14K Nickel White Gold vs 18K Nickel White Gold

I am likely going to end up going with a 14K white gold setting. Here''s why:

- 14K white gold, due to more alloys, is slightly whiter than 18K white gold

- some say 14K white gold, due to more alloys, is stronger and therefore more durable than 18K white gold; but due to the difference mixtures of alloys in each there is some debate about that (see point below)

- 14K white gold has more alloys but actually has considerably less nickel than 18K white gold; since nickel causes at least a mild reaction over time in as many as 1 in 8 people the affect should therefore be less pronounced in 14K white gold than 18K white gold (though the lower nickel content is also why some say 14K gold is less or no more durable than 18K)

- 14K white gold is slightly cheaper than 18K

For me the deciding factors were the whiter colour of 14K white gold and the lower chance of a reaction to the nickel. Palladium white gold is another option, but it was harder to find in North America and it actually has some of its own problems; so my analysis is strictly on nickel white gold. (I wonder if the higher prevalence of 18K gold in Europe is also why they have stricter rules regarding nickel content in white gold; that is, 18K white gold has a higher nickel content and therefore may create more problems.)

How is my logic/analysis?

I've attached some photos I've collected comparing white golds and platinum. There are all sorts of problems with something like this, not the least of which is variance in lighting, camera settings, etc. It's only meant as a guide to help other PSers.

I love the pictures showing the different colors of metals thanks for sharing!

It is my understanding that 18k white gold is harder and/or stronger than 14k white gold.

Date: 5/15/2009 11:28:51 PM
Author: Erik Carlson GG
I love the pictures showing the different colors of metals thanks for sharing!

It is my understanding that 18k white gold is harder and/or stronger than 14k white gold.

Click to expand...

In most alloys 14K is harder to bend (but can be brittle) than 18K

I assumed that 18k had less nickel than 14k because 18k had a lesser percentage of alloy to gold, no?

In my experience, all the 14k rings I wear turn my finger green but none of my 18k rings do. I wonder why?

Date: 5/16/2009 4:08:41 AM
Author: shimmer
I assumed that 18k had less nickel than 14k because 18k had a lesser percentage of alloy to gold, no?


In my experience, all the 14k rings I wear turn my finger green but none of my 18k rings do. I wonder why?

Click to expand...

copper turns your finger green if your body chemistry reacts to it.
There is more copper in 14k than 18k

I would only get 18k white gold with palladium alloy. In my opinion, fine jewelry should be in 18k gold or platinum.

"I assumed that 18k had less nickel than 14k because 18k had a lesser percentage of alloy to gold, no?"

Actually, although 14K gold (white or otherwise) has more alloy than 18K, 14K white gold typically uses less nickel than 18K white gold (though again, it has more alloy in general). Also, I don't believe that 14K white gold has any copper.

Well, it's your choice, but my 18K white gold set is far whiter than any of my 14K white gold rings. The 14K white gold rings have required rhodium plating, the 18K still looks brand new over a year later. I don't know the alloy used for mine, it is a Beverley K set. I prefer very white metal with no patina.

I don''t have any experience with white gold, actual experience that is. But I wonder if it may be too early to judge your 18K white gold. The rhodium plating should last between 18 to 36 months, though there can be variance for a lot of reasons. So at this point you should still be seeing the rhodium and not yet seeing the white gold.

Yes, my 18K WG ring is newer. However, the 14K WG setting I had for just over 6 months required rhodium plating in that shorter time frame, and it still doesn''t look as white. It may very well have to do with the alloys used in Beverley K designs, I don''t know. I''m very fussy about seeing a yellow tint coming through, so I''m more likely to have something plated earlier than most people maybe. I find that 14K wg tends to look more like stainless steel sometimes. It''s hard to describe a "perceived" colour tint reallly.

That''s interesting and surprising, because from what I have read (and that obviously can be different from reality) if you properly plated a 14K white gold ring it should look exactly the same as a properly plated 18K gold ring in the beginning. That''s because you don''t see any of the gold, only the rhodium. In fact, it shouldn''t make a difference if it was platinum or silver underneath, you still shouldn''t be able to tell the difference.

Date: 5/15/2009 11:46:43 PM
Author: Garry H (Cut Nut)

Date: 5/15/2009 11:28:51 PM
Author: Erik Carlson GG
I love the pictures showing the different colors of metals thanks for sharing!

It is my understanding that 18k white gold is harder and/or stronger than 14k white gold.

Click to expand...

In most alloys 14K is harder to bend (but can be brittle) than 18K

Click to expand...

Garry H, why is 14K more brittle than 18K? Does that mean that 18K over time is more resilient as an engagement ring? Is it better to have an 18K engagement ring if the wearer goes to the pool a lot or does things with chemicals or it doesn''t really matter? On the same note, if the wearer is fairly active and doesn''t work with or around a lot of chemicals, would a 14K engagement ring be ok then? I''m helping a friend make a decision between a 14K or 18K engagement ring and he wants to make sure he gets the best ring for his future FI.

I prefer 18 karat white over 14 karat.

It seems a richer, more lustrous metal.

Although it''s softer than 14 karat, it''s not as brittle.

Hmm, according to this link below, 18k white gold is actually harder than 14k white gold on the Vickers scale. I''ve read that 18k white is harder and more scratch resistant than 14k white. Any of the experts know if this is true?

http://www.hooverandstrong.com/category/Casting+Grain+Specifications/

That chart shows the Vickers scale of hardness for all the metals.