Rhodium Plating White Gold

Why is my white gold ring starting to look like yellow gold?

Often we hear clients complain that the white gold diamond ring they purchased elsewhere is beginning to look like yellow gold. Why is it, that their original very white gold ring looks so yellow? The simple answer is usually that the rhodium plating that was electroplated on the surface of the ring is beginning to wear off and they are now seeing the actual colour of their white gold. Electroplating rhodium on white gold is a common practice, rhodium is part of the platinum family and once applied to white gold it makes white gold look extremely white and bright. The problem is that over time it does wear off.

In nature, white gold does not exist. Instead, white gold is created by adding metal alloys to pure gold, which is very yellow in colour. Pure yellow gold is 24 karat or 0.999 % pure gold. White metals such as, but not limited to nickel, palladium, silver, zinc and manganese are added to pure gold to bleach it into white gold. The most important component of white gold is the quality of alloy to achieve an extremely white colour.

I have heard jewellers describe white gold and rhodium plating to someone getting their hair coloured to a different colour other than their own. Over time as hair grows and the hair colouring diminishes, hair has to be coloured once again. This does not have to be the case with white gold! High-quality alloys may cost more, but adding the best quality alloy ensures that your white gold is of the whitest colour. It is imperative that prior to purchasing white gold that the consumer asks to see what the white gold looks like prior to rhodium plating.

At Hempen Jewellers we are proud to offer the whitest of white gold. Visit our showroom to compare our 10k, 14k, 18k and 19k white gold prior to rhodium plating. Purchasing the whitest of white gold is a must! Once you are confident that you have purchased the whitest white gold, rhodium plating can be electroplated on the surface of your ring to add additional white and brightness.