What is white gold jewelry?
How does white gold jewelry maintain its look?
Can white gold jewelry be worn in water?
In this guide, we will answer these questions and many more.
Here, we will learn the following
- What a white gold is
- The benefits and downsides of white gold jewelry
- The cost of white gold jewelry
- How white gold jewelry is cleaned and many more
It is a common misconception in the jewelry world that gold is only in yellow.
Gold comes in different colors such as rose gold, white gold, and yellow gold. Green gold though rare is also a color.
White gold has a silvery appearance and is commonly confused with sterling silver. This colored gold is well known for wedding bands and engagement rings.
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What is White Gold?
Gold used in jewelry is normally a mixture of alloy metals and gold itself. An exception is the 24k pure gold. To get white gold, gold was mixed with white metals such as palladium, nickel, copper, zinc, and silver.
The amounts and proportions of the white metals added to the gold determine its ultimate color. As a result, all white gold jewelry does not look alike.
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Confusion with Sterling Silver
White gold is frequently confused with sterling silver jewelry. Even though they look alike, there is a big difference between the two.
First, white gold does not tarnish easily as silver does. Secondly, white gold is more durable, and finally, white gold jewelry costs more than sterling silver jewelry.
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Benefits of White Gold Jewelry
There are plenty of advantages that come with purchasing white gold jewelry.
Silver-like look of jewelry with the durability of gold
White gold is currently the main bridal metal for bridal jewelry. People consider yellow gold is old fashion and no longer appealing. They, therefore, opt for white gold.
Can be worn in the shower
It is inadvisable to wear jewelry when doing dishes or showering. There are chances that the jewelry will slip off and get lost. White gold jewelry however can withstand this.
Keep in mind that chlorine water causes the metal on the jewelry to eat away. Avoid wearing jewelry in chlorine pools.
A jeweler can work on the piece
Just like platinum and sterling silver, a jeweler can also work on gold. Your white gold ring can therefore be adjusted. It can be resized, prongs can be rebuilt and other diamonds and gemstones can also be reset on the white gold.
If other metals like titanium, tungsten, and stainless steel are resized or worked on then an entirely new ring needs to be purchased.
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Drawbacks of White Gold Jewelry
With all the good things that come with white gold jewelry, there are a few drawbacks.
Requires continuous upkeep
To get white gold, natural gold is mixed with other alloys from different metal alloys.
Rhodium is a white metal. It normally forms a coating on the white gold. It is this rhodium coating that makes the white gold shiny. It gives it that shiny white color.
The rhodium plate on the jewelry wears off due to the natural oils on your hand. This makes the jewelry lack shine and looks yellow. Hence, you will need to have it re-dipped by a jeweler.
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The upside of taking your gold diamond ring for up keeping is that all the old scratches will be erased and it will look brand new.
It is not hypoallergenic
To increase gold’s durability, it is mixed with other metals. Among the white gold metal pieces is nickel. In jewelry metals, nickel allergies are most common.
Allergic reactions caused by nickel allergies include fingers turning green or red and rashes. Nickel-free white gold is good for people with nickel allergies.
However, if you have nickel allergies you can still wear white gold. White gold has very little nickel in it.
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How Much Does White Gold Jewelry Cost?
White gold is priced depending on the width more so if it plain white gold jewelry. Plain white gold is common for wedding bands. A white gold wedding ring of 4mm costs less than an 8 mm wedding ring even when their designs are similar.
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The price is also affected by the gold content or karat gold the piece has. If jewelry is 10K gold, then only 10 parts of the 24 parts are pure gold. Hence its price is affordable.
Generally, white gold is less expensive than platinum jewelry but more than sterling silver. With this, you can approximate the cost.
Lastly, the price of white gold increases depending on the diamond carat weight or presence of any gemstone.
Tips for Buying White Gold Jewelry
Here are some important things to remember whenever you are shopping for white gold jewelry.
Check if it is stamped
A legitimate solid white gold must have a stamp. The stamp shows the number of gold parts it has. Real gold rings are normally stamped 10K, 14K, 18K, or 24K. if it is not stamped, it is fake. Always check to see if there is a stamp.
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Consider wearability
It sounds nice and luxurious to buy a white gold ring with high gold karat. Remember that the jewelry becomes less durable when the gold content is high. The average bridal jewelry is 14k. for men however, 10K will work just fine as it is harder on their hands
Choose solid over plated
It is normal for buyers to assume that gold plating is better than another metal plating like sterling silver.
The jewelry may have a thin layer of gold plating over the stainless steel or a mixture of various different metals. Since the gold plating is thin, then it easily fades and can’t be replated.
Additionally, check if the metal base is resizable. If it is not, then the gold does not matter as it can’t be sized. The best white gold plating is rhodium-plated sterling silver. It works well.
A lot of jewelers avoid working on plated jewelry since they require plenty of upkeep. For long-lasting wear, go for solid gold on the wedding jewelry.
Where to Buy White Gold Jewelry
There are several places you can go to buy a piece of white gold jewelry. Whether it is bracelets. Earrings or pendants you will always find a place to make the purchase. Since they are popular, you will find them both in brick-and-mortar as well as online stores.
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For affordable jewelry, then Amazon is the place to go. However, you may not get while gold jewelry from this store since they mostly stock jewelry plated with white gold.
At Amazon, you will find plenty of solid gold jewelry. They cost quite a lot of dollars though. There is an exception to this. The moissanite and the cubic zirconia are set in white gold. These pieces also cost a lot.
If you are planning to spend a lot on solid white gold jewelry, ensure you go for stores with high-quality products.
My preferred options for quality white gold pieces are James Allen and Blue Nile. These online stores reduce the stress of looking around physical stores and being conned by salespeople.
These companies do not give commissions to their employees on what you purchase. This means there is no additional gain they get from making a sale. At James Allen, you will get 24 hours’ customer service allowing you to solve any issues at any time.
How To Clean White Gold Jewelry
There are different ways to clean a white gold piece.
You can choose to soak the piece in luke-warm water for about 15 minutes then use a gentle soap to clean it. Furthermore, you can brush the excess dirt under the cathedrals, between channels or any surfaces using a soft brush.
Keep in mind that if you have triplet opals or doublet gemstones are not supposed to be submerged in water. For these pieces, just pat dry, rinse or just brush.
There are various cleaning solutions for you at home. Pour vinegar into a bowl and soak your jewelry for about 14 to twenty minutes. Proceed to brush with a gentle brush, rinse it once more and pat it dry. The other option is to use the same procedure but with ammonia. Mix one-quarter cup of ammonia with one cup of water to make the solution.
Local jewelry stores offer free cleaning and inspections for your pieces. They check your gemstone under the microscope, then tap on each stone to ensure they are not loose then proceeding to place them in an ultrasonic cleaner.
Ultrasonic cleaners are used to clean gemstones. They use high vibrations to shake out all loose dirt from those areas that are hard to reach. If you can afford one ultrasonic machine, then go ahead and have one at home.
Conversely, emerald gemstones cannot be cleaned using ultrasonic cleaner.
Finally, there is an option more professional than water used at home yet less professional than the ultrasonic cleaner. At Walmart and other stores, there is a gold cleaning solution for a price under $10.
Swish the white gold jewelry in the solution, scrub out the dirt using a soft-bristled brush then rinse off the solution with water. Finally, tap dry it.
All the methods mentioned above are great ways to clean your white gold jewelry. Since using water and soap is a natural method of cleaning, it is the best method to use. With this method, you do not have to worry about what can and cannot be cleaned using water. Water is very safe for everything including pieces that cannot be submerged.