What are 'white golds'? Are they a special form of gold? Do they contain gold? These are typical questions often asked of us. Well, they are not a special form of gold (which is why you cannot get 24 carat white gold). Actually, they are true carat golds, just like yellow or red carat gold Jewelry. They are gold alloys that look white rather than yellow. The white color is achieved by careful choice of the alloying metals, which bleach the deep yellow of pure gold.

It is interesting to note that white golds for Jewelry were originally developed in the 1920's as a substitute for platinum. Nowadays, they are a Jewelry metal in their own right and currently very fashionable and desirable, particularly among the younger age groups. White golds are available up to 21 carat. They are often used to enhance diamonds and other gemstones. White gold bridal Jewelry is increasingly popular.

White gold is an alloy of gold and some white metals such as silver and palladium. White gold can be 18kt, 14kt, 9kt or any karat. For example, 18kt yellow gold is made by mixing 75% gold (750 parts per thousand) with 25% (250 parts per thousand) other metals such as copper and zinc. 18kt white gold is made by mixing 75% gold with 25% other metals such as silver and palladium. So the amount of gold is the same but the alloy is different.

 Traditionally nickel was used in white gold, however, nickel is no longer used in most white gold made today as nickel can cause reactions with some people. We do not use nickel in our white gold
When white gold rings are new they are coated with another white metal called Rhodium. Rhodium is a metal very similar to platinum and Rhodium shares many of the properties of platinum including its white color.

The rhodium plating is used to make the white gold look more white. The natural color of white gold is actually a light grey color. The Rhodium is very white and very hard, but it does wear away eventually. To keep a white gold ring looking its best it should be re-rhodium plated approximately each 12 to 18 months. Most local jewelers are able to rhodium plate jewelry for a cost effective price.

9-carat white gold consists of 3 parts gold to 5 parts silver, 18-carat is made with palladium. Adding nickel to a white gold/silver alloy can produce good color and hardness, but nickel is allergenic, and produces skin reactions in approximately 20% of the population. Eighteen-carat white gold consists of 75% gold mixed with 25% white metals. New white gold rings are usually coated with a hard protective finish of rhodium, a silver-white metal like platinum.

White gold Jewelry is often plated with rhodium
There is, as yet, no legal or industry-accepted definition of what constitutes a 'white' color in golds and hence the trade description of 'white gold' may not mean an alloy that is 'ice white' or 'detergent white'. For good technical and economic reasons, many commercial white golds are not a good white color (usually a yellow-brownish tint) and are often rhodium-plated to improve appearance.

Rhodium is one of the platinum family of metals and has a high reflectivity and good metallic white color and is hard with good wear properties. A thin electroplated coating is often applied to white gold Jewelry to improve its white appearance. This is legally allowed in many countries, including those with Hallmarking regulations. Such a coating, if not subjected to undue abrasion, should have a lifetime of, typically, 3 years before it wears through to reveal the gold alloy underneath. For many consumers, the color of rhodium has become the norm for the color of white gold, because that is what they are used to seeing on Jewelry described as white gold!

Is the color of white gold different to platinum?

The answer to this question depends on whether the white gold jewelry item is in its natural color or whether it has been rhodium plated. If a white gold item has been rhodium plated (note: most white gold rings are rhodium plated) then the color difference will not really be noticeable at all. For example, the image on the right shows a rhodium plated 18kt white gold diamond engagement ring together with a platinum wedding ring. As you can see, there is essentially no difference in the metal color.

Then compare that with this picture on the right that shows the contrast in color between the natural colors of white gold and platinum. This men's white gold and platinum ring incoporates a combination of both platinum and white gold. The light sections are platinum, the darker sections are the natural color of white gold.

Is white gold the same as platinum?

The answer to this question is no. White gold and platinum have their own properties which make them unique. The following white gold information and platinum information show you the difference between the two metals. You will discover the difference between white gold and platinum and whether white gold or platinum is best for your needs. For more information about white gold or platinum have a look at the jewelry metal advice page.