White gold - what kind of metal is it: what it looks like, what grade, composition, advantages and disadvantages of the alloy, a wide range of jewelry and cost today

The most common is yellow gold, followed by white gold. This is an alloy of a special composition, thanks to the ligature it acquires a completely different shade. The additives change color from yellow to white. The properties of this metal allow it to be used for various purposes; among other things, jewelry is in demand.

White gold is superior to many other types of precious metals in strength and attractiveness.

There are different composition options, which determines the performance characteristics and cost of the products.

White gold - what kind of metal is it, what is it called correctly, what does it look like: natural and synthetic

White gold is a jewelry alloy consisting of precious (and sometimes base) metals. The ratio of additives determines the properties of the finished product, as well as its shade. A significant proportion of the material is gold. But under normal conditions it is characterized by yellow color.

To change the shade, palladium and other platinum group metals, nickel, etc. are introduced into the alloy. These are metals of a lighter shade (gray-white, white), when combined with the main component, an alloy with the required parameters is obtained. It is called white gold.

White gold ring

Today, the valuable alloy is obtained artificially - from several metals by melting. But natural material can also be called white. We are talking about a mineral formation, which is a type of native gold. In nature it occurs mainly in the form of a dendrite, a liquid.

Its main characteristic is its light yellow or white color. It is electrum, but can also be called white gold. Contains precious metals. Moreover, the composition usually includes 2 types: silver, gold, which determines the color of the mineral. Moreover, the silver content is always different, ranging from 16-69%.

Various shades

Depending on the added metals and their proportions, white gold of different shades is obtained:

• to get the classic white color, an alloy of 14% palladium, 7% silver and 4% nickel is used, sometimes not irradiated;
• a high silver content - usually 25% - gives the product a green tint;
• to obtain an alloy with a yellow tint, 15% silver and 10% copper are added to it;
• a more saturated red color is given by a high copper content - 21% - with a lower proportion of silver - 4%;
• gold of an exotic bluish or black hue can be obtained using complex technological processes involving rhodium, which significantly increases the price of the final product.

There are a lot of variations, which allows you to combine them with various precious stones to create unique jewelry. However, the traditional white color is most valued.

The history of white gold and its popularity

The alloy called white gold first appeared at the beginning of the last century. It came to replace silver and platinum. The first of the metals was inferior to the others in external properties, in addition, it had the property of oxidizing.

Platinum is a refractory metal; in addition, it is more expensive than gold and silver.

White metals were popular because they better reflected the shine of precious stones. Accordingly, jewelry houses could not refuse to use them, but at the same time there was a need to use a more suitable material. Then an alloy based on gold and a white alloy was developed.

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Buy factory-made products or from a famous foreign brand (Cartier jewelry house, for example). Then the decoration will not crumble or become covered with cracks.

Possible compositions of gold alloy samples according to GOST

The ratio of components is different, even if the same amount of gold is used as a basis. This allows you to change color and properties. The most common hallmarks of white gold are: 585, 750. This may mean that the composition includes, respectively: 58.5 and 75% of the main precious metal. All other components:

For comparison, there is no white 925 gold. This is a symbol for silver.

Main differences between precious metals

The white appearance of the precious metal in comparison with platinum can be distinguished by paying attention not only to the color, but also to the chemical composition. Colorless gold contains additives of other metals, but platinum does not contain them. So, the manufacturer can make inclusions of nickel, and this, in turn, quite often provokes allergic reactions. If platinum is added to the main material, then you don’t have to worry about allergies - it doesn’t cause them.

There are practically no small parts in platinum products, since this natural material is very durable and difficult to process. Jewelry made from pure platinum is very expensive and often has its own hallmark. It will be difficult for a non-professional person to distinguish platinum from colorless gold. When purchasing, you should always ask for documents for the product, and also look at the hallmark.

