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.
Can You Electroplate Regular Yellow Gold
Yes. All the high polish surfaces, including some brushed, or matte finishes of the yellow gold can be plated to turn the piece white.
I would not recommend you dip a yellow gold ring if it is one you will wear on a daily basis. The rhodium will wear off and the yellow gold underneath will become visible.
But rejuvenating an old yellow gold ring that you dont plan to wear often may not be a bad idea. You can get a whole new look without incurring the cost of a completely new ring.
You can also renew your yellow gold pendants or earrings by plating. You might even want to create a two-tone look by only applying the rhodium to parts of the piece. Your jeweler will be able to advise you on the best options to give your old yellow gold jewelry new life.
Rhodium plating part of or even the entire ring can be a great way to create a whole new look without getting a whole new ring
Is This Metal Allergic
It is normal, to be allergic to this gold. Because the alloy used to give the yellow metal to white color is a mixture of nickel and zinc.
Nickel or this kind of metal, when we come in contact with your skin actually turns into a reaction. Thats why rashes showed on the skin. It depends on the nature of your skin.
People whose skin tone is pink or rosy, usually that white metal preferred for them.
So many people not interested on white gold. They attracted to platinum.
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Plating Doesnt Plating Wear Off
Like all fine jewellery, white gold does require regular maintenance. Where yellow gold tends to become scratched and need polishing to restore its bright shine, the rhodium plating on white gold is more durable and scratch resistant. While high-quality rhodium plating will stand up to daily wear, over time it will begin to wear off and the yellow hue of the white gold will show through. At this stage, rhodium plating can be reapplied, and your white gold jewellery will sparkle like new again.
What Is White Gold Everything You Need To Know About This Popular Jewelry Metal
- What is White Gold? Everything You Need to Know About This Popular Jewelry Metal
What is white gold? It seems everywhere I look these days, in stores and in magazines, almost all the womens jewelry is made of white gold. I realized I didnt know much about the metal, so I did some research to learn all I could about white gold.
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The Difference Between White Gold And Platinum
The first difference between white gold and platinum is the most basic and is the foundation of all the other differences. White gold and platinum are different metals. White gold starts out as gold. Gold is yellow. Platinum is itself a white metal. White gold and platinum have their own properties that make them unique.
How is white gold made? White gold is an alloy of gold and some white metals such as silver, nickel or palladium. The white color is achieved by a careful choice of the alloying metals, which bleach the deep yellow of pure gold. The amount of alloy mixed with gold is called its karat. The key to understanding gold karat is the karat value over 24. An example is a 14-karat gold wedding ring. It is 14/24, which equals 58.3% gold and 41.7% alloy. The white color is achieved by a careful choice of the alloying metals, which bleach the yellow of pure gold.
Platinum is a naturally white metal. It does not need to be alloyed for color. Jewelry platinum is typically an alloy containing 90% to 95% platinum and the balance alloy. Iridium or ruthenium is often used as a hardener alloy. Platinum is usually marked with .900 or .950 to mark its fineness. Some manufacturers state what alloy they are using like 90% Platinum 10% Iridium.
White gold is an alloy of gold and some white metalsthe white color is achieved by a careful choice of the alloying metals, which bleach the deep yellow of pure gold.
What Is Rolex White Gold Made Of Complete Guide
Rolex uses all of the traditional and most prestigious materials for its watches. Stainless steel is of course the most common but gold and platinum are also used.
Rolex uses three different types of gold yellow gold, rose gold, and white gold. This may have got you thinking, what is Rolex white gold made of? How do they make the white gold?
Thats what we are going to go to the bottom of in this article.
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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.
How Is White Gold Different From Yellow Gold
There isn’t much difference between the two as white gold is nothing but an alloy of yellow gold. The karat of white gold is comparable with the karat of yellow gold. The difference lies in the second metal of the gold alloy and not the gold itself
Combination of metals: The major difference between white gold and yellow gold is the combination of metals that forms the alloy. Yellow gold is mixed with copper to form an alloy. On the other hand white gold is mixed with white color metals like nickel, silver, or even palladium to form an alloy. Lately, nickel is being avoided in the formation of white gold alloy as it causes a lot of allergic reactions to the skin when the alloy is used in the long run.
Rhodium plating: White gold is put through a process called rhodium plating after it is mixed with the metals. Rhodium is a precious metal that belongs to the same family as platinum. Not all the time white gold is pure silverfish white in color. Sometimes they can be pale yellow. To turn them into the desired white color they are put through this process. This plating lasts for a year or two and will need recoating based on how often you wear it.
Strength: white gold is stronger than yellow gold. The first reason being the second metal in the alloy. Silver, nickel, and palladium are stronger than copper. The second reason is the plating. Rhodium adds extra strength and extreme durability to the previously strong alloy.
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Is White Gold Worth More Than Gold
In terms of investments, pure 100% gold is worth much more than any gold alloy. Many countries have regulations about the purity of the gold available for trading, and any alloy will never meet that purity requirement.
However, when it comes to metals with a similar karat rating, white gold has the same value as yellow gold. For example, an 18K white gold wedding ring will have the same value as a similar 18K yellow gold or rose gold ring.
However, some jewelers will charge more for white gold due to its rhodium coating. Rhodium is one of the most expensive precious metals, and while the plating ensures that an engagement ring stays bright white for a long time, it does add to the cost of the item.
Pros & Cons Of Yellow Gold
Pros
- 18K yellow gold is the purest formula of gold
- Yellow gold looks great on everyone
- Yellow gold goes well with diamonds and warm-toned stones such as ruby, morganite, and purple sapphire.
