How does the brightness of polished rhodium compare to silver?
One of the minor cosmetic trade-offs for plating rhodium onto silver is that the rhodium finish will not be as bright or reflective as the original silver finish. Rhodium reflects about 72%-80% of the light rays that strike it. Silver reflects up to 95% of all incidental light that strikes it. However, over the long term rhodium will stay “brighter” than silver because of its superior resistance to tarnishing and scratching.
