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White gold is an alloy combining pure 24k yellow gold with white metals like nickel, palladium, and silver. Jewelers create it by melting and mixing these metals at extremely high temperatures (around 1,945°F) in a crucible, then pouring the molten mixture into molds to cool.
White gold alloy’s composition varies by karat with 9k white gold being the whitest and 18k white gold having the most yellow gold content and least white metal content.
Any non-plated white gold alloy has a yellowish tint stemming from its pure gold content, so rhodium plating is applied to achieve the desired bright white appearance and add scratch resistance and durability.
This plating typically needs renewal every 1-3 years with normal level of wear and tear.
What is White Gold and How is it Made (Step by Step)?
White gold is a popular gold alloy made of yellow gold and white metals such as nickel, palladium, and silver. This gold alloy is perennially popular among both jewelry connoisseurs and amateurs alike and you can find almost any type of jewelry made with white gold of various purity.
Here’s how professional jewelers make white gold (step by step).
First, the jeweler gets pure, melted 24k gold to include in the white gold alloy. Second, they add melted whitish metals like platinum, palladium, nickel and silver.
Third, they melt and mix the metals to make white gold. The metals are alloyed at extremely high temperatures (around 1,945°F / 1,063°C for gold) in a crucible. They’re then thoroughly mixed to ensure uniform distribution.
Fourth, the molten alloy is poured into molds or cast into bars, and then allowed to cool and solidify.
Fifth and final step is adding rhodium plating to the nearly-finished white gold jewelry item. This is necessary because white gold without rhodium has a slightly yellowish or grayish tint to it and many people don’t like it.
Rhodium helps white gold achieve that desired bright white appearance people crave when shopping white gold jewelry. It also adds durability and scratch resistance as it’s an extremely hard noble metal (rhodium boasts a 6.0 score on the Mohs scale of mineral hardness).
The optional sixth step is rhodium replating of white gold jewelry. This usually happens after 1-3 years of wear and tear.
Note: white gold’s exact metal composition varies based on whether the jeweler is making 9k, 14k or 18k white gold.
All plated versions of white gold are equally white as their rhodium coating gives them color uniformity. However, beneath the coating 9k white gold is twice as white as 18k white gold as it only has 50% of yellow gold content compared to 18k gold.
14k white gold falls in the middle of the two in terms of color.
Here’s a table showing you a typical metal alloy compositions for 9k, 14k and 18k white gold variants.
| White gold alloy | Gold content | Palladium or silver content | Nickel content | Copper content | Zinc content | Rhodium coating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9k | 37.5% | 22.5% | 10% | 10% | 20% | Yes |
| 14k | 58.5% | 11.5% | 6% | 20% | 4% | Yes |
| 18k | 75% | 5% | 5% | 12% | 3% | Yes |
Hey, you’re reading about white gold alloy composition and how it’s made. This means you like white gold which means you like gold, especially in coin and bar form.
Check this out next if I’m right and if you’re a proud American curious about investing in gold and other precious metals.
is it Possible to Turn White Gold into Yellow Gold?
Yes, it’s possible to turn white gold into yellow gold. However, it’s an intricate process that only a professional jeweler with the right tools can do correctly.
First, the jeweler melts the white gold alloy. Second, they remove the rhodium plating. Third, they remove all non-gold metals.
Fourth, they re-alloy the gold with different metals to increase the yellow color and boost the alloy’s durability as pure gold is a highly malleable and ductile precious metal.
The jeweler then solidifies and reshapes the jewelry.
And that’s how to turn white gold into yellow gold.
What is White Gold Vermeil Made of? How is it Made?
White gold vermeil is composed of a sterling silver base (92.5% silver and 7.5% copper) electroplated with a thick layer (at least 2.5 microns) of white gold. Rhodium coating is added to the white gold layer to increase it’s shine, brightness and durability.
White gold vermeil is made through a technique called electroplating or electro-deposition.
- A piece of jewelry is crafted from solid 925 sterling silver, polished, and cleaned.
- The silver piece is submerged in a solution containing gold ions. An electrical current is used to deposit a thick layer of white gold (at least 2.5 microns) onto the silver.
- To get the bright, silvery-white look, the piece is often plated with rhodium, which provides a protective barrier and a white finish.
- The jewelry is polished again to ensure a smooth, shiny finish.
Hey, you’re reading about white gold alloy composition and how it’s made. This means you like white gold which means you like gold, especially in coin and bar form.
Check this out next if I’m right and if you’re a proud American curious about investing in gold and other precious metals.
What is White Gold Made of? How is it Made? Conclusion
White gold is an alloy of pure 24k yellow gold mixed with white metals like nickel, palladium, or silver, created by melting and combining them at high temperatures.
The resulting alloy has a yellowish tint, so it’s finished with rhodium plating to achieve the desired bright white color and add scratch resistance. White gold typically needs to be re-plated every 1-3 years, depending on the level of wear and tear.
References:
- How White Gold Is Made and What Makes It Special- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FFP0funToM
Nikola Roza
Nikola Roza is a blogger behind Nikola Roza- SEO for the Poor and Determined. He writes for bloggers who don't have huge marketing budget but still want to succeed. Nikola is passionate about precious metals IRAs and how to invest in gold and silver for a safer financial future. Learn about Nikola here.
