Some jewelry designers know exactly what to do to get a piece to its full potential. A ring with an amazing sapphire is sure to impress, but how about a finishing touch to really seal the deal?
That touch might come by way of black rhodium, an important tool for taking an incredible jewel from wow to whoa!
Omi Privé is one brand that utilizes black rhodium to reach epic results. See above: a diamond-dazzled platinum ring featuring a demantoid garnet center. Making that marvelous green pop is a quartet of blackened prongs, and a frame of alexandrite backed by—you guessed it—black rhodium. The ring would have been wonderful in platinum alone, but with the contrasting metal it becomes glorious—you can be sure no one will miss that color now.
Often, black rhodium is used to such gorgeous effect that we don’t necessarily notice its presence: It’s there to assist in maximizing a gemstone’s fullest pop of color.
Other times, though, a designer might go all-in on black—and this time of year, those pieces are especially appealing. To set a jewel entirely in black rhodium (or blackened gold) is to transform it completely. It’s a little bit mysterious, a smidge rock ’n’ roll, a tad goth even.
In the spooky season of Halloween, these pieces are a wonderful way to celebrate—but don’t put them away when the calendar reads Nov. 1. A bit of black mixed with the bold and bright colors of the holiday season is just what’s needed to keep jewelry lovers looking perfectly chic through the new year and beyond.
Top: Apollo coin pendant in black rhodium–plated sterling silver with 0.21 ct. t.w. diamonds, $800; Katerina Marmagioli
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