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.
When pure gold is combined with other metals the result is known as an alloy. Alloys are stronger and longer wearing so they can be worked into designs that will not easily lose their shape. To make an alloy, gold is mixed with one or more metals.
Metals used to create jewelry grade gold include copper, nickel, silver, zinc, and palladium. It is the alloy created with nickel, zinc or palladium that produces jewelry white gold. When these metals are combined with gold they effectively bleach the gold white. Some metals have a stronger bleaching effect than others, however they also have stronger hardening effects.
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.
This could be in the proportions of 75% gold, 4% silver, 4% copper and 17% palladium. This would create jewelry white gold that is 18 carat, hard wearing with a platinum style look
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.
After a few years the rhodium plating wears off leaving the true color of the cheap alloy showing. What looked like a classy platinum piece of jewelry will look a tarnished piece of silver.
Like platinum, Jewelry white gold is a grayish color when created. Rhodium plating gives it that luscious white finish. Today's quality alloys of white gold are more suited to jewelry making than platinum as it is easier to work with. Platinum is not an easy metal to bend with simple jewelers tools unlike jewelry white gold which has the flexibility of soft pure gold yet the strength of platinum.
Jewelry white gold is one of the most popular alloys amongst young professionals as it provides the look and feel of platinum at a much lower cost. If you want the platinum look then look for quality jewelry white gold.
When pure gold is combined with other metals the result is known as an alloy. Alloys are stronger and longer wearing so they can be worked into designs that will not easily lose their shape. To make an alloy, gold is mixed with one or more metals.
Metals used to create jewelry grade gold include copper, nickel, silver, zinc, and palladium. It is the alloy created with nickel, zinc or palladium that produces jewelry white gold. When these metals are combined with gold they effectively bleach the gold white. Some metals have a stronger bleaching effect than others, however they also have stronger hardening effects.
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.
This could be in the proportions of 75% gold, 4% silver, 4% copper and 17% palladium. This would create jewelry white gold that is 18 carat, hard wearing with a platinum style look
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.
After a few years the rhodium plating wears off leaving the true color of the cheap alloy showing. What looked like a classy platinum piece of jewelry will look a tarnished piece of silver.
Like platinum, Jewelry white gold is a grayish color when created. Rhodium plating gives it that luscious white finish. Today's quality alloys of white gold are more suited to jewelry making than platinum as it is easier to work with. Platinum is not an easy metal to bend with simple jewelers tools unlike jewelry white gold which has the flexibility of soft pure gold yet the strength of platinum.
Jewelry white gold is one of the most popular alloys amongst young professionals as it provides the look and feel of platinum at a much lower cost. If you want the platinum look then look for quality jewelry white gold.
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White gold is one of the most popular metals when it comes to jewelry so if you are looking for jewelry white gold, find the best places to buywhite gold jewelry around the online world.
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