First things first...
An important thing to know about white gold
there's no white gold in nature it is simply a mixture of alloys based on yellow gold. it means that it is made of 24K pure yellow gold mixed with metals like silver and palladium or other white colour alloys and that creates this whitish lustrous color.
Its white... right?
After mixing the pure gold to get a white colored alloy, still, the metal doesnt forget its yellow ancestor and therefore theres a slight yellow in that white, its what we call in the studio a chamillion gold - its white next to yellow gold and yellow next to white... we love it, find it sort of more dynamic in a way kind of getting both colors in the same time.
Coating is for ice-cream, no?
so still today youll often see in the market white gold jewelry which are really white they are getting coated in Rhodium - a very white metal which is electroplated on the jewelry it adds further strength and durability, and a really shiny white reflaction.
Plating always feels a bit fake...
Or maybe its just too white (which can be nice sometimes), but still, coating gold is just a weird concept in my opinion, non the less that a coating layer will get scretched with time and undereath you will discover... (you guessed it!) a yellowish hue of the white gold at its natural color.
Its not you, its the diamonds
So when should we plate white gold?
I guess when we really want this white color, and more important when its in need, lets say you want to set high quality diamonds with high grade color on a white gold ring, plating these kind of jewelry will increase the shine and luster youll get from the diamond, and in that case getting those kind of work plated makes a lot of sanse, and i guess thats why white gold is very popular in engagement rings.
So lets make it clear
14K gold means the amount of pure gold in the alloy is 58.5%, while 18K gold items contain 75% pure gold –
The higher the karat, the larger the amount of gold in it
Its very easy to understand that in yellow gold the higher the karat the yellowsh the metal, and it is important to understand that it is the same for white gold, the higher the karat - means the white gold is more yellowish and not whiter like people often mistake!
Bottom line
Well, white gold plated with rhodium is definatly a personal choice. Overall, it can be good and right for your jewelry but like we said it has more to it then just color.
you can always get it replated but you know how it is, we have enough on our plates as it is (see what i did there.. with the plates ;) ) anyway if not replated it will probably go deep inside your jewelry box and never see light again.
with all that been said, we sometimes love white gold when it is plated and in its natural color well... I can say we love it even more that way, its easy to embrace the effect it has when you know thats the way it is and it doesnt need any make-up its beautiful as it is. like you.
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