White gold is one of the evergreen favourites with diamond jewellery, a close cousin of its famous and much loved yellow counterpart “gold”. Gold is a very popular choice of jewellery in South Asian countries, and there is no metal howsoever precious that weighs above gold in its craze. Who will ace the “White gold vs Yellow gold” battle? the verdict is here!
Let’s see. Is white really gold? Or is it a whole other metal? Here, we will discuss at length the properties of each which will help you realize their differences and which one to choose for jewellery.
What is White Gold?
This is one word whose meaning that you can guess from the name itself. It is gold which is white in colour. Does it exist naturally like gold? No. It is made from pure gold combined with palladium, silver or platinum. Sometimes white gold is also made from yellow gold, when alloyed with white metals like palladium and platinum.
What gives its shine?
Gold is alloyed for many reasons. The main reason is for strength and rigidity of gold. But in case of white gold, alloying is done to give it a white, silver-like finish which is aesthetically pleasing. The alloy gives gold a slight pale colour. It is completely transformed into white in the last stage when it is coated with rhodium, a rare silvery-white metal. The luminous sheen of the white coloured gold comes from this coating.
Types of gold
Are there more than two types of gold? Yes! White, Rose, Yellow, and Green Gold. These are all made from different alloys made with their combination to pure gold. 24K gold is the purest form of gold which is not ideal for jewellery making as it can bend and scratch easily.
Mostly 18k is used in jewellery making by mixing pure gold with other metals that provide a different hue to the pure form of gold. The gold that you wear is not the purest form of it!
How is white gold made?
Let us learn about the real constitution of the white coloured gold. It has a majority of pure gold in it. White gold is an alloy of gold and platinum or palladium (both provide a whitish texture to gold). It can also be created by alloying gold, palladium, nickel, and zinc.
The White gold is also more durable and scratch-resistant than yellow gold. It is more sturdy and does not break easily, as yellow gold does.
What is rose gold?
If you have been keeping up with the latest trends in statement jewellery, you may have seen that the age of yellow gold is drowning and rose gold is the new trend in town. This beautiful copperish rose-tinted gold is revered for its style and how beautifully it complements the brown skin tone.
Rose gold is a popular choice today not only in jewellery but also for watches, artificial jewellery and even smartphone metal bases.
What is rose gold made of?
We are now familiar with alloys. As in white gold, rose gold too is made by alloying pure gold with copper, a metal that has a rose tint and silver for strength and balancing out the yellow tint of pure gold.
If you remember the gold purity factor or karat we know that pure gold is 24k. Mostly rose gold is of 18k, 14k or 10k purity. This means that if the rose gold is 18 karat, it would be 75% gold, or it would contain 18 parts gold and 6 parts alloy.
The addition of copper and silver to gold also makes it stronger and sturdy enough to make delicate jewellery.
Finely crafted and high-quality rose gold is strong and durable thanks to the right ratio of copper, silver and gold present in it
Rose gold vs gold
White gold vs Yellow gold is quite simple to crack. But, rosegold vs gold, is quite the battle. In case of strength, it definitely is the rose gold that wins next to pure gold. In colour, it depends on the taste of the wearer. Rose gold is a very new trend, and it is the youngsters who seem to have caught this fever.
Gold, on the other hand, is a traditional favourite and almost never goes out of style. In case of value, however, it is definitely pure gold that will get you more value for each gram. Rose gold is of lower purity and has alloys that diminishing its purity and therefore, gram value.
What colour goes with rose gold?
This is a question that we get often, “What do you wear with rose gold?”, “What colours complement this rosey pink shade?”. Our suggestion is to go classic with rose gold. It is a kind of jewellery that is stylish and modern, so it’s best to veer from traditional outfits when wearing rose gold.
If you look at rose gold jewellery itself, the designs are minimalistic and delicate. It goes best with solid colours, western outfits and flowy summer dresses. Rosegold will be lost in sheen if worn with too many colours and patterns. Layering rose gold jewellery is very fashionable nowadays.
Exploring rose gold rings for women
Rose gold rings are in a league of its own. They stand out due to their understated glamour and amazing designs. Rose gold rings are at their best when combined with diamonds, big or small alike. They also make fabulous rings on their own with enamel coating and engravings.
Rose gold rings for special occasions
For the stylish and ultramodern bride, yellow gold is out of the picture. Reinvent your love for jewellery with the chic and glowing rose gold. Rose gold finds a lot of takers for special occasion rings like engagements, weddings and even birthdays!
Rose gold engagement rings for women and even rose gold wedding rings for women are very popular choices. Rosegold tint is very becoming on white diamonds, giving it an enhanced sparkle.
Rose and white gold engagement rings
A combination of different golds have also been a trending style for quite some time. Raise the notch a bit with a white and rose gold ring studded with heavy diamonds.
Rose and white gold engagement rings have a particular charm and go well for a very western engagement ceremony. Compliment them with rose gold earrings, and you will look like a million bucks. White and rose gold wedding rings are another incredibly popular choice.
