Facts You Should Know About White Gold Jewelry

One common misperception that people have about white gold or pink gold for that matter is that this metal is found as it is: white gold. Not true. However, just because this metal is combined with other elements to make it appear white does not diminish the worth, value, elegance and class of white gold jewelry. White gold was created right after WWI; up until that time any jewelry that was the color white was made with pure platinum or of course, silver. There was a white jewelry craze during the late 1920’s and through out the 1930’s. The trend has continued to present times.


Many people are tired of wearing yellow gold; yellow gold can sometimes seem out of trend; that is where white gold steps in. Just as silver is very classy and elegant, white gold takes this one step higher. White gold jewelry is gold, which should be understood. The fact that it is white does not take away from its quality of being gold. As a matter of fact, yellow gold is also blended with other elements to make it the sparkling yellow color that we all think of as gold. Some people believe that gold is found in its pure form already sparkling and shiny; the perfect color: not so.

White gold is an alloy of pure gold. To make white gold, nickel or palladium is added to the pure gold. Nickel and palladium is what gives the gold its white color. Other elements are added to pure gold when creating yellow or pink gold.
White gold jewelry will vary and this is because of the amounts of other metals, like nickel and palladium, which is added to it. Also, different amounts will be added on purpose, depending on what the white gold will be used for. For example, nickel is a very hard and strong substance so it will be used to mix to the pure gold when making white gold jewelry rings. On the other hand, palladium is a softer metal; therefore it will be used more when one is creating settings for gems. No matter what type is made, a thin layer of rhodium will be coated on top of the white gold jewelry to give it a shiny coat. If you own a piece that appears to get dull after several years, a professional jeweler can put another coat of rhodium on it.

Just like yellow gold, white gold jewelry is measured in the form of karats. One should take a moment to understand exactly how karats are measured and exactly what this means. The price you pay will depend much on the karat of the jewelry.
Ten karat gold is the lowest gold that exists; in fact some countries to not recogiize this to be real gold, as it means that there is less than fifty percent of gold in the piece.

Twelve karat gold is actually the strongest type of gold that you can get; this is because it is part gold and part silver or copper. The twelve karat gold is not consider to be fine jewelry; it is often used on cheap jewelry pieces.
Fourteen karat gold is one of the most popular karats. It is strong and certainly has more taste and value compared to the ten or twelve karat gold. The twelve karat gold has excellent color of making jewelry and this value of gold can be commonly seen in jewelry stores.

Eighteen karat gold is definitely considered to be very good gold. To reach this level, the piece must be at least seventy-five percent pure gold. The color will be richer than the lower levels and the metal will be a bit softer.
Twenty, twenty two and twenty four karat gold are considered to be the cream of the crop. Those who own pieces made of this must be aware that the metal is very soft. The color will be a darker color. This gold is very pliable, so it is and was often used in making famous artwork and sculptures.