Jewellers back to black with rhodium, ruthenium - Daily Mail
LONDON, May (Reuters) - Ice-white platinum has long had enduring appeal in jewellery and experimental designers are now also turning to its lesser-known sister metals rhodium and ruthenium to produce work in darker hues. The deep gunmetal finish of black rhodium plate and the pure black of ruthenium are both becoming increasingly popular, jewellers say. London-based designer Alex Monroe has used black rhodium to plate pieces in his nautically-inspired Beyond the Sea collection, along with silver, and rose and yellow gold. He has used black ruthenium to create jet black crow's feathers for a 2009 line, and in special editions of floral-themed lines to give a "contrast to the femininity of the pieces," said his firm's chief operating officer Emma Burgin. Platinum's sister metals are produced mainly for industrial uses: rhodium as a component in automobile catalytic converters and ruthenium for electronics. But demand for jewellery, even when tiny overall, can add to the lustre of a precious metal, especially as the exotic metals become more affordable. Rhodium is normally white, and commonly used for years as plate to give a lustrous finish to white gold. Its extreme hardness and high melting point make it a difficult metal for jewellers to work, so pure rhodium jewellery is highly. Source: www.dailymail.co.uk
