If you've ever wondered why some 925 silver jewellery stays bright, white and highly polished while other silver pieces gradually develop a darker appearance, the answer may be rhodium plating. Rhodium plating has become an important part of modern jewellery manufacturing. It can give sterling silver a bright white finish, improve resistance to tarnishing and add a harder surface to the jewellery. But rhodium wasn't originally discovered for jewellery. Its story began in 1803, when English chemist William Hyde Wollaston discovered the element while studying platinum ore. More than a century later, advances in electroplating technology helped turn this rare metal...