# Should I buy a Rhoduim ring? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 7, 2010, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-buy-a-rhoduim-ring/559833 "2010-11-07T23:28:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Peanuthead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peanuthead/32/360_2.png) [@Peanuthead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peanuthead)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2010, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-buy-a-rhoduim-ring/559833/1 "2010-11-07T23:28:24Z")
## I came across a beautiful ring with the U S Navy insignia on Amazon for only $39.95. Here’s the descriptin: ## 18K HEAVY GOLD ELECTROPLATE CARVED LOGO Show your support for the U. S. Military! In commemoration of those who so proudly serve(d) in the armed forces gallantly defending our country comes the official commemorative Military Service Rings. Each ring is distinctly designed with the official insignia of each branch of service. The sides contain finely sculpted emblems of each branch as well. Richly crafted with pure plated white rhodium, insignia logos are hand finished and precisely carved into the rhodium and electroplated with 18k heavy gold. Your military ring will be a treasured keepsake for generations to come. Lifetime warranty. I’d like to buy it but I’m a little wary because I don’t know what rhodium is. It has a nice shiney silver color with gold accent but I know looks can be deceiving. Will it make my finger turn green? Will the “18K heavy gold electroplate carved logo” wear off in a week? I know 40 bucks won’t get me any fine jewelry but damn this ring looks good. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2010, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-buy-a-rhoduim-ring/559833/2 "2010-11-07T23:56:16Z")
I’m very suspicious. If Wikipedia is to be believed - and other sites back it up - [Rhodium](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhodium) is fantastically expensive at $80K/Kg or $2,273 /oz. I’m guessing this is a ring of some cheap metal plated with Rhodium and gold. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2010, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-buy-a-rhoduim-ring/559833/3 "2010-11-08T00:04:18Z")
Rhodium is a relative of platinum and used to coat metal to make it very shiny. Teeny diamonds and other gemstones are set in it to make them look bigger and shinier. I’ve never heard of a piece of jewelry made from solid rhodium, and if it was, it would be mindbogglingly expensive! ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2010, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-buy-a-rhoduim-ring/559833/4 "2010-11-08T00:05:07Z")
Rhodium is a precious metal, currently selling for a bit over $2000/oz on the spot market. It’s popular for plating jewelry because it is harder than platinum, hypoallergenic and tarnish resistant. “Rhodium” itself isn’t a worry, but at that low a price, quality issues might be. It might be very thin plating over brass. ---
**Author:** ![california\_jobcase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@california\_jobcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/california_jobcase)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2010, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-buy-a-rhoduim-ring/559833/5 "2010-11-08T00:12:57Z")
According to this site, rhodium plating can be durable and very thin. > **[Facts, pictures, stories about the element Rhodium in the Periodic Table](https://theodoregray.com/PeriodicTable/Elements/045/index.s7.html)** > > Rhodium at The Wooden Periodic Table Table by Theodore Gray This is a fun site- I used in in class back when I taught science. ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2010, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-buy-a-rhoduim-ring/559833/6 "2010-11-08T00:27:27Z")
> [@salinqmind](#): > > Rhodium is a relative of platinum and used to coat metal to make it very shiny. Teeny diamonds and other gemstones are set in it to make them look bigger and shinier. I’ve never heard of a piece of jewelry made from solid rhodium, and if it was, it would be mindbogglingly expensive! And the OP’s ad didn’t say it was … “Richly crafted with pure plated white rhodium, …”. It’s in the ballpark for cheap rhodium plated brass jewelry, like this: [http://www.overstock.com/Jewelry-Watches/Rhodium-plated-Brass-Embedded-Cubic-Zirconia-Ring/5070298/product.html?cid=123620&fp=F&mr:trackingCode=5D52583D-52C1-DF11-98FF-0019B9C043EB&mr:referralID=NA](http://www.overstock.com/Jewelry-Watches/Rhodium-plated-Brass-Embedded-Cubic-Zirconia-Ring/5070298/product.html?cid=123620&fp=F&mr:trackingCode=5D52583D-52C1-DF11-98FF-0019B9C043EB&mr:referralID=NA) ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2010, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-buy-a-rhoduim-ring/559833/7 "2010-11-08T00:49:08Z")
Google Shopping with key words [Rhodium ring](http://www.google.com/products?hl=en&safe=off&q=Rhodium+ring&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=if) Look around and see if the price is in line with others? ---
**Author:** ![Peanuthead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peanuthead/32/360_2.png) [@Peanuthead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peanuthead)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2010, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-buy-a-rhoduim-ring/559833/8 "2010-11-08T01:25:26Z")
Well it looks like the plusses outweigh the minuses. Following some of the above links and doing some further research I even managed to find a cheaper one. Funny how you can find the exact same thing in prices ranging from $29 to $99. Here’s a good pic of the ring from one of the more expensive sites: [http://www.rushindustries.com/naofcomiri2.html?aff=cj](http://www.rushindustries.com/naofcomiri2.html?aff=cj) Now isn’t that a good looking piece of jewelry? It’s just what I’m looking for. It’s pretty, it makes a statement, and it’s cheap. Oh yeah, it also has a “lifetime warranty”. I guess that’s in case it breaks during normal usage. LOL ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2010, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-buy-a-rhoduim-ring/559833/9 "2010-11-08T05:06:49Z")
Very striking ring. Buy it! Buy it! ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2010, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-buy-a-rhoduim-ring/559833/10 "2010-11-08T14:26:07Z")
Moved from GQ to IMHO.