Sterling silver jewellery is composed of the industry standard 92.5% (925 parts per thousand) silver and 7.5% copper alloy. The copper is used to increase the hardness of silver. While being an affordable alternative to white gold or platinum that features a higher sheen than other white metals, it can also get scratches and look more dull in color (due to silver tarnishing after awhile). This is where a rhodium finish is often used by higher-end jewellery makers (usually over silver) to give your product an extra layer of protection and luster for a highly reflective bright finish. It extremely hard (a 6.0 on the Mohs hardness scale) and is more scratch-resistant than silver.
Rhodium is referred to as the most expensive metal on earth as it costs nearly 10 times more than gold due to its rareness. Sterling jewellery with a rhodium finish looks just like white gold or platinum. In fact, most white gold and platinum pieces are finished with rhodium without your jewellery store telling you!
Our online jewelry boutique and many others assure you that rhodium plated sterling silver jewelry is not “cheap jewellery” at all! Rhodium is a more precious metal than silver; thus, you’re actually getting a higher quality product!
