Precious Metals | White Gold jewelry

White Gold Jewellery

Source: Australia, Argentina, Canada, Chile, India, Russia, South Africa, USA

White gold is actually an alloy of gold combined with white metals such as silver, palladium, or nickel. The natural color of "white" gold is light grey and slightly yellow. Jewelry made of white gold is coated with highly reflective rhodium or a platinum and palladium mixture which adds a brilliant shine to the surface.

White gold is usually plated with a thin layer of rhodium, 0.05 to 0.5 micrometers in thickness. The purpose of plating the surface is to add luster to the white gold alloy, as well as to prevent oxidation of some of the metals found in the alloy. White gold is a less expensive alternative to platinum, and usually costs about 1/3 as much as platinum.

Due to the thinness of this protective plating, wear will develop in the plating which will cause oxidization to form. This will weaken the rhodium coating even more. A good idea is to plate the white gold alloy with about 2.0 micrometers of rhodium for longer lasting and more durable jewelry.

Allergic Reactions to White Gold

About 12.5% of the population is allergic to the white gold alloy. This is due to a reaction to the nickel found in some white gold alloys. Reactions are typically mild and usually involve minor skin rashes. For people who are sensitive to white gold, palladium is a good hypoallergenic alternative.

White gold alloy is a soft metal which has a hardness of 2.5 on the Mohs scale, with a Vickers Hardness (VHN or HV) of 120. White gold has a melting point of around 240º C.

Chemical composition: (Au), (Ag), (Pd) or (Ni).