Details

About the Rhodium Plated Silver Starfish Charm, 15mm

Rhodium is a hard, silvery metal from the platinum family. A thin layer over sterling silver makes this rhodium plated starfish charm look brighter and whiter than plain silver, and helps it resist tarnish, so it keeps its shine for longer.

The plating does wear with time. One jeweller, Robinson's, calls rhodium a wear layer that typically lasts one to three years, less on pieces that rub, like bracelet charms, with chlorine, salty air, lotions and perfume speeding it up. As it wears, the silver underneath starts to show and can slowly darken, and a jeweller can re-plate it to bring the finish back. Taking it off before swimming, showering or using hand cream helps the plating last longer.

Rhodium plating is allowed on silver under UK hallmarking rules, and at 2.1g in total this charm is well under the 7.78g level at which silver has to be hallmarked, so it may carry no hallmark at all.

At 15 x 15mm, with 1.80g of silver, it's a little larger than our 14mm plain silver starfish, so it stands out on a bracelet. Starfish jewellery is a favourite reminder of rock pools and summer beaches, and this charm suits a holiday bracelet, a present for a beach lover or the first piece of a new collection.

It has five textured arms with a raised line down each one, which gives it more detail than a flat, polished starfish and stops it looking plain against smoother charms.

The lobster clasp clips onto link bracelets and chains, such as our 19cm silver charm bracelet chain (sold separately). Clipped onto a fine chain instead, it also works as a small starfish pendant.

It arrives in a black velvet drawstring bag, like our shell and 14mm starfish sterling silver charms, and the bag is also the best place to keep it between wears, away from other jewellery that could rub the plating.