10 replies to this topic

[lovediamonds18]

Hello Everyone,
I was wondering if anyone can tell me who Carat* is on there website that have nice designs on there website but there very vauge about how they polish there gold in an email they sent me they were insisitng that they would polish there gold "in a way that the world's finsest jewlers would" that statement in it self kind of made me wonder. But, then they also said that they put rodhium plated to finish the 14kt gold. Is this a common pratcice? Then they also state that about every 12 months that i would need to have my local jeweler to replate the rodhium on the ring that i purchased. Plz help I really like there designs and would like to buy from them but just wanna find out if this is quailty stuff. Here there web site www.Carat.cc .

[candie354]

Rhodium plating is common practice among all jewelry stores. See is not naturally white therefore if you want white gold you need to plate it with a metal that has the white color. In the past, they used to plate gold with nickel to give it the white gold look because it never faded but the downside is that it was not hypoallergic and many people were getting rashes around their fingers b/c their skin was reacting. Therefore, they switched to rhodium that while it gives it the white gold color it does start to fade after 12 or so months of continuous wear and so you need to take it to a local jeweler to get it re-rhodium plated. A big pain in the butt! If your looking for something with less wear google "Palladium" it is a sister metal to platinum but not as expensive (more in line with the price of gold) over the next couple years it's suppose to become a major competitor with gold for jewelry.

lovediamonds18, on Tuesday, Jan 6 2009, 09:51 AM, said:

Hello Everyone,
I was wondering if anyone can tell me who Carat* is on there website that have nice designs on there website but there very vauge about how they polish there gold in an email they sent me they were insisitng that they would polish there gold "in a way that the world's finsest jewlers would" that statement in it self kind of made me wonder. But, then they also said that they put rodhium plated to finish the 14kt gold. Is this a common pratcice? Then they also state that about every 12 months that i would need to have my local jeweler to replate the rodhium on the ring that i purchased. Plz help I really like there designs and would like to buy from them but just wanna find out if this is quailty stuff. Here there web site www.Carat.cc .

[lovediamonds18]

ok, thanks that makes alot of sense so what will it look like when the rodhum wears off?

[Globetrecker]

I love palladium because it is hypo-allergenic and is beautiful. I do have a ring that is 14k white gold and it's about 4 yrs old and I haven't re-Rhodium plated. I can tell that it is not as shiny on the part of the band underneath my finger but that is because it gets all the wear.

[lrodgers]

Good choice, Globetrecker. It is one of the rare metals.


Lisa Rodgers
[disallowed link removed]

Edited by LaurieH, 10 June 2011 - 05:05 AM.

[LaurieH]

lrodgers, thanks for joining the forum. please refer to the rules as regards advertising. your link was removed as it is in violation, and future infractions could lead to further moderation or suspension of posting priviledges. please feel free to participate in conversations and mention your products as they pertain to an individuals specific needs, but blanket advertising is not allowed. thanks.

[ChristineBlue]

Hi lovediamonds18,

I actually have had a friend of mine purchase from Carat. From her experience, if your after inexpensive jewellery that is 9k gold, very light (almost flimsy) and made in china with a standard white CZ, then that is the choice for you. After a few months, the CZ showed signs of wear (scuff marks on the top of the stone) and the rhodium wore off quickly as well. I guess you have to expect this when you are only paying $300 for a ring. There are a few higher end companies such as Quorri & Co, MiaDonna...etc that offer a more Solid product with a DLC coated stone that will not scratch easily. You are better off going that route.

[Megan@UnionDiamond]

Hi, lovediamonds,

While I cannot speak to the quality of Carat products, I can explain the rhodium plating for you. As Candie pointed out, all gold is yellow. It is made white by mixing it with various other alloys including nickel, copper, and zinc. However these metals can't make the gold as white as Platinum and Palladium are naturally. So to achieve the white look, each piece is then rhodium plated. The rhodium does wear off. How long it takes depends on how often you wear the ring and your skin chemistry. As the plating wears off the ring will start to look dull and then as more time goes by it will get a subtle gold tinge to it. In all honesty, unless you go years without re-rhodium plating your ring, it's not something that you're really going to notice unless you put it next to a brand new ring, or until you get it re-plated.

[Sam-i-am]

Hi Lovediamonds,

How's the ring you bought from Carat.cc? I got one last year and somehow even having it cleaned with my jeweler it doesn't to have that brilliance and fire anymore. Well it is what its worth for.

[LaurieH]

Sam,

I doubt you're going to hear back from that user because their post is from a couple years ago. The thread has been revived a couple times since then, but they have not been back in a long time. If anyone else has a purchase experience from this company, hopefully they'll chime in, if you're looking for more feedback about their products and/or service.

[Sam-i-am]

Thanks Laurie.

LaurieH, on 12 September 2011 - 05:25 PM, said:

Sam,

I doubt you're going to hear back from that user because their post is from a couple years ago. The thread has been revived a couple times since then, but they have not been back in a long time. If anyone else has a purchase experience from this company, hopefully they'll chime in, if you're looking for more feedback about their products and/or service.