Yellow gold and white gold are the most common materials used in jewellery making, but how and why do they differ? Both are made from pure gold, but they differ in appearance and composition because different metals are mixed into the alloy.
Why Do Yellow and White Gold Look Different?
While making yellow gold, silver and copper are added to the pure gold to give the metal that well-known, classic and rich yellow colour. On the other hand, whiter materials like nickel and palladium are added to pure gold to create the cool, silvery tone of white gold.
White gold is also usually plated with rhodium, giving it a durable and shiny coating. This coating is one of the reasons it is so popular in jewellery making, as it resists wear and tear better than many other materials. The rhodium plating may still scratch or wear with time, giving older pieces of white gold jewellery a yellow-ish hue. Yellow gold has no equivalent coating so its colour persists through time, even in daily wear.
Value is Based on Purity, Not Colour
Many might think that the way gold looks also impacts its value, but colour does not matter. The intrinsic value of gold depends on how much pure gold the item contains. The price for both yellow and white gold is based on the spot value for gold, and colour has no influence on it at all.
For example, 18 karat white gold is worth just as much as yellow gold of the same purity. The value of gold does not change depending on colour, nor is it influenced by wear and tear, changes in colour, or other cosmetic defects.
What About Other Gold Colours?
In addition to yellow and white gold, other variations of gold are possible by adding other metals to the gold when the item is forged. For example, red and rosé gold get their red hue from copper mixed in with gold. Another much rarer example is green gold that instead of copper contains more silver and other base metals.
You can bring any type of gold to Gold Arthur, no matter the colour or how it looks. We evaluate the gold based on its fineness and are just as precise with gold pieces of any colour or composition. Book a private appointment and learn the true value of your jewellery.
