Does Rhodium Plating Require Upkeep
Rhodium plating does require some upkeep since it will start to slowly wear off with regular wear. When rhodium plating starts to wear off of white gold jewelry, people often think that their white gold jewelry is turning yellow. But, in fact, whats happening is the off-white, yellowish color of your white gold is starting to show since your bright white rhodium plating is wearing thin.
While rhodium plated jewelry does require some upkeep, its very simple upkeep. To restore your white gold jewelry to a bright white color, you can simply have it re-coated in rhodium by your jeweler.
The Cost And The Toxicity In Question
We can therefore make white gold with certain metals allied to yellow gold.Palladium and nickel are metals that give a white color to yellow gold.
Yes, but here it is.Palladium is also expensive or more expensive than gold and nickel very often causes skin allergy reactions, so it was banned or limited to use in France by the decree of July 18, 2000.So for reasons of cost and health, the white gold manufactured is usually with metals that are not allergenic and economical. As a result, the white gold alloy eventually shoots to yellow.
Ring in 18 carat white gold out of foundry.
We notice the white color of the gold in the rough, without polishing and without rhodium sign of the quality of the white gold alloy used.
What Is 14k White Gold Made Of
White gold is made of 58.5% pure gold, alloyed with 41.5% of the white metal alloys. The white metal alloys alloyed with the gold include copper, zinc, and nickel/ palladium/ silver.
When alloyed with palladium, you will have 14k palladium white gold, which contains gold, silver, copper, and palladium.
Also Check: Is Dial Gold Body Wash Antibacterial
What Does The Karat Number Mean
Karat is the way in which we measure the purity of gold. Pure gold that is not mixed with any other metal is 24 karats. When pure gold is mixed with another metal the karat number is reduced to indicate that it is no longer pure gold. For example, 18 karat gold means that there is 75% pure gold and 25% of another metal mixed with the pure gold. Both yellow and white gold can vary in the purity of gold but are typically 18 or 14 karats for jewellery.
It is important to note that as the karat number decreases this does not mean that the value of gold decreases. The gold is still present and is still of value. The only thing that decreases is the amount of gold in a piece of jewelry. This explains why 18 karat gold is more expensive than 14 karat gold. It is not that the gold in 14 karat gold is inferior, there is simply just less of it.
What Exactly Is White Gold And Why Isn’t It Perfectly White
White gold is inherently warm in color, and not dead white like platinum. White gold is not found in nature, since the element from the earth is pure yellow gold . In order to achieve a whiter hue, other metals are added to the pure yellow gold. This combination of metals is called an “alloy.” By definition, 14k gold means that 14 parts of the alloy out of the total 24 parts are gold. The remaining 10 parts in the alloy are other metals. The other metals depend upon the final color you’re trying to achieve. For example, 14k yellow gold may have copper, silver, and zinc added so that the yellow color is lightened, but still maintained. Rose gold will have more copper so that the coppery hue is achieved. And white gold will have a white metal, such as nickel or palladium added so that the resulting alloy is whiter.
You May Like: What Dentist Does Gold Teeth
Some Basic Facts Of White Gold
Now that you know how white gold is made lets take a look at the basic characteristics of white gold and what makes this type of gold durable and a good jewelry investment option.
- The durability of White Gold
White gold is quite durable, but it is not indestructible. The hardness of the white gold depends on the karatage or the purity of the gold used to make the white gold. The metal alloy and the concentration of the metal alloy used will also affect the durability of the white gold.
If the gold alloy contains a higher percentage of gold, you will have white gold that is softer and less durable because it is susceptible to scratching. But with more of the metal alloy, the resultant white gold jewelry is more durable it will last longer. It, therefore, means that the 14k white gold is more durable than the 18k white gold.
But before you make up your mind, you also need to bear in mind that the durability of the white gold is also affected by the rhodium plating. While this plating is resistant to scratching, it adds to the shelf life of the white gold because it protects the white gold base. But the plating will wear off after some months or years, inevitably depending on how often the piece is worn and how well its cared for.
- White Gold and Nickel Allergies
As mentioned above, white gold may or may not contain nickel as one of the main metal alloys added to the gold.
- White Gold vs. Yellow Gold
Is White Gold Real Gold
Yes. Even though it contains alloy metals, white gold is made from real, pure gold. Youll be able to verify that your white gold jewellery contains real gold by looking at its hallmark.
In the UK, all jewellery over 1 gram in weight must be hallmarked to ensure it contains the exact amount of the certified precious metal stated.
A hallmarking is a small symbol stamped on the inside of a piece of jewellery that identifies it as a certified and authentic by the strict standards of The Government Assay Offices.