Application of white gold: 375, 500, 585, 750 samples

There are several options for white precious metal, among them there are those that represent the low, medium and high price categories. You can determine the quality by the composition - sample. Happens:

• 375: the most affordable alloy, contains a minimum of precious metal (37.5%), the rest of the share falls on budget additives (usually silver is used), the metal is sometimes used in the production of jewelry and only some of their types, more often it is used for the manufacture of fastenings for inserts of various products, production of cigarette cases, watches;
• 500: gold is used infrequently due to its low fusibility, suitable for the production of eyeglass frames, various decorations, watches, often used to verify the authenticity of products, used by assay supervision services;
• 585: universal material, considered the best in its price category, suitable for making various jewelry;
• 750: gold of high standard and excellent quality allows you to create jewelry, but the finished products are inferior in properties to jewelry of 585 standard, because they are not resistant to mechanical damage.

Wide range for any occasion: white gold hallmarks for jewelry

When choosing white gold jewelry, samples are studied first, as this is the determining factor that allows you to evaluate the quality of the product. To make jewelry, the properties of metals and external characteristics are taken into account. As a result, improved products can be obtained. There are various types of white gold jewelry:

• 375: most often they produce large-sized decorative elements for jewelry from more expensive products, as well as wedding rings;
• 500: difficult to melt, not used for making jewelry;
• 585: from gold of this standard you can make various jewelry, for example, rings, bracelets, earrings (studs or “studs”, “congo”, with a French lock, etc.), pendants, chains and, of course, sets (sets of earrings, rings, pendants), pendants, etc.;
• 750: most often they produce jewelry with stones (women's, men's), for example, diamonds, cubic zirconia, etc. - precious and semi-precious.

In the production of jewelry, preference is given to products of 585 and 750 samples.

Moreover, they may have a coating. Such jewelry is protected from mechanical damage. Rhodium is most often used. It gives a more noble touch to jewelry.

18k white gold ring

How to extend the life of jewelry

Gold and platinum are inert elements that do not react with acids and alkalis. These metals do not react to the surrounding level of humidity and acidity; they can only be dissolved under special conditions in a mixture of acids. If a noble alloy contains both of these metals, the products will last a long time and are not susceptible to mechanical damage and scratches. And, therefore, such decorations will exist for a long time and serve faithfully.

Jewelry made from precious metals will delight its owner for many years if you follow the rules of simple care. The noble white alloy, despite its qualities and aristocratic origin, is a capricious material. Products made from ligatures are afraid of:

1. Chlorinated water, if the percentage of chlorine in it is high enough.
2. Cleaning agents based on caustic substances and chlorine.

It is better to remove jewelry before visiting the sauna, swimming pool, or gym. Thus, they will be protected from reagents and from dishonest visitors to these public institutions. You need to clean jewelry using special pastes for jewelry.

The jewelry industry offers customers a huge variety of products that can satisfy the most demanding tastes. Jewelry made from a noble white alloy is ideally suited to any skin color, eye shade, hair color, and therefore they are universal for the consumer and unique in terms of design. This means that such jewelry is suitable for all buyers.

Compatibility with precious stones

Jewelers have known for a long time that a white backing enhances the reflective properties. Even semi-precious stones will appear in a more favorable light, which is important if a person decides to sell a product and get a good price for it. This may mean that the decoration needs to be presented properly. The stone will look more attractive if it has a white metal setting.

It used to be considered fashionable to use silver for this purpose. Later - platinum. Since the appearance of a white gold alloy, it has become widely used for the production of jewelry with stones. In Russia, jewelry factories often use this metal in combination with inserts from:

• diamond (white, colored);
• emerald;
• grenade;
• pearls;
• topaz;
• sapphire.

Strengths and advantages

With the admixture of high-quality metals, a more noble composition is obtained, suitable for making jewelry. This metal is easy to process and retains its shape for a long time. Not only the beauty of the white appearance of the precious metal helps to make a product unique, but also the fact that many types of precious stones can be set in it very easily. It is in combination with colorless gold that products with stones are most often found. The noble metal harmoniously sets off the jewelry stone with its light. Several types of metal give gold an attractive white hue:

• silver;
• platinum;
• palladium;
• zinc;
• nickel.

