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What Is White Gold? (The Ultimate Guide)
Let’s face it, jewelry can be confusing, especially with different types of gold on the market. At times it’s hard to differentiate between real gold and mock gold. So, where exactly does white gold fit into the picture? What is it? What is white gold made of, and is it even real?
There are many questions surrounding white gold, and while it’s overwhelming, don’t worry! We’ll walk you through everything you need to know about white gold. We’ll tell you how white gold is made, the price of white gold, and more.
What Is White Gold?
White gold is not a naturally existing type of gold; it’s created using yellow gold that’s mixed with metal alloys such as silver or palladium. The color that’s created when mixing these together is more of a pale color.
After the white gold is created, it is then coated in rhodium, which is a metal that has a white-silver hue. This helps give the white gold the charming radiant luster. In fact, because of this coating, the piece of jewelry is protected, and appears as white.
What Is White Gold Made Of?
White gold is made from melting down harder metals, like silver, and mixing it with yellow gold. Since pure gold is somewhat weak, it needs to be combined with tougher metals to increase the gold’s strength and durability. If it’s not mixed, then the gold would bend and break easily, which is not ideal when it comes to jewelry.
However, you can’t just use any sort of metal with white gold, like copper or brass. This is because you want the metal alloy to have a white or light color to it. When the rhodium coating is applied, it makes the gold appear white. If you were to use brass, then of course, the result wouldn’t be ‘white gold’.
Is White Gold Real?
Even though there are metal alloys that the white gold contains, the white gold is still real as it is created using pure gold. One way you can tell whether your white gold contains real gold is by checking the hallmark.
A hallmark is a symbol that’s stamped into the gold on the inside of the jewelry. This helps show that the piece is certified as authentic and that it follows the strict standards for white gold. For instance, in some places, any jewelry that weighs over 1 gram needs to be hallmarked to show that it has the amount of gold it is said to have.
What Does White Gold Look Like?
White gold has a luminous white look to it, as it’s created with white metals such as nickel or silver. Sometimes, it will have a yellow tint since it’s created using pure yellow gold. Each piece of jewelry will look slightly different as far as the white tones go, but it will be within the white spectrum.
What Is The Price Of White Gold?
White gold costs about $39.71 per gram or $1,236 per ounce. For instance, if you were to buy a white gold setting with a diamond that’s 0.9 carats and round-cut, this would cost almost 1/3 of the price as a platinum gold ring with the same cut and carat of diamond.
What Is More Expensive, White Gold or Yellow Gold?
When it comes to the cost difference between yellow gold and white gold, there is no significant difference if the hallmark is for the same weight or carat.
So, if you have 18k yellow gold and 18k white gold, both have the same amount of gold. However, since the white gold is mixed with stronger metal alloys to increase durability, this can cause the cost of the white gold to increase slightly.
What Makes White Gold?
The components that make the white gold is the rhodium, pure gold, and the white-colored metal alloys. By mixing white nickel or silver with yellow gold and then coating it with rhodium, it turns the gold white, thus making white gold.
Why Is It Coated In Rhodium?
White gold is usually coated in a rare silver metal called rhodium, which comes from the same family of metals that platinum does. The white gold is coated in rhodium because it protects the gold, and it provides durability, strength, and a beautiful white sheen.
Why Does White Gold Eventually Start To Look Yellow?
Eventually, your white gold will begin to turn yellow as the rhodium starts to wear out, which then will allow the yellow hue of the yellow gold to shine through. This is typical with all pieces of white gold jewelry. However, you can take the white gold to have it re-coated with the rhodium, which will cost about $35.
Is White Gold Worth It?
Whether white gold is worth purchasing or not depends on your preferences. Overall, white gold is an excellent option if you’re looking for something real but doesn’t cost an arm and a leg. It’s durable, beautiful, and provides a lovely white luster to any piece of jewelry. However, you need to make sure it’s hallmarked to ensure what you’re purchasing is indeed real, white gold.
