White Gold
Gold alloyed with white metals such as palladium or nickel to a silvery colour, usually finished with rhodium plating.
White gold is gold made to look silvery instead of yellow. Gold is naturally warm, so it is alloyed with white metals such as palladium, nickel, silver and zinc to mute the colour, then almost always finished with a thin layer of rhodium plating for a brighter, whiter surface. It is the standard metal for diamond jewellery because its cool tone flatters white diamonds. The catch is that the rhodium wears with use, so the plating needs refreshing over the life of the piece.
How white gold is made white
Alloying does most of the work. Mixing gold with pale metals such as palladium or nickel, along with silver and zinc, pulls the colour away from yellow toward a light greyish white. Palladium alloys give a naturally whiter, hypoallergenic result, while nickel alloys are harder and cheaper but can cause reactions in sensitive wearers.
Even a good white alloy retains a faint warm tint, so most white gold is electroplated with rhodium, a bright white platinum group metal. That plating gives the crisp, reflective white finish buyers expect and adds a hard protective surface over the gold beneath.
- Alloyed with palladium, nickel, silver and zinc.
- Usually finished with rhodium plating for a brighter white.
- Palladium alloys are whiter and hypoallergenic.
- Popular for diamond and contemporary jewellery.
Living with rhodium plating
Because rhodium plating is only microns thick, it wears with everyday contact and gradually reveals the slightly warmer alloy underneath, often first at high friction points like the underside of a ring. This is normal, not a fault.
The fix is simple: jewellers re plate the piece during servicing, commonly every eighteen to twenty four months depending on wear. It is worth telling customers up front so replating is understood as routine care rather than a surprise, much like polishing.
- White gold is gold alloyed with white metals for a silvery colour.
- It is usually rhodium plated for a brighter, whiter finish.
- The rhodium plating wears and needs periodic replating.
- It is the standard metal for white diamond jewellery.
White Gold, in short.
Why does white gold turn slightly yellow over time?
The rhodium plating that gives white gold its bright white surface wears thin with use, revealing the slightly warmer alloy beneath. Replating restores the white finish.
How often should white gold be replated?
Typically every eighteen to twenty four months, though it depends on wear. Rings worn daily need it more often than pendants or earrings that see less friction.
Is white gold the same purity as yellow gold?
At the same karat, yes. 18K white and 18K yellow both contain 75 percent gold. Only the alloy metals differ, which changes the colour, not the gold content.
Related terms
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