Recommendations for choosing a product made of snow-white metal

Regardless of what kind of jewelry you plan to buy (white gold rings, church “save and preserve” rings, earrings, bracelets, etc. are being considered), you need to consider the following factors:

• availability of documents - certificates confirming quality: if the retail chain is large, there is no need to additionally ask for proof of the quality of the products; in other cases, you should make sure that all the necessary documents are available, the seller must show it upon request;
• hallmark: today, most often in stores you can find products of 585, 750 hallmark, the price depends on the content of the precious metal, if the jewelry consists mainly of ligature (375, 500 hallmark), the cost will be lower;
• external signs: gold has a white color (steel, with a shine), but if rhodium plating is done, it will be more difficult to distinguish silver from a gold alloy; you can check it at home - by sound (jewelry of 585 and 750 samples rings like crystal).

Important! In Russia there is no way to return purchased jewelry; this is possible only under one condition - the product has a defect that the seller kept silent about.

White gold ring with stone

How many carats are in this sample?

Some countries do not use the European system, but measure the purity of gold in carats. In terms of “karatej” (or carat) it meets our standards and looks like this:

The minimum number of carats for an item to be considered gold varies by country. So, in the USA, 10 carats is the minimum acceptable standard. In Austria, Portugal and Ireland it is lower and can be equal to 9.

14 carats, strictly speaking, equals 583 fineness. But since the carat calculation does not provide for the 585th fineness, it was decided to round this value.

Main differences from silver and platinum

When comparing different materials, it just seems impossible to tell the difference. In fact, it is quite possible to independently determine the type of product. No magic ritual is used for this, and you don’t have to rely on signs either. It is enough to study the signs:

• shape of the hallmark: on silver items you can see the likeness of a barrel, with a hallmark in it, on platinum jewelry - an octagon, on jewelry made from Au metal - a rectangle;
• samples of silver (800, 830, 875, 925, 960) and platinum (850, 900, 950) are much higher, while the likelihood of repetitions is excluded, which means that there cannot be two identical silver or platinum products with the same hallmark - they are always different;
• gold items (yellow) coated with rhodium gradually darken as the protective layer wears off, platinum jewelry does not have this feature, and silver jewelry even oxidizes over time.

White gold, platinum and silver - differences

Why do you need rhodium plating?

Experts say that in its properties, white gold is practically in no way inferior to platinum, but has two qualities that allow it to maintain a leading position in the jewelry market:

• the price of white gold is much more affordable;
• it can be used to create products with complex patterns and shapes, giving scope to the imagination of designers.

However, in its finished form, the alloy has a grayish or even yellowish tint, lacking shine. In this case, it is significantly inferior to the usual yellow metal. In order to get rid of this visual defect, specialists use the rhodium plating procedure. Rhodium has a fairly strong and hard structure that allows it to easily withstand:

• blows;
• a fall;
• friction.

The use of rhodium coating improves the quality characteristics of the resulting alloy:

• gives it beauty, shine and attractiveness;
• reliably protects against scratches and other external deformations, which is especially important when wearing the product every day.

Despite its strength, rhodium, like any other metal, can lose its original qualities over time, tarnish and wear out. In this case, to give the product its original shine, specialists use a rhodium plating restoration procedure.

Rhodium plating procedure for silver and gold

If nickel was used in the master alloy, this white gold alloy has a yellow tint and a rhodium plating procedure becomes necessary. This procedure is also carried out to add shine and durability to gold and silver jewelry.

As a result, it is impossible to distinguish 585 white gold from silver. To determine the type of metal, you need to inspect the sample and the shape of the mark on the product. A jewelry mark found on gold jewelry is usually rectangular in shape, while a silver item is stamped in the shape of a barrel. The most reliable way to determine what metal a product, such as a ring, is made from is a chemical test performed by a specialist.

Jeweler's comment

Molokanov N.M.

Jeweler, 26 years of experience in jewelry production.

In addition to the main signs of the quality of jewelry (the sound of falling on glass, color, weight), you can focus on price. This is an indirect factor and cannot be taken as the main one. However, most often low-quality products or counterfeits are sold at reduced prices.

