What is White Gold? This is the name given to a type of Gold that is not pure Gold but is an alloy, generally mixed with Nickel, Silver, Platinum or Palladium. It can also contain copper or zinc. White Gold is widely used in jewellery making and has been used in making other items, generally plated with Rhodium or Platinum. The colour of White Gold is distinguished from the yellow of pure Gold, as the metals content can give it a silvery/white or even a dull gray colour. White Gold is often mistaken for Platinum but has a lower value. It is harder than Silver and does not tarnish easily. If the metal is more yellow in colour, this indicates a higher content of pure Gold.
White Gold items are often electroplated with Rhodium or Platinum, which renders the metal very shiny. Rhodium plating will wear off after a number of years, causing some tarnishing. However items can be treated or re-plated. If the White Gold item has a high nickel content, plating will reduce any incidence of skin allergies, as nickel can often cause a reaction, especially in Earrings made from White Gold.
The mix of Gold with other metals helps improve the hard-wearing quality of White Gold. This makes it ideal for Jewellery making, and today it is widely used in making Wedding and Engagement Rings, as well as Necklaces, Bracelets, Earrings and other forms of Jewellery. Watches are not generally made from White Gold as they would require plating with Rhodium. Electroplating renders the metal very shiny, and most jewellery pieces today are finished with Rhodium plating. The reflective appearance of White Gold treated in this way goes well with Diamond settings, and other precious and semi-precious stones.
The popularity of White Gold as a jewellery component developed in response to the demand for Platinum. Indeed Louis XVI of France famously declared that Platinum was the only metal fit for Royalty, and his jewellers were instructed to use only Platinum. However, jewellers found Platinum to be difficult to work with due to its hard qualities, but it was not until 1890 when the French firm Cartier discovered an easier metal to work with, Platinum alloy. This was still very expensive to obtain, however, as Platinum was and continues to be extremely rare, so some jewellers decided to experiment. It was discovered that some Gold content, or White Gold alloys were easier to work with and less costly. This so-called White Gold became very popular in the early 1900s, and of course continues to be so.
The use of other metals in the mix with pure Gold was also popular as it produced items that could be mistaken for Silver. Pure Gold is very soft, and some jewellery made from pure Gold is easily damaged or scratched. Thus White Gold, especially if the Gold content is as low as 14-carat Gold, was preferred as it was harder and, unlike Silver, did not tarnish easily. The amount of Gold in White Gold is usually depicted as 14-carat or 18-carat. 14-carat is harder and whiter than 18-carat, although the Gold content of 14-carat items is only around 54.3%, whereas items made with 18-carat Gold contains 75% pure Gold. The higher the Gold content, the less the likelihood of tarnishing. Items with White Gold can of course be treated by plating with Rhodium.
White Gold items do have a quality mark or a stamp, very often hidden from view, as in, for instance, a ring, where it would be placed on the inside. This will generally state the Gold carat content. Some further marks can be found next to this, and will most likely have the stamp GF (Gold-filled), GP (Gold-plated) or GEP (Gold Electroplated).
If you have any items made from White Gold, whether Jewellery or other objects, we are looking to purchase any such items. We will purchase any items, whether unwanted or damaged or broken, so if you have any such, please do get in touch. We will arrange to visit you in your own home or, if this is easier for you, we can be reached via a simple phone call. We can discuss your items and you can even obtain one of our Seller Envelopes, fully insured and tracked with Royal Mail.
