Is Rhodium Magnetic? And Can Rhodium Be Magnetized Under Certain Circumstances or Not?

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Is rhodium magnetic?

No, rhodium isn’t magnetic. It’s paramagnetic. This means rhodium is only weakly attracted to a magnetic field and doesn’t retain any magnetism after being exposed to a magnet.

Rhodium is paramagnetic because it has unpaired electrons in its atomic structure. These unpaired electrons create tiny magnetic dipoles that are weakly attracted to an external magnetic field.

Pure rhodium doesn’t magnetize, but rhodium alloyed with some other metal can become magnetic or ferromagnetic depending on the metal its alloyed with.

Is Rhodium Magnetic? And Can Rhodium Be Magnetized Under Certain Circumstances or Not?
Is Rhodium Magnetic? And Can Rhodium Be Magnetized Under Certain Circumstances or Not?

Is it Possible to Test Rhodium Purity With Magnets?

No, it’s not possible to test rhodium purity with magnets.

Rhodium isn’t magnetic and won’t be attracted to a magnet. Instead it’s only slightly paramagnetic, meaning it’s only very weakly attracted to a magnetic field. This means there won’t be any noticeable reaction if you point a magnet to a rhodium-made object.

It’s impossible to magnet test any object that’s made from rhodium+ some other metal alloy.

Because other metals are either magnetic or not, and in botch cases you won’t know which metal is responding or not responding to your magnet.

Bottom line is that testing rhodium with magnets is unreliable and gives inconclusive results.

Is Rhodium Bullion Magnetic?

No, rhodium bullion isn’t magnetic. Coins and bars made of pure rhodium are paramagnetic. Meaning they’re only weakly attracted to magnetic field and don’t retain any magnetism after being exposed to a magnet.

Pure rhodium coins and bars are rare and expensive (only 1% of rhodium produced in a year goes to making pure rhodium bullion) and there’s no rhodium bullion made of rhodium alloyed with some other metal.

This means rhodium bullion can never become magnetic or ferromagnetic due to the influence of some other metal.

Is Pure Rhodium Jewelry Magnetic?

No, pure rhodium jewelry isn’t magnetic. It’s paramagnetic.

Pure rhodium jewelry is extremely rare and rhodium is nearly always used as plating for jewelry items made of other precious metals.

Pure rhodium ring example from Reddit
Pure rhodium ring example from Reddit

Is Rhodium-Plating Magnetic?

No, rhodium plating isn’t magnetic. It’s paramagnetic meaning it’s only weakly attracted to a magnet and doesn’t retain any magnetism after being exposed to a magnet.

However, the jewelry item’s base metal underneath can be magnetic or ferromagnetic, based on the metal involved.

  • Rhodium-plated yellow gold jewelry. Yellow gold isn’t magnetic so yellow gold rhodium plated jewelry won’t be magnetic as well.
  • Rhodium-plated white gold jewelry. White gold isn’t magnetic so rhodium plated white gold jewelry won’t be magnetic. The only exception is when white gold contains nickel because nickel is magnetic. But the amount of nickel in white gold alloy typically isn’t enough to show a strong magnetic effect.
  • Rhodium-plated black gold jewelry. Black gold isn’t magnetic as it’s a combination of yellow gold (which is diamagnetic) and rhodium or black oxide coating, both of which are non magnetic.
  • Rhodium-plated rose gold jewelry. Rose gold isn’t magnetic because rose gold is an alloy of yellow gold and copper. Neither of these metals are magnetic and yellow gold is diamagnetic, meaning it repels magnets.
  • Rhodium-plated silver jewelry. Silver isn’t magnetic so rhodium-plated silver jewelry won’t magnetize under any circumstances.
  • Rhodium-plated platinum jewelry. Platinum isn’t magnetic. It’s paramagnetic meaning it’s only weakly attracted to a magnetic field and doesn’t retain any magnetism after being exposed to a magnet. Both rhodium and platinum are paramagnetic which means you can expect some limited magnetism from your rhodium-plated platinum jewelry.
  • Rhodium-plated palladium jewelry. Palladium isn’t magnetic. Palladium is paramagnetic which means it’s only weakly attracted to a magnetic field and doesn’t retain any magnetism after being exposed to a magnet. Both rhodium and platinum are paramagnetic and this means you should expect some limited magnetism from your rhodium-plated palladium jewelry.
Rhodium-plated ring example
Rhodium-plated ring example- source

Is Raw Rhodium Magnetic?

No, raw rhodium isn’t magnetic.

Raw rhodium is paramagnetic just the same as pure, refined rhodium is.

Rhodium ore also isn’t magnetic. It’s paramagnetic.

Is Raw Rhodium Magnetic?
Is Raw Rhodium Magnetic?

Is Rhodium More or Less Magnetic than Gold?

Rhodium is more magnetic than gold. Because gold is diamagnetic, meaning it weakly repels magnets, whereas rhodium is paramagnetic, meaning it’s slightly attracted to magnets.

Functionally, both metals are non-magnetic and you can’t magnetize neither pure rhodium nor pure gold.

Is Rhodium More or Less Magnetic than Silver?

Rhodium is more magnetic than silver. Because silver is diamagnetic, meaning it weakly repels magnets, whereas rhodium is paramagnetic, meaning it’s slightly attracted to magnets.

Functionally, both metals are non-magnetic and you can’t magnetize neither pure rhodium nor pure silver.

Is Rhodium More or Less Magnetic than Platinum?

Rhodium is slightly more magnetic than platinum because of the specific configuration and number of unpaired electrons compared to platinum’s.

However, both rhodium and platinum are paramagnetic metals and to the naked eye and without being a in a lab both metals don’t visibly magnetize at all.

Is Rhodium More or Less Magnetic than Palladium?

Palladium is more magnetic than rhodium even though palladium is paramagnetic just as rhodium is.

Palladium is more magnetic than rhodium because of its higher magnetic susceptibility at lower temperatures. Meaning palladium exhibits a stronger temperature-dependent susceptibility than rhodium, and this effect comes from its electronic band structure.

Can Pure Rhodium Stop Being Paramagnetic Under Certain Circumstances?

No, pure rhodium can never stop being paramagnetic under any circumstances. Pure rhodium can never become magnetic or diamagnetic.

It’ll always remain paramagnetic.

Is Rhodium Magnetic? And Can Rhodium Be Magnetized Under Certain Circumstances or Not? (Conclusion)

Rhodium isn’t magnetic. It’s paramagnetic, meaning it’s only weakly attracted to a magnetic field and doesn’t retain any magnetism after being exposed to a magnet.

Rhodium alloyed with some other metal can become magnetic or ferromagnetic depending on the metal its alloyed with.

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Nikola Roza

Nikola Roza is a blogger behind Nikola Roza- SEO for the Poor and Determined. He writes for bloggers who don't have huge marketing budget but still want to succeed. Nikola is passionate about precious metals IRAs and how to invest in gold and silver for a safer financial future. Learn about Nikola here.

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