White gold is one of the most popular metals used in rings and other daily jewellery. Many are surprised that it’s worth just as much as yellow gold, even if the gold colours look very different from each other.
What Is White Gold?
White gold is not a different type of metal, it is an alloy made of yellow gold and other metals. The beautiful white colour is achieved by mixing yellow gold with palladium or nickel, for example.
Most white gold jewellery pieces are plated with rhodium to give them a durable and shiny surface. The white colour of white gold is just a cosmetic element, and as the plating wears down with time, the colour of the piece can turn a bit yellow. Unlike popular belief, the worn plating impacts neither the value or price of the item, since the purity of the gold still remains the same.
White Gold or Silver?
The colour can cause white gold to be mistaken for silver. White gold and silver look very similar, especially when white gold has a fresh rhodium plating and an even white colour.
To see the true differences between the metals, you have to look a bit closer on the inside or on the back of the jewellery piece. On white gold you can find purity marks 375, 585 or 750 that indicate how many parts of the piece are made of pure gold. On silver jewellery, on the other hand, you will most commonly see the mark 925, meaning 92.5% pure silver, or sterling silver, as it is more commonly called. If your jewellery pieces are missing marks or if the marks are very unclear, our gold experts can verify the material for you through intricate testing. The looks of the item does not tell the whole story; a necklace or ring that looks like silver can actually be white gold.
What Makes Up the Price of White Gold?
The price of white gold consists of the same three things as the price of yellow gold:
- Purity of the gold (karat)
- Weight of the item
- The current market price of gold
For example, 18 karat white gold consists of 75.0% pure gold and is worth the same as 18 karat yellow gold if the pieces weigh the same. The colour of white gold does not impact the value, only purity and weight can do that.
Even worn and broken jewellery are valuable. Scratches, wear and tear in the plating or other signs of use do not impact the value of white gold as a material.
Transform Your White Gold into Money
If you no longer have use for your white gold, you can easily transform it into money. Many save and store their old rings or necklaces in their drawers without knowing what the pieces actually are worth. Even small amounts of gold can have a surprisingly high value.
Bring your white gold to Gold Arthur for a private valuation completely free of charge. You get to see the whole process from start to end and choose yourself if you want to sell or not.
