18K White Gold Engagement Rings

White gold is an elegant choice for engagement rings and an affordable alternative to platinum rings. Anything that works well with platinum, works well with white gold, they are also slightly shinier than platinum rings, which means they enhance the brilliance of colorless diamonds a bit better because of their reflectivity. They are, however, not as suitable for daily wear as the rhodium plating wears off.

White gold does not occur naturally. It is manufactured by mixing yellow gold with another white metal such as silver, palladium, nickel, or zinc. The other metal will ‘bleach’ its color, and make it more durable as pure gold is too soft to wear as jewelry. It is also plated with rhodium to balance its white color and make it harder. Most white gold rings are 14K, which is only 58.3% of pure gold, or 18K which is 75%gold.

Depending on how often a white gold ring is worn, it could need to be replated with rhodium or palladium very 1 to 4 years.

The choice of a white gold ring depends on the qualities of the ring that a wearer is looking for. White gold is more durable than rose yellow gold and more affordable than platinum. It goes well with many gemstones but it is not hypoallergenic as it contains nickel. It also needs more care as its rhodium or palladium plating can wear off.

White gold is harder and cheaper than yellow gold because it has a lower gold content. White gold does not tint colorless diamonds and would be an ideal choice for those who want their white diamond’s color to stand out. White gold also goes better with cooler tones such as gems colored blue, green or purple, and yellow gold goes better with warmer colored gems, however, this is ultimately up to the wearer’s taste.

Most white gold rings are plated with rhodium, which is a hard metal similar to platinum that is resistant to scratches, tarnishing, and discoloration, however, it does wear off over time and needs to be replated.

Water and soap will not damage the white gold ring, but they will make it duller and less shiny, which will require a polish to restore its luster. It is recommended to take off white gold rings while showering to prevent them from dulling quicker.

The rhodium plating on a white gold ring does fade over time and will need to be replated to maintain its white color.

White gold is slightly more expensive than yellow gold because it is plated with rhodium, which is a metal more expensive than platinum, however, rhodium-plated jewelry is cheaper than solid platinum.

Most jewelry is 14K white gold, however, 10K white gold is less expensive than 14K white gold because it contains less gold, 41.7% in 10K as compared to 53.8% in 14K gold. Because it contains more durable alloy metals, 10K white gold is also more resistant to scratches and dents than 14K, it also appears whiter than 14K gold because it contains less pure gold.