Where can you buy or sell

In most cases, gold is purchased from jewelry stores or from a manufacturer. This protects us from counterfeits and is accompanied by a photo, a quality certificate and a guarantee. You can pay attention to pawn shops, where used jewelry is offered at discounted prices.

They sell through the same pawnshops, purchases, and jewelry workshops. They accept gold, preferring 585 purity, as scrap, by weight, often not taking into account precious stones. If you are the owner of a truly unique item, then you should pay attention to auctions. There you can sell your item at a significantly higher price.

Excellent characteristics and disadvantages of white gold

Positive traits:

nobility of appearance;

sufficient strength;

compatibility with stone inserts.

There are many disadvantages to products made from white gold alloy:

high price;

gradual damage to the surface;

585 samples become darker;

If rhodium is applied, it must be periodically restored, since the surface layer tends to become thin and scratched.

Diamond ring - white gold

Why isn't pure gold used in the jewelry industry?

The physical properties of pure gold are amazing: it is very easy to forge, is an excellent conductor of electricity, and helps focus mirrors that operate in the far infrared range.

In industry, there are many uses for pure, pure gold, however, this precious metal also has its drawbacks:

• It is very easy to forge. For jewelry, this is the biggest drawback;
• It wears out and bends easily;
• Pure gold jewelry quickly gets scratched and loses its shine and beauty.

Category: question-answer

I choose a white gold ring. Which stone will make it more unpretentious to wear and care for?

Expert opinion

Pribrezhny Gennady Valentinovich

Jeweler 6th category

White gold alloy is quite resistant to external factors, but jewelry does not withstand intensive use well, as it is prone to small scratches. If the jewelry has inserts, then you should double your caution. It is better to choose jewelry with harder stones: diamond, topaz, emerald, garnet.

Tired of the old white gold and zirconium earrings. Where can I sell them at a higher price?

Expert opinion

Grishanov Mikhail Petrovich

Jeweler, director of the Grishanov and Co. workshop

The following legal entities should be considered as a buyer: pawnshops with a good reputation, as well as jewelry stores that from time to time hold promotions - they buy up old products and in return offer a discount on new ones. It is unlikely that private individuals will offer a higher price.

Are there white gold watches? How practical are they? I heard that metal is soft

Expert opinion

Pribrezhny Gennady Valentinovich

Jeweler 6th category

585 white gold is characterized by durability. You can wear such jewelry often; it contains platinum, which increases the resistance of the material to mechanical damage. 750 gold is softer; such items should be worn less frequently, alternated with others, or worn for special occasions.

18k white gold with diosamite

Is it possible to wear a cross around your neck made of white gold rather than silver?

Expert opinion

Grishanov Mikhail Petrovich

Jeweler, director of the Grishanov and Co. workshop

There are no restrictions on the use of crosses from different precious metals. Religion does not prohibit wearing items made of platinum, gold, silver and white alloy.

Is it possible to wear white gold and silver at the same time?

Expert opinion

Pribrezhny Gennady Valentinovich

Jeweler 6th category

Jewelry house designers do not prohibit; on the contrary, they recommend combining jewelry. But they should be properly balanced so that the arms and shoulders are not visually overloaded.

Which grade of metal is stronger: 585, 750 or 925?

Expert opinion

Grishanov Mikhail Petrovich

Jeweler, director of the Grishanov and Co. workshop

If it is important to choose a wear-resistant gold alloy, you should consider 585-karat jewelry. For comparison, 925 is completely silver jewelry.

Does white gold exist in nature?

Expert opinion

Pribrezhny Gennady Valentinovich

Jeweler 6th category

Only one type of natural formation (electrum) is called white gold. But this is a conditional name, because it is characterized by an uneven white color. Light yellow native inclusions of this type are also found.

White gold electrum

Sample on white gold alloy, what does it look like?

Expert opinion

Grishanov Mikhail Petrovich

Jeweler, director of the Grishanov and Co. workshop

You should pay attention to the numbers of the brand: 585, 750. Its shape is also important. The white alloy is marked with a shape resembling a spatula, consisting of right angles.

