Fig 1. Which gold is better to choose: white or yellow gold
White or yellow? The eternal question that makes us freeze in front of the jewelry store window, where rings, earrings, bracelets, brooches, chains and necklaces shine mesmerizingly. How beautifully the diamonds shine in a white gold ring! And this heavy yellow metal bracelet with large garnets strikes some barbaric unbridled luxury. How perfect it would look with your favorite evening dress! What to choose?
What is the difference between white gold and ordinary yellow gold?
To begin with, let’s understand the difference between white gold and yellow gold. In general, the “chameleonic” shade of gold is a mystery for the uninitiated. Copper is always red, iron is gray, mercury, platinum and silver are white. But gold can be white, yellow and red. What’s this phantasmagoria with changing suits?
In fact, it’s simple. The usual natural color of gold is yellow. But “jewelry” is never made of pure metal: it is too soft. You would definitely not like it if your ring behaved on your finger as if it were twisted from foil, and your bracelet was trying to deform just because you slightly caught it on your purse.
Therefore, gold in jewelry is a jewelry alloy of noble metal and ligature – a mixture of various additives. The ligature is designed to make products stronger, to give them a number of desired characteristics. With the help of such “additives” the appearance of the metal is also changed.
By the way, designers of “jewelry” do not get tired of experimenting in this area. In addition to the already traditional white, yellow and red gold jewelry, today you can find rings and earrings made of green, blue, purple, soft pink and even black gold.
So, what is the difference between white and yellow jewelry alloy? In the composition of the ligature. It is it that determines the main visible difference between white gold and yellow gold – the color.
White gold
Fig 2. Adding ligature to gold
Thus, a traditional white jewelry alloy contains a high percentage of pure gold (determined by the sample – most often 75%), silver, platinum group metals, and sometimes nickel. Why sometimes? Because nickel, according to experts, causes allergies. Since 2000, it has been banned by European legislation for use in jewelry and medical devices. Silver and palladium give the ring the very white color with a subtle golden tint. Actually, here is the answer to the question, what is the difference between white gold and ordinary gold.
Yellow gold
Fig 3. The natural color of pure gold is yellow
Yellow gold uses a nugget of metal with a mixture (ligature) of silver, copper, and, depending on the manufacturer, zinc. By the way, the second name of this jewelry alloy is lemon gold. It really resembles a ripe, juicy lemon with its hue. This bright sunny tone is the closest to the natural color of the precious metal.
By the way, saying “yellow” or “white” is a kind of average standard, just a category. In fact, for each of these types of precious metal there is a palette of shades.
So white gold can have and almost pure silver color (thanks to rhodium plating, but about it below), and yellowish tone of varying intensity. Still, the lion’s share in its composition is occupied by yellow metal. Yellow gold can be pale golden or bright – almost like a fresh egg yolk. The tone of gold also depends on the percentage of metals in the ligature.
Which is more expensive: white gold or regular gold
Which gold is more expensive – white or yellow? In addition to color, gold is also chosen by price. You must have noticed the difference in the cost of almost identical gold jewelry (all the differences are only in color), and wondered why white gold is more expensive than ordinary gold. Now we will tell you.
Composition
We have already mentioned that gold jewelry is made from a material that is a jewelry alloy. In the alloy of yellow gold there is a ligature, consisting mainly of silver and copper. These additives are not characterized by a high price. White gold contains a ligature of platinum group metals, rare and expensive. Naturally, this affects the cost of the jewelry.
In addition, comparing white and yellow gold jewelry with a big difference in price, take a look at the sample. It is likely that the white ring will be higher than the yellow one. For example, the first one will be 750 proof, the traditional grade for white gold, while the second one will be 585 proof.
Rhodium plating
Figure 4. Rhodium plating protects gold from external influences
As already mentioned, white gold has a slight creamy tint. That is, it looks lighter, but 75% of the yellow metal in the composition is a lot, and this is nothing to “whiten”. To achieve a pure, cold, mirror-like shine, rings and other “jewelry” are coated with rhodium – a metal of the platinum group. The coating not only makes the jewelry more attractive and shiny, but also increases its strength, scratch resistance and durability.
The process of rhodium plating is quite labor-intensive. Rhodium is much more expensive than gold or even platinum. By the way, it is a by-product of the development of platinum deposits. Annually in the world this rare-earth metal is mined only about 30 tons. And not all of it goes to the processing of rings.
Marketing
But the most important thing that determines the difference in the cost of yellow and white gold is marketing. Yes, white gold is at the peak of popularity today. Jewelry houses do not have time to release all new collections of silver metal with precious inserts (white gold creates a mirror effect, which enhances the brilliance of stones), pop and movie divas all over the world boast of luxurious jewelry gifts from boyfriends, and those (gifts, of course) are made of white gold with especially large precious stones. This boom in popularity could not help but affect the price of “jewelry”.
What kind of gold is better to choose jewelry from: white or ordinary yellow gold?
Well, and still, what is better – white gold or ordinary gold? If you can not decide, we give a few hints. We hope they will help you.
How much the jewelry matches your appearance
If you have copper, russet or black hair, dark skin and dark eyes, you can safely give preference to yellow gold. It will perfectly shade and emphasize your honey charm and even give you exotic features. By the way, jewelry made of yellow metal looks great in a set with stones of juicy, thick and warm shades – spinel, garnet, amber, ruby, emerald, pink pearls and others.
Girls of “cold” winter type (light skin, light or black hair, transparent eyes of blue, gray, greenish shades) are perfectly suited rings, earrings and necklaces of white gold. Its pure, icy shine will perfectly shade your beauty, turn you into a proud, unapproachable goddess, which condescends not to everyone.
By the way, they say that white gold was invented specifically to create diamond-worthy settings that would emphasize and enhance its beauty. So, if the stars have aligned and you are the owner of the appearance of an ice empress, and you also love diamonds, we invite you to take a look at our catalog. We have a huge selection of luxurious rings, elegant earrings, delicate diamond pendants. You will find jewelry for every taste. And each of them is created with a single purpose – to make you even more beautiful.
Orient yourself to your tastes
It doesn’t matter what movie divas and royalty wear – you’re buying jewelry for yourself. The most important thing is that you like it, that you, not Kate Middleton and Rihanna, wear it with pleasure, rejoice in its brilliance (white or gold) and elegance.
Can white and yellow gold be worn together?
Fig 6. White and yellow gold together
If the ornament still does not want to be worn together, or if you already have yellow gold in your jewelry closet, and you dream of a bracelet made of white gold, the question arises – what to do?
In the first case, the answer is – take both. In the second case – don’t deny yourself. You want white? Let it be white. Moreover, in modern fashion white and yellow gold together to wear not only is not prohibited, but even welcomed.
Yes, modern fashion removes bans. But some rules remain. A white pendant on a lemon gold chain will not look good, as well as silver earrings with a yellow necklace. For such combinations, it is better that one component of the jewelry ensemble is combined.
In the collections of jewelry houses there are often ornaments where both types of metal are combined. And they look great on blondes and brunettes, on swarthy and white-skinned beauties with absolutely any eye color.
The second rule is to match the style, design and textures. A mix of rings in different styles can and attract the attention of others to your extravagance, but will not say anything about the good taste of the owner. If you can not “make friends” white and yellow jewelry, choose those that have a common element – a colored insert, a precious stone. And the most important thing is to keep the measure in everything.