Why Does My White Gold Ring Look Yellow?
Gold, when mined, is 24 karat and is a deep yellow color (an orange shade of yellow).
Jewellery is never made of 24 karat gold because it is too soft. Instead, the pure gold is mixed with other metals (alloys) when making jewellery. Alloys include nickel, copper, zinc and palladium.
How does white gold come into being? 24 karat yellow gold is mixed with alloys, nickel, zinc and/or palladium.
For example an 18K. white gold ring can be 75% gold and 25% palladium. Or an 18K. white gold ring can be 75% gold, 10% palladium, 10% nickel and 5% zinc. The constant is, in order for the ring to be 18K., 75% has to be gold. The alloy mixture is decided by the refiner or goldsmith.
The palladium and nickel alloys added to the yellow gold is what gives jewellery its white appearance. The underlying color is still yellow. It’s like taking a yellow crayon and drawing the sun on a piece of paper, then going over it with a white crayon. The yellow is still there, covered by the white.
Many manufacturers add a rhodium plating to the finished white gold jewellery piece. This gives it a very pleasing, almost platinum color. Over time the rhodium plating will wear away and what is left is a yellowish hue to the jewellery piece. It looks dingy, discolored and dull. I find, most times, cleaning the piece brings back a whiter look. I always use a cup of water with a teaspoon of any liquid with ammonia and detergent (e.g. Mr. Clean) and an old toothbrush. Scrub well, rinse, dry and wear.
Another alternative is to re-rhodium plate the piece as often as needed. A ring would need to be re-plated more often than earrings or a pendant.
There have been many advancements in alloys and white gold. Manufacturers are now making white gold pieces and guarantee they will not turn yellow over time and jewellery stores have these in stock or can order them for you. They are more expensive but worth it in the long run.
We use 18K. white gold from a refiner and have not had any problems with it turning yellow. Our customers have been extremely happy with the results and that is the most important part of my work. I have, however, often re-rhodium plated the engagement ring when I am designing the new wedding bands. This way the engagement ring looks as pristine as the new wedding bands.
Ask your jeweller about white gold that is guaranteed not to turn yellow. You won’t be disappointed.
Any questions? Feel free to as. Email me anytime. Ruth@UniversalJewellers.ca