Features of the alloy and products

Nickel was initially added to produce a white alloy, but additional studies confirmed that it causes an allergic reaction on the skin. This is why silver or palladium is usually used in jewelry production. To add shine to the surface, rhodium plating is applied to the jewelry in a special way, since untreated jewelry looks dull and gray. Rhodium plating gives the product durability, bright light color and shine, and also protects against damage, scratches and many other harms.

Jewelry made from a noble alloy harmoniously combines with classic and casual clothing styles, and inlay with precious stones adds value and popularity to the product. The noble alloy, along with pure platinum, ideally emphasizes the play of diamonds, making the product a true work of jewelry art. Basically, jewelers use several types of cuts - frame, invisible cut, chevron and protrusion. They are chosen depending on the style, shape and design of the product. To extend the service life and preserve the appearance of jewelry, you need to protect it from contact with chemicals.

White gold composition.

To obtain white color, silver, palladium, platinum, cadmium, zinc, and nickel are added to pure gold in different proportions. Some owners of products containing zinc have developed an allergy, so since 2000 the production of such jewelry has been prohibited in the European Union.

In Russia, all alloys are regulated according to GOST 30649-99.

Composition 585 sample

The content of pure gold in the alloy is 58.5 - 60% To achieve a white color the following is added to it:

• Silver 27.5-28.5% Palladium 9.5-10.5%
• Silver 28.2-29.2% Palladium 9.5-10.5%
• Nickel 12-13% Zinc 3.6-4.4% Copper Rest

Composition 750 sample

The content of pure gold in the alloy is 75.0 - 75.5% To achieve a white color, add to it:

• Silver 7.5 - 8.5% Platinum 8.5 - 9.5%
• Silver 8.5 - 9.5% Palladium 13.5 - 14.5%
• Silver 6.5 - 7.5% Palladium 13.5 - 14.5%
• Nickel 3.5 - 4.5% Cadmium Rest
• Nickel 7 - 8% Zinc 2.1 - 2.9% Copper Rest

You will not be able to determine on your own what exactly the composition of the alloy is. To do this, you need to send the product for chemical analysis to the State Assay Supervision Inspectorate, which you can read more about in the article “The best way to check gold jewelry.”

925 white gold

I often have to answer the question about the cost of 925 white gold. Today it is about 25 rubles per gram because 925 standard is silver. White gold can only be 585 and 750.

Strength

Although more than half of the weight is pure metal, which affects the price, jewelry of 585 standard is durable, resistant to deformation and scratches.

Alloy shade chart

Depending on the amount and percentage of metals in the alloy, jewelry acquires its color. Below is a table with the features of some compositions.

The given compositions are typical for production, but not the only ones. Thus, nickel can be included in 585-carat white gold, which will be discussed below.

White gold contains more silver and other valuable metals than the usual yellow alloy, and copper is not used at all. That is why the price of white gold, for example, 585-carat, will be higher than yellow or pink alloys of the same marking.

Brand

Distinctive marks (stamps) were created to guarantee the authenticity of the alloy and determine its real price. They have been around since the 1200s, since the time of King Louis IX of France and Edward I of England. These are some kind of echoes of the very first consumer protection laws. Counterfeiting was punishable by death.

In 1972, a group of European countries signed the Vienna Convention on the Control of Fineness and Marking of Precious Metals.

The presence of a hallmark means that no additional examination is required, and jewelry marked “585” actually contains more than half gold. In some countries, such as Italy, India and China, gold hallmarking is voluntary.

The importance of caring for, cleaning and carefully storing fine white metal at home

Basic recommendations:

• You should not wear jewelry during physical work;
• they need to be removed before going to the sauna;
• jewelry should not come into contact with chemicals (detergents and cosmetics);
• For storage, a box with compartments and a soft covering inside is provided.

You should also periodically clean the products, for which the following products are used: “Flyurin”, “Talisman”. Mellerud paste is used for polishing, and special devices are used for jewelry with stones.