Nickel
Many times nickel, another hard metal known also as Ni, is placed between the coating and the silver because it facilitates the adherence and luster of the plating to the metal. When used in silver jewelry, this can cause irritation to those who are sensitive to nickel or have nickel allergies. For that reason, there is nickel-free jewelry available. Although, Silvexonline.com still carries some jewelry with nickel plating, 95% of our sterling silver jewelry is nickel-free and all of our nickel-free jewelry is clearly marked on the site.

* If you are an international customer, please note that use of nickel and nickel based alloys in jewelry may be illegal in your country. For example, European countries have officially banned nickel and nickel based alloys in jewelry due to the high number of nickel allergies.

Rhodium
Rhodium is a hard, durable, silvery-white metallic element that is used to form high-temperature alloys with platinum and is then plated on other metals to produce a durable corrosion-resistant coating. Rhodium, also known as Rh, is a member of the platinum group and found in platinum ores. It has a higher melting point and lower density than platinum. Rhodium is a very expensive metal, even more so than gold. Due to the scarcity of the metal, it commands a high market price.

Sterling silver jewelry that is plated with rhodium is resistant to scratching, abrasion and corrosion. As mentioned above, sterling silver has a tendency to tarnish rather quickly when exposed to harsh contaminants, such as sulfur and many others that are found all around us. Contact with skin oils and perfumes may also discolor silver, which requires frequent cleaning and polishing. Since rhodium plating is highly acid and chemical resistant, it will withstand such contact. Consequently, sterling silver is an ideal candidate for rhodium plating. In addition, rhodium is also frequently used to give silver jewelry a beautiful finish.