Cons
- 18K yellow gold is the least durable and most expensive
- Variations of yellow golds are harder to match
- Yellow gold is more prone to scratches and denting and needs to be polished regularly
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Is Platinum Better Than Gold
No, platinum is not better than gold, as platinum looks nearly identical to white gold but costs significantly more. Both 14K and 18K white gold are durable enough for everyday wear, so platinum jewelry isnt necessary. Platinum also scratches more easily and requires more maintenance. White gold is a beautiful metal mixture with a classic appearance. White gold costs less than platinum and is a stunning choice for engagement rings and other fine jewelry.
Difference Between White Gold And Platinum
Platinum and white gold look the same. White gold is often considered an alternative to platinum. The reason being the rhodium which belongs to the same family as platinum. They do have quite a few differences.
Purity: this is one category where white gold falls short. In order to consider jewelry or ring platinum, the ring/jewelry must have 95 percent of platinum in it. That is not the case when it comes to white gold. In a white gold ring, only 75 percent of pure gold or 24 karats gold is present. Platinum is much purer than white gold.
Wear and tear expense: platinum will need polishing frequently. White gold will also need polishing from time to time however not as frequent as platinum. Both of these metals are prone to scratches but platinum beats white gold here. The cost of plating or polishing is also pricier when it comes to platinum. The wear and tear expenses of platinum are higher than that of white gold.
Price: the price of a platinum ring is two to fives times higher than that of a white gold ring. This is because platinum jewelry has 95% of platinum in it. More platinum means more cost. This is why they are very expensive. It is costlier than 18 karat gold.
Alloys: the difference in alloys is notable. In the case of white gold alloys, the second metals are nickel, zinc, or palladium. In platinum alloys, the second metal is either copper or palladium. Other metals like rhodium, iridium, and titanium are also used.
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Why White Gold Jewelry Radium
The white gold that we are attracted to is pure yellow gold. Which we have read before. This yellow metal is given a white color in a mixture of white alloy. But we are attracted to that color, such as Silver color and Platinum color.
This color not seen in the first level in white gold, because it is actually yellow metal. So the white metal color presents a slight yellowish tinge in the first layer.
This yellow color removed and a coating of Rhodium applied to it to bring out the Silver and Platinum colors. This Rhodium metal is a precious metal of the Platinum community.
After coating, white gold becomes more strong and durable. This Rhodium, yellow precious metal gives white sine. At a glance, it looks like Platinum.
Rose Red And Pink Gold
Rose gold is a goldcopper alloy widely used for specialized jewelry. Rose gold, also known as pink gold and red gold, was popular in Russia at the beginning of the nineteenth century, and was also known as Russian gold, although this term is now obsolete. Rose gold jewelry is becoming more popular in the 21st century, and is commonly used for wedding rings, bracelets, and other jewelry.
Although the names are often used interchangeably, the difference between red, rose, and pink gold is the copper content: the higher the copper content, the stronger the red coloration. Pink gold uses the least copper, followed by rose gold, with red gold having the highest copper content. Examples of the common alloys for 18K rose gold, 18K red gold, 18K pink gold, and 12K red gold include:
- 18K red gold: 75% gold, 25% copper
- 18K rose gold: 75% gold, 22.25% copper, 2.75% silver
- 18K pink gold: 75% gold, 20% copper, 5% silver
- 12K red gold: 50% gold and 50% copper
Up to 15% zinc can be added to copper-rich alloys to change their color to reddish yellow or dark yellow. 14K red gold, often found in the Middle East, contains 41.67% copper.
The highest karat version of rose gold, also known as crown gold, is 22 karat.
During ancient times, due to impurities in the smelting process, gold frequently turned a reddish color. This is why many Greco-Roman texts, and even many texts from the Middle Ages, describe gold as “red”.
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Maintaining The Plating On White Gold
White gold jewelry that has a platinum or rhodium plating typically can’t be resized because doing so would damage the coating. The plating on jewelry will scratch and wear over time. A jeweler can re-plate the item by removing any stones, buffing the metal, plating it, and returning the stones to their settings. Rhodium plating typically needs to be replaced every couple of years. It only takes a couple of hours to perform the process, at a cost of around $50 to $150.
White Gold Jewelry And Karats
Perhaps you already know that the purity of regular yellow gold is measured in karats. This is also the case with white gold the karat number of any gold jewelry has the same meaning regardless of what the alloy is composed of.
For example, if a white gold ring is said to be 18 karats, this means that the item is made up of 75% gold and 25% other metals.
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What Is White Gold
White gold is an alloy composed of pure gold and durable metals such zinc, nickel, and copper giving it strength and its whiter color. White gold rings are usually made with either 14K or 18K gold. 14 karat is 58.3% gold and 18 karat is 75% gold.
Learn more about white gold and how it differs from platinum below.
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.
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What Is 18k White Gold Made Of
18k gold means that there is 75% pure gold in the metal alloy which equates to 18 parts of real gold. So, 18k gold is made of a mixture of 18 parts of real gold and the rest of the metal are either zinc, palladium, nickel, or silver together or two or three of each.
18k is said to be more hypoallergenic because of its higher percentage of pure gold metal. So, even a piece made with nickel will be less likely to react to skin. Of course, to top it off is the rhodium plating that gives it the clear silver hue that dazzles the eyes and adds to the protection.
However, 18k pieces are more delicate than 14k or 10k white gold pieces. This is because there is more content of other metals in these other grades as compared to more gold in 18k.
This added gold content gives white gold a leg up over the other types of gold. This is especially evident in the jewelry industry reports that have been recording high numbers of sales in the bridal rings department.
White gold has been identified as an ideal setting for your gems. Especially for sparkling white gems like diamonds and their simulated versions, white golds silver reflective sheen bounces light beautifully off crystals creating a brighter more brilliant sparkle.
A post shared by Tiffany & Co. on May 28, 2018 at 1:02pm PDT
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 |
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