Steps To Clean Rhodium-Plated Sterling Silver Jewelry Prepare Your Bowls. First, fill one of the bowls with 1 cup of warm water. Wash. Put your rhodium-plated silver jewelry in the washing bowl. Rinse. Now, transfer your washed jewelry to the rinsing bowl. Dry. Place your jewelry on a soft towel or a microfiber cloth. Store.

Rhodium plating lasts about 12-24 months before it wears down or off. However, this time frame depends on how often the piece is exposed to chemicals that can wear down the layer and each person’s body chemistry. Believe it or not, some people’s skin will wear down the rhodium faster than others! Avoid rubbing the rhodium plating on your jewelry by not wearing it at night. Take it off when showering or washing your hands. Avoid exposing your jewelry to harsh chemicals. Take your jewelry off when swimming in heavily chlorinated pools as the chlorine can damage the plating. Perfumes and cosmetics can also affect rhodium plating. Avoid heavy cleaning products. Metal on metal rubbing or even just putting your hand in and out of pockets will cause some wear. 

Eventually, the plating will wear off but it shouldn't look as obvious as a copper alloy ring, simply because the colors are similar. This is something to keep in mind when choosing gold or rose gold plated pieces of jewelry. It will be significantly more obvious due to the difference in metal colors.