My diamond stud earrings have rhodium. Is that fake or gold?

Understanding White Gold, & Rhodium Plating

What is "rhodium" and what does it have to do with white gold jewelry?

Most white gold jewelry today is rhodium plated. Rhodium is a very precious metal that costs ten times as much as gold! Rhodium is generally not considered a feasible material to make jewelry from, though, because it is stressed and brittle, very difficult to "work" properly for jewelry making, and it's price is very volatile (sometimes it's 5x as costly as gold, sometimes 25x).

But rhodium is fabulous as a plating for jewelry. It is glitteringly, dazzlingly, white and mirror-like. It's like chrome, but much whiter, and the most reflective of all metals.

Rhodium plating makes diamonds look bigger and better because it's so bright that it glints like the diamonds. From a few feet away and under most lighting conditions it's hard to see where the stones end and the metal begins. Nothing sets off diamonds like rhodium plating does. But the rhodium is only a plating and therefore it will wear off eventually and require replating.

Have things changed between your grandmother's white gold ring and yours?
Yes, things have changed a lot! Years ago, white gold rings were not rhodium plated, and today they usually are. So which is better and why?

Well, if you feel that heirlooms should be a once in a lifetime purchase that lasts forever without any further attention, you may not be happy with a rhodium plated ring, because rings are "high wear" items, and no matter how high the quality of the plating, it will wear off over time and require replating.

But if you love today's brilliant, dazzling, ultra-white diamond-like look, recognize that you simply can't get it from an unplated ring ... and you never could. No matter how well white gold is made, it's a metal which is about half yellow gold and it will never even come close to offering the flashy glint of rhodium plating. Yes, your grandmother's ring stayed white for decades and never ever needed plating, but it was never dazzling like today's rings -- it was white enough for people's taste in a different time, but it is not white enough for some people's taste in this age of "bling".

Want to know more about rhodium and How long will the rhodium plating last?
I got all this information from this website...

http://www.finishing.com/faqs/whitegold.shtml

I hope this helps you and anyone reading to understand a little more about rhodium.

Personally I prefer only gold and no platings due to my skin wearing off the plating.
But not everyone is the same so to each their own and Good Luck!
=)

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24K gold is 100% pure gold. Pure gold is actually a very soft metal that is not durable and is not suitable for making jewelry. For example, if your studs were made of 24K gold the prongs would probably bend rather quickly , having the diamonds fall out. Therefore, for jewelry, the gold is actually mixed with other alloys in order to make it stronger.

18K gold is hence 75% pure gold, and 25% other alloys.
On the same logic, for example, 14K gold actually 59% pure gold, and 41% other alloys.

Typically in order to make yellow gold the “other alloy” is copper, and in order to make white gold the “other alloy” is nickel.

so, my point is:
There is no such thing as "white gold." All metals exist in nature as various shades of grey with the exception of gold and copper which are actually yellowish. An alloy of metal is a combination of various metallic elements that are used in varying proportions to produce the desired color and properties.

With yellow gold, the color of the copper actually “helps” to enhance the natural yellowish color of the gold. With white gold the nickel helps to reduce the natural yellowish tone of the gold which brings me to the point that I’m trying to make as follows:

White gold is almost always rhodium plated. When it is not rhodium plated, it doesn’t look so shiny and white and will be a bit yellowish.
http://www.zoara.com/jewelry/earrings/studs

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