Jul 2025
Jul 2025
What is White Gold and What are its Characteristics?
By StoneX Bullion
Gold jewellery comes in different colours, including yellow gold (i.e. pure gold), rose gold, green gold, and white gold. In this article, we’ll focus specifically on white gold, including what white gold is, its history, how much pure gold is in white gold, its advantages and disadvantages, and how white gold jewellery compares to platinum and silver jewellery.
What is white gold?
White gold is a man-made alloy that blends pure yellow gold with other white metals like palladium, silver, nickel, or zinc. Since pure gold is too soft and malleable on its own, this creates a more durable alternative that’s stronger and has a bright-white, lustrous shine.
There isn’t actually a specific formula for white gold and many goldsmiths use their own unique combination. But one common example is 18 karat white gold, which contains 75% pure gold and 25% other white-coloured metals.
The other feature of white gold is a process called rhodium plating. This involves adding a thin layer of rhodium, a rare, bright-white metal from the platinum family, to give white gold jewellery a brilliant, mirror-like shine and provide additional protection against scratches, tarnish, and everyday wear.
History of white gold
White gold is a fairly new addition to the world of jewellery, especially compared to yellow gold or silver. It first became popular in the 20th century. Before World War II, white or silver-toned jewellery was mostly made using platinum, which was prized for its natural brightness, strength, and elegance.
But during the war, platinum was needed to create everything from aircraft engines to weapons and military batteries. For that reason, governments, especially the United States, restricted its use for non-essential industries, which included jewellery. Jewellers needed an alternative to produce their white-coloured pieces, and that’s where white gold came in.
Jewellers alloyed traditional yellow gold with white metals like palladium and silver to create a paler metal that mimicked the appearance of platinum. To enhance the bright, silvery-white finish, they added a coating of rhodium.
Even after the war ended, white gold remained popular because it offered a similar look to platinum at a lower price point. That’s why we still see white gold everywhere today, for everything from engagement rings to wedding bands and diamond settings.
Why does white gold eventually start to look like yellow gold?
The rhodium coating that gives white gold its signature, silvery finish can slowly wear away to gradually reveal the yellowish tones of the gold alloy underneath.
How quickly this happens can depend on a few different factors, including:
- Your skin’s pH level
- Exposure to lotions, soaps, perfumes, and household chemicals
- How often you wear the jewellery.
When this happens, you can choose to leave the jewellery as is or have it re-plated with rhodium to give it that bright white shine again. Most jewellers will be able to re-plate your gold pieces for a fee.
Learn More: Gold Purity, Fineness, And Karat – What Is It And How To Check It
How much pure gold is in your white gold jewellery?
Even though white gold looks different, it’s still made from real yellow gold, although the actual gold content will differ depending on the item. If you want to know how much gold is in your white gold jewellery, you need to look at its karats.
Karats (abbreviated as ‘K’ or ‘kt’ and sometimes spelled ‘carat’) measure gold’s purity. In other words, how much of the metal is actual gold and how much is made up of other alloying metals like palladium, silver, or nickel.
Here’s how much gold there is depending on an item’s karats:
- 24K: 99.99% pure gold (too soft for most jewellery)
- 22K: 91.7% pure gold
- 18K: 75% pure gold
- 14K: 58.3% pure gold
- 10K: 41.7% pure gold (this is the legal minimum to be considered gold in some countries).
So if you own an 18K white gold ring, 75% of the ring’s weight will be from pure gold while the remaining 25% consists of other metals to enhance colour and durability.
You might also notice three-digit hallmarks stamped on your jewellery, like 750, 585, or 417. These are just another way to indicate purity:
- 750: 75% pure gold (18K)
- 585: 58.5% pure gold (14K)
- 417: 41.7% pure gold (10K).
Basically, an 18K gold item will always be made from 75% pure gold, whether it’s a white gold item or rose gold item.
See: 750 Gold Hallmark Stamp (18 Carat Gold) - All You Need to Know
Advantages and disadvantages of white gold
Let’s take a look at some of the pros and cons of white gold.
Advantages of white gold
Some of the advantages of white gold include:
- Elegant, modern look: White gold has a sleek and sophisticated look that suits a wide range of styles. Its cool tone gives it a platinum-like appearance at a more affordable price point, making it a great option for those seeking a modern alternative to yellow gold.