Recommended Reading: How Much Is 10k Gold Worth
Engagement Rings: Platinum Vs White Gold
Platinum engagement rings will feel sturdy and substantial on your finger whereas white gold will feel more lightweight. Both are durable and strong and do a great job of holding and protecting gemstones, but platinums heavier weight and density make it ideal for securing diamond settings, especially smaller stones.
While all of our rings can be made in any color gold or platinum, we have some favorites that pair beautifully with the icy shine of a white metal like platinum or white gold. They heighten certain design elements and spotlight a gorgeous white diamond sparkle.
Our Melinda is one of the best for imbuing an understated elegance combined with an unexpected organic, sculptural look. The open solitaire setting allows for plenty of light to bounce off the center stone, accentuated by small diamonds scattered along the split shank, symbolizing two paths merging into one.
In Cercee, theres a little bit of everything to delight and inspire. Intricate, surprising, and glistening were the goals as we combined detailed, hand-engraved metal work to accentuate the basket and sides of the band. Then perfectly set channel diamonds up the sparkle and icy shine of the ring, leaving no nook untouched with some element to make you smile.
Hence White Gold Was Born
Take a look at the difference between White gold and platinum in the image below
The main reason why white gold still exists today, even though platinum has made such a huge come back, is because its a much cheaper alternative to platinum. Platinum costs about 4 times the price of gold.
White gold sounds great, but sadly, there are no set standards for white gold in the jewelry industry. This leads to many variations, and multiple alloys in the mix.
You cant blame them either, white gold was only a substitute metal that was only going to be a temporary until platinum came back. Who knew it would stick around?
Read Also: Is Dial Gold Body Wash Antibacterial
Rhodium And White Gold: A Match Made In Heaven
White gold is an elegant, classic precious metal option for jewelry. With its silvery white hue and high shine, white gold pairs beautifully with every gemstone and looks particularly gorgeous with diamonds. But did you know that white golds bright white color isnt from the white gold itself? The majority of white gold jewelry sold today is covered with a thin layer of rhodium plating, which gives white gold jewelry its distinctively beautiful color and shine.
As a fine jeweler that carries quite a wide selection of white gold jewelry, we get a lot of questions about white gold and rhodium plating. Many people wonder why white gold is plated, what rhodium plating is, what kind of upkeep rhodium-plated white gold requires, and so on. Below, well answer all these frequently asked questions as we go over everything you need to know about white gold and rhodium.
Whats The Difference: Platinum Vs White Gold
Platinum and white gold differ in quite a few ways, and the reason why for so many of them can be attributed to their vastly different purity levels. Rings are rarely ever made of 100% pure white gold or platinum because it simply wouldnt be durable or workable in that form.
Most platinum rings are an alloy of 95% platinum and other metals such as ruthenium or palladium. Most white gold rings are 18k or 14k. The purity level for each of those is 75% white gold for 18k and 58.3% white gold for 14k, with the remaining percentage for each consisting of other metals like silver, nickel, palladium, copper, zinc depending on the desired color. Many people have metal allergies to nickel, making certain white golds that use nickel in their alloy off limits. Platinum is hypoallergenic meaning it wont cause reactions.
The purity level is one of the main reasons for the price difference between platinum and white gold. Platinum is usually $500 to $800 more than white gold for the average ring because there is more pure platinum being used in the ring. Its also 66% heavier than 14k white gold due to its higher density. Since precious metals are paid for in ounces or grams, platinum weighing substantially more than white gold will likely make it more expensive every time .
Men’s platinum wedding band
Men’s white gold wedding band
Don’t Miss: How Much Is 14k Italy Gold Worth Per Gram
The History Of White And Yellow Gold
The purest form of gold used in jewelry has been dated back to 4000 B.C. However, its most notably used during the Georgian and Victorian eras. During these times gold was used in collaboration with jewels, such as rubies and sapphires. Eventually, jewelers saw the benefit of mixing pure gold with other metals to make a harder and less expensive piece of jewelry. Yellow gold engagement rings were extremely popular in the late 1990s, and are making a comeback with millennials.
White gold was invented in the 19th century but did not become widely popular until the 1920s. Since platinum was needed for so many military purposes, white gold was used in jewelry as an easy and less expensive substitute. It has continued its popularity over the years, with a large shift in engagement rings being made with white gold during the 2000s.
Whats White Gold Made Of
White gold is created by combining pure gold and a white metal such as nickel or palladium, which gives the unique shiny white look to the regular gold. Many people have concerns about whether white gold or silver products contain nickel, since its such a common source of sensitivity. Nickel is the main metal people are allergic to, and jewelry that contains this can be very irritating to the skin and cause itchy and painful reactions. Its important to ensure that if you have sensitivities to nickel, that any piece of jewelry you buy will be nickel-free.
There is a material called Rhodium, which is a precious metal often used for plating white gold jewelry, because of its beautiful finish and sets off the white gold beautifully. The Rhodium plating is a great addition to the white gold however this finish does wear off over time and require re-plating occasionally.
