We just have 14k white gold, which is an oxymoron as you point out. I designed it, had a jeweler make the wax cast and then had a high palladium content 14k WG used. Rhodium is much cheaper than Platinum but regardless most stones are set in a 14K white gold as the tips of the prongs need to be soft enough to set a gem securely but strong enough not to lose the gems.
10K isn't readily available for holding gems, hence most people rhodium plate everything.
If you look at different auctions you can find jeweler grade plating equipment for about $125. That's what I paid from a guy that bought stock from a small chain going out of business.
My best friend is a gemologist and his father a lifelong watchmaker and their family has run its own shop in Rochester, NY.
Their system and solutions are quite expensive but again I bought my plating system previously owned. I can find rhodium solution, or I have in the past for $150/gram out of Boston in the past.
The 18K Rose Gold solution was much less at about $80, but of course with precious metals prices vary.
The Jewelry store used to never work with Silver but the 2008- prices of gold and Platinum really hurt small family run Jewelers as had Swatch and Rolex demanding all watches be sent to authorized factories for refurbishing with warranty. They carry very few watches now but still do plenty of tune ups.
Besides the solutions and a solid jeweler grade machine it's pretty easy to obtain the lab ware, anodes, cathodes and cradles, etc from either eBay or searching the net.
So much of watch work requires almost as steady hands as a surgeon and even with Big magnifying glass units and the eye visor etc, it's painstaking work. The grumbling and anger you get as its way too easy to mess up something simple has me just doing bigger objects and just for personal gear or family.
I to don't wear jewelry except a watch. I saw a guy in Combat Medic training forget to remove his wedding ring while training and go over a high wall. The ring caught on a raised nail and instantly popped his finger off. That was enough for me, as well as he repeated hand washing doing hospital work to just have no desire to wear rings, necklaces, or anything but a watch as they will break before removing a hand. Not that I'm using heavy belted machinery or popping over walls with an immediate nature.
Still I'm a sucker for a beautiful watch. I used to do dial work, hands work and some movement cleaning and plating of cases, depending upon the watch.
I used to have an Omega that was rhodium coated stainless. It was quite sharp, but now my buddy the gemologist wears it. I always worried if I wore a nice watch while on a motorcycle, would predispose me to wiping out it getting hit.
Dang sports and such for making me slightly superstitious even when my brain knows there is no such thing.
I mostly wear micro brand watches like Squale, Steinhart and Heldon these days along with a few others. Still automatic movements enchant me. I have about 24 different watches.
We all suffer from some acquisition disorders.
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