One of the most popular metals around when it comes to jewelry is white gold. However, white gold is not a naturally existing substance - it is man made. Gold is actually yellow in its purest form and very soft. Because it is soft, it is not practical for use in most jewelry.
For jewelry purposes, yellow gold is mixed, or alloyed with other metals. Pure gold is 24 carat and rarely used for jewelry. Once you create an alloy the purity drops so with gold, you end up with common alloys of 9 carat, 12 carat, 18 carat and 22 carat gold. Twelve carat, for example, is 50% gold with the remainder a range of metals.
Nickel, copper, silver, zinc, and palladium are the most common metals used to make alloys. Of these, nickel, zinc or palladium are combined, often with copper, to create jewelry white gold. To create white gold, these metals effectively bleach the gold to a greyish white. Palladium is the most effective, unfortunately it is also the most expensive - more expensive than gold itself.
If the you use a combination of metals you can control the degree of whiteness and the strength of the jewelry white gold. Wedding bands are a good example. they need to look their best yet maintain their shape for years, often decades. To get an alloy that easily be worked into a ring, jewelers or metallurgist will often combine gold, silver, copper and palladium.
A ring may contain 75% gold, 4% silver, 4% copper and 17% palladium. This would result in an 18 carat jewelry white gold that is hard wearing and very platinum looking.
Why the platinum look? Jewelry white gold was introduced in the 1920's to fill the void left by increasingly expensive platinum jewelry. Since platinum is far more expensive than gold, consumers wanted an alternative and silver didn't fit the bill. Jewelry white gold looked and felt like platinum and was much less expensive.
These days you can find cheaper versions of jewelry white gold - often palmed off as the more expensive alloys. They can range in color from a dull grey through to a pale yellow. To give white look to this cheaper white gold, it is plated with rhodium. This creates a highly polished platinum looking jewelry white gold.
Unfortunately, over time the rhodium starts to wear off and the true color of the cheap white gold shows through. This can make a fantastic piece of jewelry look cheap and junky within days. The process of wearing can take four or five years, but when it happens it happens quickly.
Jewelry white gold, like platinum, is actually grey when made. It is the rhodium that provides the white finish. Modern grades of white gold are better suited to jewelry making than platinum due to its easier workability. Platinum is a tough metal to shape in comparison to jewelry white gold.
Jewelry white gold is popular amongst trendy young professionals. It provides all the richness of platinum at a much lower cost. For a rich experience in fine gold jewelry - consider quality jewelry white gold. - 15252
For jewelry purposes, yellow gold is mixed, or alloyed with other metals. Pure gold is 24 carat and rarely used for jewelry. Once you create an alloy the purity drops so with gold, you end up with common alloys of 9 carat, 12 carat, 18 carat and 22 carat gold. Twelve carat, for example, is 50% gold with the remainder a range of metals.
Nickel, copper, silver, zinc, and palladium are the most common metals used to make alloys. Of these, nickel, zinc or palladium are combined, often with copper, to create jewelry white gold. To create white gold, these metals effectively bleach the gold to a greyish white. Palladium is the most effective, unfortunately it is also the most expensive - more expensive than gold itself.
If the you use a combination of metals you can control the degree of whiteness and the strength of the jewelry white gold. Wedding bands are a good example. they need to look their best yet maintain their shape for years, often decades. To get an alloy that easily be worked into a ring, jewelers or metallurgist will often combine gold, silver, copper and palladium.
A ring may contain 75% gold, 4% silver, 4% copper and 17% palladium. This would result in an 18 carat jewelry white gold that is hard wearing and very platinum looking.
Why the platinum look? Jewelry white gold was introduced in the 1920's to fill the void left by increasingly expensive platinum jewelry. Since platinum is far more expensive than gold, consumers wanted an alternative and silver didn't fit the bill. Jewelry white gold looked and felt like platinum and was much less expensive.
These days you can find cheaper versions of jewelry white gold - often palmed off as the more expensive alloys. They can range in color from a dull grey through to a pale yellow. To give white look to this cheaper white gold, it is plated with rhodium. This creates a highly polished platinum looking jewelry white gold.
Unfortunately, over time the rhodium starts to wear off and the true color of the cheap white gold shows through. This can make a fantastic piece of jewelry look cheap and junky within days. The process of wearing can take four or five years, but when it happens it happens quickly.
Jewelry white gold, like platinum, is actually grey when made. It is the rhodium that provides the white finish. Modern grades of white gold are better suited to jewelry making than platinum due to its easier workability. Platinum is a tough metal to shape in comparison to jewelry white gold.
Jewelry white gold is popular amongst trendy young professionals. It provides all the richness of platinum at a much lower cost. For a rich experience in fine gold jewelry - consider quality jewelry white gold. - 15252
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White gold is one of the most sort after metals when it comes to jewelry so if you are looking for jewelry white gold, see what bargains we have been able to find online. White gold jewelry for long wearing style.
