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.

Nickel, copper, silver, zinc, and palladium are the most common metals used to make alloys. Of these, nickel, zinc or palladium are combined, often with copper, to create jewelry white gold. To create white gold, these metals effectively bleach the gold to a greyish white. Palladium is the most effective, unfortunately it is also the most expensive - more expensive than gold itself.

By using a combination of these metals you can control the degree of whiteness and hardness of the jewelry white gold. Rings are a good example as they need to look good whilst maintaining their shape for decades. Alloys that can easily be worked into rings are generally a combination of gold, silver, copper and palladium.

A ring may contain 75% gold, 4% silver, 4% copper and 17% palladium. This would result in an 18 carat jewelry white gold that is hard wearing and very platinum looking.

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.

Cheaper versions of jewelry white gold are being produced these days and they range in color from dull grey through to a sickly yellow. To give life to this cheap white gold, the finished product is rhodium plated. This turns the sickly looking metal into a highly polished platinum looking product.

After three or four years the rhodium starts to wear off and the original color of the cheaper white gold alloy shows. A great piece of jewelry starts to look cheap within days.

Jewelry white gold, like platinum, is actually grey when made. It is the rhodium that provides the white finish. Modern grades of white gold are better suited to jewelry making than platinum due to its easier workability. Platinum is a tough metal to shape in comparison to jewelry white gold.

Jewelry white gold is popular amongst trendy young professionals. It provides all the richness of platinum at a much lower cost. For a rich experience in fine gold jewelry - consider quality jewelry white gold.