What is white gold? White gold is an alloy, i.e. a mixture, of gold and some other white metal. The most common metals to mix gold with to produce white gold are:
- Silver
- Copper
- Zinc
- Manganese
It is also common to use nickel, palladium or platinum in white gold to tone down the gold's yellowness. In other words, white gold contains a certain amount of gold and a certain amount of other metal. The exact alloys can look different and then also give different shades and properties to the white gold.
Unlike real gold, white gold is often plated to bring out the right shade. White gold that is not plated usually has a gray or yellowish tone. It is common for white gold to be plated with rhodium, platinum or palladium.
How do you know it's white gold?
It can sometimes be difficult to tell the difference between white gold and silver. Depending on the alloy of the white gold, the two can sometimes look very similar. However, you can tell the difference between them if you know what to look for.White gold has a more intense shine is what silver has. Of course, this is difficult to see for the untrained eye, but if you can compare it to a piece of jewelry that you know for sure is silver, you may be able to tell the difference. White gold also does not change color over time, but retains its shade and shine.
The surest way to know if it is white gold is to look at the marking. Since white gold contains real gold, there must be a label stating how many carats it contains.
What is the difference between white gold and yellow gold?
Real gold is an element and is designated as 24 karat, but this is a material that is very soft and therefore impractical to make jewelry from. Yellow gold jewelery is therefore an alloy between gold, copper and silver.White gold is also an alloy, with gold, copper and silver but also with other whiter metals, such as palladium.
