erosion so that you can avoid losing a stone, preventing a bracelet from coming off, or preventing a pendant from falling from a broken chain.

To ensure that the gems will stay in the settings, we advise cleaning and inspecting any frequently worn gemstone jewellery approximately up to 12-18 months unless impact has occurred and you suddenly want it checked. In order to prevent the heartache of a lost stone, frequently used objects mounted with gemstones should be examined by us trained jewellers for wear on prongs and closures. Everyday wear exposes well used jewellery to rough, abrasive surfaces. Every jewellery made of precious metals is susceptible to metal fatigue over time. If we notice signs of wear, we will let you know so you may make plans for the necessary jewellery repair.

Proper Jewellery Cleaning at Home

Cleaning your jewellery on a regular basis is the simplest way to keep it looking great. A short term build up of makeup, lotion, or hairspray is considerably harder to get rid of than a thin coating. The method gets simpler the more frequently you clean your jewellery.

Polishing Precious Metals

Get a Jewellers rouge cloth or a velvet cloth to shine your jewellery. These soft cloths are used to polish jewels and are loaded with gentle chemicals. Although the polishing compounds on the cloths are not sufficiently abrasive to harm your stones or metal, they will provide a short term lovely sheen when vigorously rubbed on gold or silver. You can clean your jewellery after polishing it to get rid of any compounds that may have been left behind by rinsing it under water and possibly using a soft bristle brush.

When you’re done, store your jeweller’s cloth in a dust free bag, such as a plastic bag. By doing this, you’ll stop the cloth from attracting dirt and other foreign objects that could scratch your belongings the next time you use it.