How to tell the difference between the two:
| Silver |
Don’t Miss: How Much Is 10k Gold Worth
Where To Find Gold
According to estimates, all of the gold ever mined in the history of humanity amounts to about 152,000 metric tons. This sounds like a lot, but it is only about enough to fill up 60 trailers. Scientists believe that there is still eight times more gold in and under the oceans than has ever been mined close to the planets surface. Like the gold that is probably floating in the Earths molten core, most of this supply of the precious metal is inaccessible or simply too expensive to mine. Interestingly, gold has been discovered on all of Earths continents except for Antarctica. Of course, it is possible that even that continent holds some gold under all of the ice.
I See No Reason To Switch
Unless you are allergic to white gold .
For a metal that was made on the fly as a substitute for one of the most rarest metals on Earth, white gold has held its ground.
White gold has been around for almost 100 years now, and its here to stay.
Doesnt sound like a substitute to me.
Cheers! 🙂
Top Diamond Vendors:
James Allen
James Allen is a leader in diamonds. Their real time interactive diamond inspection is the best in the industry. View and rotate any diamond under 20x magnification. Their prices, selection, lifetime warranty, 24/7 customer support and hassle free returns are unbeatable. Visit James Allen today.
Recommended Reading: Can I Use Dial Spring Water Soap On Tattoo
White Gold And Nickel Allergies
Some white gold alloys contain nickel, which can cause a rash if it comes in contact with the skin of a person allergic to the metal.
Typically, the rhodium plating covering white gold jewelry will prevent your skin from being exposed to nickel, but when the rhodium wears off, touching the underlying alloy may give you a rash if you are allergic.
One way to avoid allergic reactions is to have your white gold jewelry timely replated with rhodium when it starts to wears off.
Another solution is to avoid nickel-containing white gold altogether. For example, alloys made only with gold, palladium and silver are not allergenic.
Is White Gold In Style
White gold has a modern look, and it is also timeless and highly versatile thanks to its neutral colour and beautiful shine. A white gold engagement ring will always be in style, especially when paired with diamonds because the white of the metal will play up the colour of your diamond.
When it comes to fashion jewellery, white gold will give you plenty of styling options. As a setting for diamond jewellery, gemstone jewellery, or more minimalist pieces that let the metal shine on its own, its easy to mix and match your white gold styles. Draw extra attention to your white gold engagement ring with a diamond tennis bracelet in white gold, or style a piece of diamond and white gold jewellery with some plain white metal pieces for a polished look.
Read Also: How To Get Free Gold Bars In Candy Crush
Find A Reliable Source Of White Gold
Forgers have faking white and yellow gold down to a science. Its therefore imperative that you get your white gold from a reliable source. Sometimes, you cant even go by the purity markings on gold bars and coins anymore until you have them verified by a trusted jeweler.
Get your gold items from a shop you can trust: Oxford Gold Group. Call today and avail yourself of our vast collection of gold, silver, platinum, and palladium coins. Everything we sell is certified 100% pure and genuine.
Why Does White Gold Turn Yellow Sometimes
As you may have understood, the yellowing of your white gold ring is not due to dirt or old gold but rhodium plating your ring is fading.The strokes, rubbing and wear of your ring snatches microscopic pieces of the rhodium coating of your ring, revealing the natural color of the gold of it.The solution to the yellowing of your ring will therefore be to bring it to your jeweler who, after cleaning and polishing the jewel, redeposit a layer of rhodium on it, to regain its new look.
Recommended Reading: How Much Is 10k Gold Worth
How Is Gold Formed And Where Does It Come From
Where does gold come from? Sadly, leprechauns dont exist, so we wont be finding any gold pots at the ends of rainbows. Similarly, alchemists never managed to turn base metals into gold. How is gold actually formed? If we can recall back to our high school chemistry classes, we might remember that in its purest form gold is actually an element, notated by the symbol AU on the periodic table of elements. Gold isnt truly formedat least, not on Earth.
Whats The Difference Between White And Yellow Gold
There are a lot of similarities between white and yellow gold both work well with nearly any cut, clarity, and carat of diamond. The main difference between white, yellow, and even rose gold is simply the metal mixture thats used to make them. Some of the most common metals used to mix with gold are copper, silver, nickel, palladium, and zinc. Depending on what metals are used and the percentage that theyre present will result in these three common colors. White gold has more nickel and zinc, while yellow gold contains more copper.
However, its actually the karat number that you should be looking at if youre concerned about the presence of pure gold. 18 karat yellow gold and 18 karat white gold have the same percentage of gold, plus 6 parts of other metals . If you find a ring thats 24k gold, then its 100% pure. However, since gold is such a soft metal, its not suggested that you purchase a 24k gold engagement ring.
You May Like: Can I Buy Gold Jewelry From Dubai Online
