who knows about jewelry and wite gold

[masraum]

So what's the deal with white gold. These days all that I hear about is the rhodium plating and having to get the stuff replated every year (assuming daily wear). My mother has white gold wedding and engagement rings and another ring that was my grandmother's. None have ever been replated, and all look very white (same as they always have)

What's the deal, are the white gold alloys that look and stay white harder or more expensive to make, so these days they use cheaper yellower alloys and plate them often?

My wife and I both prefer the white colored metals over yellow. Based on my mother's stuff, they shouldn't need maintenance other than keeping things clean.

[ossiblue]

Originally Posted by masraum

So what's the deal with white gold. These days all that I hear about is the rhodium plating and having to get the stuff replated every year (assuming daily wear). My mother has white gold wedding and engagement rings and another ring that was my grandmother's. None have ever been replated, and all look very white (same as they always have)

What's the deal, are the white gold alloys that look and stay white harder or more expensive to make, so these days they use cheaper yellower alloys and plate them often?

My wife and I both prefer the white colored metals over yellow. Based on my mother's stuff, they shouldn't need maintenance other than keeping things clean.

The two old rings were likely made of alloys that produced a whiter gold than those commonly used today, and the rings were not rhodium plated. They retain their whiteness, but that original whiteness/brightness never matched that of a rhodium plated ring. Modern rings tend to use alloys that produce a grayer/yellower shade since it will be plated anyway. No matter how tough rhodium is, the thin plate will eventually wear away and the ring will have dull spots, by comparison. If you want a ring like your mother's, it can be made so the base gold is whiter than a plated ring base metal. It will never be as shiny or reflective as rhodium plate with its chrome-like finish, but it will be bright, white, shiny, and never change color. Talk to a reliable jeweler about grade 1 white gold.

[masraum]

Thanks, grade 1 white gold. I'll look into that.

[gacook]

I dunno; never heard of this. My wife's wedding ring set is white gold; I bought it 5 years ago, and it still looks like new...

[lane912]

white gold with palladium