Silver and rose gold rings
If you want to mix things up, go for a rose gold and silver engagement rings, with the two metals that complement each other perfectly. Be wary that since the two metals are entirely different and silver tarnishes easily,it may be hard to clean and maintain. It is best to reserve this combination for special occasion jewellery.
Exquisite wedding rings have a rose gold band with white gold at the border. These can also be carried beautifully by men as they are plain rings without any stones. Twisted designs in which the white gold and rose gold are tangled to make a vine-like ring are super rustic and charming.
What is the difference between white gold and platinum?
White gold as we talked about, is an alloy of pure gold mixed with platinum or palladium. Platinum, on the other hand, is a dense, silverish white transition, pure metal.
It is generally used as a metal base for diamond jewellery. Palladium is also yet another metal used in jewellery. It has been used for centuries now as an alternative to platinum in white gold. It gives white gold a very lustrous appeal.
What is the White Gold Price range?
The price of white gold depends mainly on its karats. As the karat value drops, the price also drops as the purity of gold is decreasing.
18 Karat white gold will cost around £670 per Troy Ounce. Karat is abbreviated as K, and it depicts the presence of gold in your jewellery. Generally, 18K is considered the best mix for gold jewellery as it makes the base sturdy and rigid.
- 9K gold contains 37.5% pure gold.
- 14K gold has 58% pure gold.
- and, 18K gold contains 75% pure gold.
Like the price of gold fluctuates, the price of white gold too undergoes the same change. The delicate handwork done on the jewellery is also a big factor that determines its price.
What is Yellow Gold?
It is often a popular misconception that yellow gold is pure gold. The yellow of yellow gold is the result of an alloy made by combining pure gold with metals like zinc and copper. The higher the karat number, the higher the actual gold content. But the higher the Karat, the less durable the metal is. Yellow gold goes good with any skin tone, and thus it is a must in your jewellery box!
What constitutes Yellow Gold ?
Yellow gold is an alloy of pure gold with silver, copper, and zinc. It is the purest colour of gold, hypoallergenic, and requires the least maintenance of all the gold types.
Pricing of Yellow Gold
The price of gold had to be the most fluctuating only next to crude oil. Here’s an estimate price of gold but always ask the jeweller for the current gold price before you buy.
- Gold Price per Ounce:
$ 1,724.51 - Gold Price per Gram :
$ 55.44 which makes Gold Price per Kilo:$ 55,444.28
White Gold vs Yellow Gold
White gold and yellow gold are very popular options in the jewellery business. Most people think that white gold has more value than yellow gold, but that is not true. Let us see how!
Colour
White gold is a silvery-white metal- the alloy of gold, platinum or palladium that gives a silvery lustre to the metal. Zinc gives it a slight yellow tone. Sometimes, it’s plated with rhodium to make it look white-er. The plating comes off after some time and the yellow may start to show.
Yellow gold, on the other hand, is a unique yellow that cannot be achieved very easily. Yellow gold looks amazing with every skin tone, and if you are an Indian, you already have an unwavering love for the yellow gold and appreciate it well enough.
Here, the winner for White gold vs Yellow gold is determined by personal taste.
Maintenance
White Gold requires a lot of maintenance. If the rhodium from the gold comes off, it loses its sheen and white colour. It is the plating of rhodium that gives a silvery lustre to white gold. Yellow gold does not lose its lustre as it is the most hypoallergenic. It retains its yellow gleam. If it diminishes, you can polish it back to its beauty easily. White gold vs Yellow gold-Which is better? Of course, yellow gold, wins hands down in ease of maintenance.
Sturdiness
White gold has an alloy mix of zinc, gold, platinum or palladium, which makes the metal sturdier than yellow gold.
Usage
Yellow gold can be used for as long as you want. If it loses its gleam after years, you can simply polish it, and it will be good to go. In the case of white gold, the rhodium plating wears off after some time and the yellow starts showing, which makes the gold look discoloured.
White Gold, Rose Gold and Yellow Gold have their own different properties and unique beauty which makes them a staple at jewellery stores. Choose them according to your style or have them all together in one ornament too!
FAQs
White gold is an alloy of gold with palladium or silver or platinum.
Yellow gold is an alloy of pure gold with metals like zinc and copper.
No, yellow gold is more expensive than the white one.
Platinum and white gold have comparable prices per gram. The fact that platinum is denser than gold means that more platinum needs to be used to make an ornament. Therefore, it’s price may be higher than gold.
Silver is a pure metal whereas white gold is an alloy of gold with nickel, silver, or palladium. Silver tarnishes easily but white gold doesn’t as much. But it can lose its whiteness over time with wear and tear.
Pure 24K gold is the most expensive due to the purity of gold. As the purity decreases (18K, 14K, 10K), it’s value also decreases. You also have to take into account the making changes for different ornaments which can alter the price tag significantly.
1 Comment
Thanks for sharing the difference between the white and yellow gold!!