White Gold, Rose Gold, and Yellow Gold: The Three Types of Gold

30 July 2020

Numerous civilisations have been incorporating gold as the prime symbol of wealth, goodness, wisdom, and eternity. Different cultures have also used gold items to wholeheartedly acknowledge the achievements of a person, a group, or an institution. Eternal vows and other associated traditions likewise maximise golden rings and other gold accessories as a symbol of commitment and devotion.

The lustrous yellow shades of this element have lured people for centuries to find and purchase the best one out there. As for the jewellery-making industry, there are three types of gold that jewellers and clients typically present and choose, respectively. 

White Gold

White gold is one of the three types of gold that is being used in making pieces of jewellery. It has a combination of pure gold and white metals like nickel, silver, and palladium, which are all coated and plated with rhodium. The rhodium plating of white gold makes it possess an ultra-white colour appearance. 

Adding other white metals into pure gold makes the gold more durable. The price value of white gold normally depends on the type and quantity of additional metals that are used to make the jewellery. However, this type of gold is usually more affordable than other gold types. White gold can also be complemented with white diamonds. People with fair or rosy skin tones can easily appreciate the classy appearance of white gold pieces of jewellery.

One drawback of white gold is that it must be dipped every few years for the retention of colour and lustre. It may also cause allergic reactions for some since there is white gold that is mixed with nickel.

Rose Gold

Rose gold is also a popular choice for making pieces of jewellery, especially rings, bracelets, and necklaces. It has a mixture of pure gold, copper, and silver alloys. The addition of copper and silver alloys allows the rose gold to obtain its signature rosy colour.

The signature pinkish-red colour of rose gold can typically be modified. When a rose gold has huge amounts of copper, then it would appear redder. The default percentage of copper in creating the right colour for rose gold is around 25%. But setting the colour aside, both the copper and silver alloys allow the rose gold to be more durable and robust than white gold and yellow gold. This material combination also helps prevent any tarnishing. Maintenance, however, is still required to preserve its properties.

Just like white gold, rose gold can also trigger allergic reactions among a few people. And while this type of gold is popular, the availability of rose gold can be limited.

Yellow Gold

Pieces of jewellery and other products that are made from yellow gold have a high selling value because of their overall composition. Yellow gold is comprised of pure gold and alloy metals like copper and zinc. The amount of gold present in yellow gold is typically represented by its Karat.

If a piece of yellow gold jewellery is set at 24 Karat, then it has 99.9% pure gold. 22 Karat yellow gold, on the other hand, has 91.7% pure gold. 14 Karat yellow gold has 75% pure gold. While a yellow gold with higher Karat amount has a purer gold content, it also means that the yellow gold will be less durable. Given this fact, most engagement and wedding rings only utilise yellow gold that ranges between 14 Karat to 18 Karat. One good thing, however, about yellow gold is that it is the most hypoallergenic of all three gold types.

Dents and scratches are the most common causes of yellow gold damages. So, ensure that it is polished and cleaned all the time. For more information about these types of gold, you can contact us at Ken Ross Jewellers.

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