Is White Gold on the Way Out?

[Texas Leaguer]

Are there 10k white gold alloys that don’t need plating?

Good question. You would think so since the yellow gold content is low. It may also be a case of a person's tolerance for a slightly off white appearance (compared to the luster of rodium). We have occassionally had customers that requested that we not plate their white gold items.

 

[Dreamer_D]

Good question. You would think so since the yellow gold content is low. It may also be a case of a person's tolerance for a slightly off white appearance (compared to the luster of rodium). We have occassionally had customers that requested that we not plate their white gold items.

There are white gold alloys in 14k that are very very bright white without plating I thought?

 

[Lookinagain]

There are white gold alloys in 14k that are very very bright white without plating I thought?

I have 14k bright white gold from DK that doesn't need plating. Not sure what mix of alloys he uses. But I think it's mentioned in a few threads. However, I change my rings frequently, so don't know what would happen if it was something that I wore everyday. But also (gasp) i don't take my rings off for many things so when I do wear them, they get "used".

 

[Tonks]

I have this saved with regard to alloys and color. Can’t remember where it originated—maybe @yssie ?

 

[MissGotRocks]

@Texas Leaguer, do the increased metal prices have anything to do with the recent price increase of the tennis bracelets? Just wondering as diamond prices seem to be decreasing a bit. There are still folks around here thinking about tennis bracelets!

 

[Asscherhalo_lover]

It depends on the piece for me. Whichever metal is best. I will say I've had rings with both and I personally did not enjoy the heavy dings on the platinum band I had made. My current ring is white gold and because of the "tri wire" effect the rhodium is holding up very well with minimal wear. I've had it for a few years now and with daily wear have still not had the urge to "dip" it. No maintenance needed. I only see myself with platinum again if there is engraving involved.

 

[Mrsz1ppy]

My MIL married in 1954 and had her wedding ring made entirely of rhodium! Never have heard of another one.

 

[LilAlex]

My MIL married in 1954 and had her wedding ring made entirely of rhodium!

That must be worth a fortune!

My mom's band was palladium because there was a jeweler/metalsmith in the family (IIRC) and I think it was the cheapest. My parents had zero money when they met and married, and neither family had anything more than that.

I love white metals and YG. I am not a fan of rhodium plating (too shiny and chrome-like) and prefer unplated WG, especially 18K palladium WG (which Inken introduced me to) which has a lovely brownish cast. That said, I'm sure I have seen a million rings in plated WG that I loved -- I just might not use this as the design choice if I were starting with a clean sheet of paper. I agree with @Bron357 that platinum is a bit grayish and I have used it once or twice for this very reason in a matte finish which I think is a great almost-gunmetal look for a man's ring.

I would try not to go lower than 18K because that alerts future wearers that somebody cared about this and the colored stones are less likely to be junk. At the gram-weight of metal used in a ring, the difference among any of these is tiny so why go with 14K or lower for a custom project? My heaviest rings are 25 grams and, with gold close to $80/g, that's a ~ $300 difference between 14K and 18K.

I don't even think most jewelry buyers know about spot metal pricing and, as others have pointed out, inertia or volatility has kept vendors from adjusting their platinum vs. gold pricing. A few of us have noticed some attractive pricing on heavy gold chains, etc., as gold price escalated lately.

 

[Texas Leaguer]

@Texas Leaguer, do the increased metal prices have anything to do with the recent price increase of the tennis bracelets? Just wondering as diamond prices seem to be decreasing a bit. There are still folks around here thinking about tennis bracelets!

Unfortunately, the 25% rise in the price of gold this year has resulted in many of our suppliers and vendors raising prices. Since tennis bracelets are pretty metal intensive, they have increased more than some other items.

 

[MissGotRocks]

Unfortunately, the 25% rise in the price of gold this year has resulted in many of our suppliers and vendors raising prices. Since tennis bracelets are pretty metal intensive, they have increased more than some other items.

Thanks - makes sense and that was what I was thinking after this thread.

 

[Alistair Stillwell]

With platinum now being more budget-friendly than gold and boasting superior properties, do you think consumers will shift their preference to platinum wedding rings, or will the traditional allure and current high price of gold keep it as the preferred choice?

 

[SouthernGent]

Are there any cost-effective alternatives to yellow gold?

 

[Happytobemrsg]

I have this saved with regard to alloys and color. Can’t remember where it originated—maybe @yssie ?

Looking at this photo, my rose gold Cartier bracelets look closest to 14k yellow gold!

I really dislike silver/white gold on me because of how bright it is.

I have always stuck to Cartier/T&Co peachy rose gold or 18k yellow gold (one solid piece, the rest plated/vermeil). The peachy rose gold looks best on me. I always avoided platinum (except on my wedding set which was determined by my husband) because I thought it was dull and too grey. I recently bought a platinum EC pendant I saw in a jewellery store many years ago and it is stunning. The chain sparkles and the setting disappears. I love the weight to it & feels very luxe. The greyer tones with the simplicity of a EC diamond feel quite edgy vs the feminine feel I get from my rose gold pieces. I like it so much that if I were to add another bracelet to my Cartier stack I think it would be a non-diamond (& there non-rhodium plated) small Love. I’m currently in the process of making a dbty type pendant which will be in a peachy rose gold to switch out with my platinum pendant. It’s good to have options depending on the vibe you’re going for.