In our business, we are frequently confronted with questions on the subject of colored gold alloys. Especially with regard to white gold, there are countless questions: Why is white gold white, although gold otherwise has its typical metallic yellow color? Why is white gold jewelry more expensive? Why do you get the same price for 14 carat white gold as for 14 carat yellow gold, even though you paid more before? In the following we will try to answer these common questions and tell a little about the origin of white gold.
What is white gold anyway?
Goldsmiths in the 19th and early 20th centuries initially relied on silver and later platinum to set stones. Particularly with diamonds, the white color of these metals made the color of the stone stand out more clearly. However, when platinum supplies from Russia stopped due to political upheaval, white gold was developed as a substitute in Germany around 1912. Unlike silver, gold - and thus also the white gold alloys - does not oxidize and undesirable discolorations do not occur.
White gold is a gold alloy (= metal mixture) which has been deprived of its yellow color intensity by the addition of silver, nickel, platinum or even palladium. The appearance of raw white gold ranges from steel-gray, to blue-gray, to pale yellow. Often, white gold jewelry is also coated with a very thin layer of rhodium, which then creates a silvery bluish-gray color. White gold alloys that have been produced with a sufficiently high proportion of palladium or platinum, on the other hand, already have a white-gray-silver coloration on their own. As a result, subsequent rhodium plating is not necessary: The color is retained even with heavy wear. By adding various metals, the goldsmith can thus strongly influence the color of the gold. From red gold to gray gold, many different shades are possible.
Why is white gold more expensive than regular gold?
One reason for the higher price is certainly the higher cost of materials. In addition to copper, colored gold alloys also contain valuable metals such as silver, palladium and platinum. But the more difficult processing is also a reason for the higher price. White gold jewelry is often rhodium-plated, i.e. covered with a layer of rhodium, before it is sold in order to achieve a look comparable to platinum. This additional step makes production more expensive and also affects the selling price.
Are 14 karat white gold more valuable than 14 karat yellow or red gold?
When selling, one gets the same amount for 14 carat white gold as for 14 carat yellow gold, if the piece of jewelry is sold as scrap gold. What is relevant is the percentage of gold contained - the fineness - and this is the same for 14 carat yellow gold as for 14 carat red or white gold, namely 58.5%. The working time that was put into a piece of jewelry and influenced the purchase price can unfortunately not be taken into account for the price as scrap gold. However, since white gold jewelry is often set with diamonds, it often fetches better selling prices as jewelry with stones than yellow gold or rose gold jewelry.
The price of white gold at the gold dealer is therefore based on the gold content of the piece and the current gold price. Because white gold can consist of different alloys (585 white gold, 750 white gold, ....), there is no one white gold price.
Current price for scrap gold
Preise zuletzt aktualisiert am 15. May 2024, 04:52 Uhr
Is there also 24 karat white gold?
No, because 24 carat would correspond to 100% gold and thus the color would be yellow. But it needs at least 14% platinum or palladium to give the gold a white color. This means that the gold content can only be a maximum of 86%. In practice, white gold exists as 14 carat jewelry with 58.5% gold content or as 18 carat jewelry with 75% gold content.
White gold allergy - Are there alternatives?
Most white gold alloys contain at least small amounts of nickel, a metal that can cause an allergic skin reaction in about 15% of the population. Jewelry made of white gold therefore causes itching, redness or skin irritation in some people. An alternative is jewelry made of higher-quality palladium white gold or jewelry made of platinum, which is more suitable for allergy sufferers because all alloy components (gold, platinum, palladium, copper) are hypoallergenic.
