One of the most frequently asked questions we answer is: what is white gold?
The basics to know about gold and carat weight
24-karat gold alloy = 999.99 / 1000 = 99.999% of pure gold in the alloy
18 carat gold alloy = 750/1000 = 75% of pure gold in the alloy
14 carat gold alloy = 585/1000 = 58.5% of pure gold in the alloy
9 carat gold alloy = 375/1000 = 37.5% of pure gold in the alloy
"White" gold (as well as "yellow" and "pink" gold) is an alloy of pure gold and other metals, with the percentages described above.
Pure gold, i.e. at 999.99 / 1000, is not very resistant to mechanical stress and therefore is linked to other metals such as copper and silver in different combinations, also to change its color thus creating alloys of yellow, pink and precisely gold. White.
Pure gold is intense yellow in color and to "whiten" it it is mixed with various white metals in nature, but the final effect is always yellowish.
In order to obtain an intense and lively white, rhodium-plating is carried out as the last phase of the finish, a galvanic process which places a layer of a few thousandths of a millimeter of Rhodium on the surface of the jewel, a noble white brilliant metal.
Needless to say, this layer is eroded with use and the color of the white gold below appears, but with a minimum expense that varies depending on the jewel it is possible to rhodium the object again making it return to its original splendor.
Curiosity : The white gold objects made up to a few years ago had a brighter white and less yellow before the rhodium plating. You will notice that the last objects purchased tend to "turn yellow" more easily than the older ones.
This happens because for some time some European regulations have banned the use of nickel beyond a few percentages. Nickel had a very strong whitening power, but since it can now use only a small percentage, the post-melting color is slightly more tending to yellow.