- Versatile: The neutral colour of white gold means it pairs beautifully with diamonds and coloured gemstones. It flatters all skin tones and can complement any outfit, making it a versatile and timeless option for both everyday life and special occasions.
- Durable & long-lasting: Because white gold is mixed with harder metals like palladium, nickel, or silver, it’s stronger and more resistant to scratches compared to pure gold, which is naturally soft and malleable.
- More affordable than platinum: White gold has a similar look to platinum but comes at a lower price point. This makes it a great option for those who want the luxurious look of platinum without the higher cost.
Disadvantages of white gold
Some of the disadvantages of white gold include:
- Requires maintenance: The rhodium plating that gives white gold its distinct bright, silvery finish wears away over time, revealing the slightly yellowish alloy underneath. If you want to keep the appearance of white gold, you’ll need to have your items re-plated every few years.
- Potential allergic reactions: Some white gold alloys contain nickel, which can cause skin irritation in people with sensitivities. If you have a nickel allergy, make sure to look for nickel-free white gold.
- Can feel less luxurious: While the platinum look of white gold feels luxurious to some people, others might feel differently, since it makes jewellery look less ‘golden’.
Is white gold worth more than yellow gold?
This really depends. There are several factors that can influence the overall value of a jewelry piece, including its purity, alloy metals, production costs, plating and more.
When it comes to purity, an 18K white gold ring will contain the same amount of gold as an 18K yellow gold ring. So they’d be worth the same in terms of gold content alone. But a higher karat white gold piece will usually be worth more than a lower karat yellow gold piece (e.g. an 18K white gold ring will be worth more than a 14K yellow gold ring). The opposite is also true.
The value of white gold also depends on what it’s mixed with, whether that’s palladium, nickel, or silver. These alloys vary in cost. For example, palladium is more expensive than nickel, so pieces made with palladium might carry a higher price tag.
Most white gold is plated with rhodium, which can also affect its value. If the rhodium layer is thick or recently applied, it can add value to the piece, especially considering rhodium’s high price in today’s market. Finally, white gold has a slightly more complex production process compared to yellow gold, so you might see white gold items priced higher than similar yellow gold items.
Learn More: What are Gold Hallmarks?
White gold vs platinum vs silver
If you’re interested in jewellery with a sleek, white-metal look, your main options will be white gold, platinum, or silver. But even though these metals look similar, they differ in many ways.
The table below compares white gold vs platinum vs silver:
WHITE GOLD | PLATINUM | SILVER | |
WHAT IT IS | Man-made alloy of yellow gold mixed with white metals like palladium, nickel, or silver | Naturally white, pure element that requires no alloying or plating to achieve its colour | Naturally white precious metal, most often used in the form of sterling silver (92.5% silver, 7.5% other metals – usually copper) |
APPEARANCE | Naturally has a slight yellow tint but is coated with rhodium to give it a brilliant white finish | Cool, white-grey metal with natural, long-lasting finish that doesn’t fade | Bright and shiny when polished, with a softer white tone than rhodium-plated white gold |
DURABILITY | Strong and well-suited for everyday wear | Extremely tough, dense, and resistant to wear | Softer and more prone to scratching compared to white gold or platinum |
MAINTENANCE | Requires periodic rhodium re-plating every few years to maintain its bright white shine | Minimal – it won’t lose its colour over time, though it can develop a subtle patina | Tarnishes easily and requires regular cleaning to maintain its shine |
PRICE | Generally more affordable than platinum but more expensive than silver | More expensive than both white gold and silver | Most affordable of the three metals |
BEST FOR | People who want the luxury look of platinum at a lower cost and don’t mind occasional upkeep | Heirloom-quality jewellery and those looking for durability, luxury, and low maintenance. | Casual or statement pieces where wear and tear is minimal (i.e. necklaces, earrings, and bracelets as opposed to wedding rings) |
See: Why You Should Consider Silver Investment
Buy investment-grade precious metals
White gold makes beautiful jewellery, but if you’re interested in gold investments, there’s no better option than 24-karat gold bullion bars and gold coins. At StoneX Bullion, we stock a wide range of high-purity gold bullion products from the best known mints around the world.
If it’s other precious metals you’re interested in, you’ll also find a range of investment-grade silver, platinum, and palladium products. Browse our selection and start growing your precious metals portfolio today.