What is white gold?

Much of our personalized jewelry is available in white gold. But what exactly is white gold? We explain the characteristics of white gold and list the benefits. That way you know what to expect, and you can choose your favorite shade of gold!

White gold: a beautiful precious metal

White gold is somewhat similar to silver in appearance. Yet there are differences. In fact, white gold is warmer and shinier than silver.

Thereby, silver is a softer material than gold. This means silver jewelry is more likely to bend or damage. Pure gold is also a fairly soft material that bends quickly. White gold is a very popular precious metal for earrings, necklaces, bracelets and more.

What exactly is white gold and how do you recognize white gold?

White gold is an alloy of 75% yellow gold and 25% palladium. Because a piece of jewelry is partially made of yellow gold, you can always see the yellow color show through a bit.

Therefore, white gold jewelry is rhodium-plated with a thin layer of rhodium, but what exactly is rhodium plating? Rhodium plating refers to the process by which we apply a thin layer of rhodium to white gold jewelry, giving it a bright white appearance.

A characteristic of white gold is its unique brilliance. When you hold this next to a silver piece of jewelry, you can see that an alloy of white gold has a warmer look.

Can white gold discolor?

The base of our jewelry is 18 karat solid yellow gold. A rhodium-plated layer provides the white gold color. Unfortunately, this rhodium-plated layer can wear a bit over time. In that case, the yellow gold color, with which the white gold jewelry is partially made, can be more prominent. This is a natural process.

Fortunately, we can re-rhodium your jewelry. This means that we apply a new layer of rhodium, bringing back the beautiful white gold color. The cost for this is €45. If your jewelry is still within warranty, we do not charge for this.

The code of white gold

When you look at jewelry, you frequently see a white gold code. An example is ”585 white gold.” This code indicates the content of gold in the jewelry. The code has 3 letters. ”835 white gold” means that your jewelry is 83.5% yellow gold. The remaining 16.5% consists of materials such as rhodium that provide the right color and hardness to the gold.

In short, the higher the white gold code is, the higher the percentage of pure yellow gold incorporated in the jewelry. So now you know what the white gold code means!

Carat and white gold code overview

The percentage of pure gold in jewelry is also shown in carats. To avoid confusion, we list the different white gold codes in combination with the number of carats associated with them.

Also read our blog article on what the difference is between 14, 18 and 24 karat gold by clicking on the link.

The value of white gold

The value of white gold varies. This is because there are many differences in white gold, such as the gold content or the materials used. Also, the value of white gold (like that of gold) is constantly changing due to global supply/demand for the precious metal. So the value of white gold can vary from day to day. This need not be a problem: the value of gold is fairly stable.

All our white gold jewelry is inspected by Waarborg Holland, receiving a gold hallmark. This confirms that the jewelry meets the Dutch requirements around precious metals. We recommend buying only jewelry with hallmarks of the white gold, as this assures you of the quality. And thus of the value of white gold.

Is white gold more expensive than gold?

It is generally believed that white gold is more expensive than yellow gold. This is because of the extra work our goldsmiths do when creating white gold jewelry, such as rhodium plating each piece. However, at Minitials, prices for both white gold and yellow gold jewelry are the same.

However, the price depends on several components. Similarly, the price varies according to whether more or less gold is incorporated into your jewelry. After all, small charms require less gold than larger ones.

What white gold jewelry do we offer at Minitials?

To give you an immediate idea of what white gold jewelry you can buy from Minitials, we have listed them for you below. At a glance you can see what the options are:

• White gold earrings
• White gold rings
• White gold necklaces
• White gold bracelets
• White gold charms

Most Minitials jewelry is fully customizable to your own taste and style. For example, choose to engrave an initial, name or date, or add various Minitials charms to your jewelry.

Handcrafted white gold jewelry

Minitials jewelry is made with craftsmanship by our goldsmiths. This entire process takes place in the Netherlands. The jewelry is made of 18 karat solid gold. Each copy bears the gold hallmark of Waarborg Holland.

This protects you as a consumer: in fact, the hallmark for white gold shows that the material meets the Dutch requirements and guidelines around precious metals. This is how we create the most beautiful jewelry together!