What is white gold?
As with rose gold, technically speaking there is no 'white gold'. Because gold is an element it only has one colour: yellow.
So how is white gold made? White gold is made from mixing gold (yellow) with other metals to create a neutral colour. Common metals used to mix with the gold are silver, nickel and palladium. But mixing a yellow metal with a white one doesn't quite produce white. It produced a dull 'grey' colour. To get from this grey metal to the white, shiny platinum-type colour the white gold is coated with a metal called rhodium. This technique is called rhodium plating. This gives white gold a bright and shiny finish.
A downside of white gold, is that with extended use the rhodium plating will eventually begin to wear off, exposing the duller colour of the white gold underneath. Fortunately this is not permanent, and almost any piece of jewellery can be re-rhodium plated and restored back to its original white gold colour.
Often we have requests to change a yellow gold piece of jewellery into white gold. Yes this can be done, though we don't often recommend it. It can be rhodium plated and afterwards it looks identical to white gold. However when the rhodium does start to wear off it exposes the yellow gold underneath, meaning the jewellery requires regular maintenance of the rhodium plating.
White gold jewellery has become very popular recently, and is often seen as a more modern alternative to traditional yellow gold jewellery. It is often said that white gold helps to improve the appearance of diamonds because the metal that is reflected is of white colour.
We sell a large selection of white gold jewellery for sale in both 9 carat and 18 carat.
So how is white gold made? White gold is made from mixing gold (yellow) with other metals to create a neutral colour. Common metals used to mix with the gold are silver, nickel and palladium. But mixing a yellow metal with a white one doesn't quite produce white. It produced a dull 'grey' colour. To get from this grey metal to the white, shiny platinum-type colour the white gold is coated with a metal called rhodium. This technique is called rhodium plating. This gives white gold a bright and shiny finish.
A downside of white gold, is that with extended use the rhodium plating will eventually begin to wear off, exposing the duller colour of the white gold underneath. Fortunately this is not permanent, and almost any piece of jewellery can be re-rhodium plated and restored back to its original white gold colour.
Often we have requests to change a yellow gold piece of jewellery into white gold. Yes this can be done, though we don't often recommend it. It can be rhodium plated and afterwards it looks identical to white gold. However when the rhodium does start to wear off it exposes the yellow gold underneath, meaning the jewellery requires regular maintenance of the rhodium plating.
White gold jewellery has become very popular recently, and is often seen as a more modern alternative to traditional yellow gold jewellery. It is often said that white gold helps to improve the appearance of diamonds because the metal that is reflected is of white colour.
We sell a large selection of white gold jewellery for sale in both 9 carat and 18 carat.
Labels: rhodium plating, white gold
