Gold Wedding Rings

The brides and grooms exchange wedding rings on the day of matrimony while taking marriage vows. This is because many individuals consider this as a way of expressing love, trust, promise, and companionship. The wedding ring is generally worn on ring finger of the left hand. A wedding ring is different from an engagement ring and may be made of gold, platinum, titanium, and even white gold.

Individuals largely go for gold rings, as this material is known for its durability. Materials like copper and brass are not used very often as they lack durability and have a tendency to deteriorate.

Gold is available in both yellow as well as in form of white gold. Research has indicated that white gold is gaining popularity, because it is a bit cheaper than real gold and is the apt substitute as compared to any other material. The only drawback is that white gold wedding rings are only available in 14 k or 18 k styles.

Couples can also opt for mixture of two or more alloys along with gold to create a special and inexpensive wedding ring. Gold can be combined with platinum and studded with a diamond on the top. Some individuals also prefer stylish engraved wedding rings that are made out of gold. The engravings could be either the family's name or the name of the bride's and groom's. They also may contain certain words articulating the thoughts and feelings of the giver. Such engraved wedding rings often become family heirlooms and are passed on to the future generations, hence, should be carefully handled. Wedding rings should be cleaned regularly with a soap and water solution to keep them sparkling clean all the time.

Many online retailers display beautiful gold design wedding rings for the viewers, so they can have a look at all the varieties available with the seller and determine whether the seller permits made-to-order rings. A small description of the material with its weight, make and name of additional metal, if any, is also mentioned along with its picture.

By Peter Emerson

White Gold Promise Rings

A promise ring is a ring that is given as a promise between two people. This promise need not mean a promise that leads to marriage. White gold promise rings can be exchanged as a sign of friendship, a sign of purity in the relationship between two people, or to signify a promise to oneself to abstain from vices until a certain date.

Basically, white gold is an alloy of gold with a mix of nickel, zinc, copper, tin and manganese. Nowadays, white gold jewelry is sometimes even plated with rhodium. The main reason white gold was developed was to imitate platinum during World War II. This was mainly because platinum was then considered a strategic material and was not allowed to be used in non-military applications like jewelry making. White gold is now one of the foremost metals used in the manufacture of jewelry. The advantage of white gold promise rings over gold promise rings is that these rings can have more articulate designs on them since white gold is more malleable than gold; this malleability allows two friends to easily inscribe sweet wordings.

Another advantage of white gold over gold is that it is less expensive than regular gold. It is a form of gold, but at a lower rate. So if money is an important factor while buying a promise ring, it is better to go for the white gold promise rings as they are less expensive, but are still a proud member of the gold metal family!

By Richard Romando

White Gold Wedding Ring

Wedding is the most important moment in everyone's life. Talk of wedding and the next thing you would remember is a wedding ring. It is used as a part of the wedding ritual. Exchanging a wedding ring is a symbolic representation of a bond between the couple. The moment when the ring is exchanged is very important and dear to the couple. Most of the couples exchange and engagement ring at the time of the engagement. Thus after the marriage the wedding ring is worn along with the engagement ring. The wedding ring is usually worn on the base of left ring finger. In some countries of the world it is worn on the right ring finger also.

A wedding ring is also known as a wedding band. It is always made of a precious material such as gold, silver or platinum. Choosing the material is a major decision to be made when you buy a wedding ring. The major factors that are involved in choosing the material are the cost and design of the ring.

One of the most preferred wedding rings is white gold wedding ring. White gold is an alloy of gold and at least of one of the white metals such as nickel or palladium. The white gold alloy of gold and nickel is usually preferred for rings as it is stronger. The best quality of white gold available is of 17 carat's made of gold and palladium alloy.

White gold rings have variety of designs for you to choose from. If you wish to have a simple ring you can choose a wedding band. This will be a plain ring with no design or stonework on it. The most simple and charming designs of all rings. In case you would like to have some artistic design work then you may choose rings with some handwork in them.

Choosing a diamond ring should be a good option for your life partner. A diamond is forever and has its own charm in a ring. Diamond stone work in a white gold ring should be a wonderful choice.

Visit any of the jewelry shops and you can find lots of designs of white gold rings. You will be having plenty of choices to choose from. Another option that you have is to use the Internet. You would get a fair idea of the latest fashion, design and even the cost of the rings. Thus you can be prepared well when you want to buy the ring.

There is no rule that the two rings must be of the same design. You can have different types of rings for the bride and the bridegroom. Before you choose the wedding ring design it is important to choose it keeping in mind your taste. The wedding ring is to be worn for a long time and hence you need to buy a ring that you like and love to wear it.

Take a while and choose the best wedding ring that would live with you for years to come.

By Uttoran Sen

18k White Gold 5.07 ct. Oval Diamond Ring, (5.56 cttw), Size 7

Product Description

This exquisite diamond ring is crafted in 18 karat white gold and holds a lavish 5.07 carat oval center diamond. The dazzling center stone is near colorless (H color) and has a minimum clarity of I1. It's cradled in a four-prong setting and framed by round diamonds, with additional round diamonds enhancing the graceful split shank. There are 56 accent diamonds altogether (.56 cttw, I color, I1 clarity). The lines of this ring are simple and graceful, while the opulence of the diamonds elevates the design to luxury status. This is definitely a ring to be noticed.

18 karat white gold is a beautiful and flattering precious metal for diamond jewelry. This luxurious metal has a wonderful white color and luster that complements the clear brilliance of diamonds. 18k gold is 75% pure 24 karat gold, with the remaining percentage being alloy metals that add strength. 18k has a lustrous white color, and a slightly heavier weight than 14k. Its durability makes it well-suited for a diamond ring that will be worn everyday. As a precious metal, 18k will naturally patina, or scratch lightly on the surface, but the original bright polished luster can be maintained through an occasional cleaning and polishing.

The Truth About Gold Jewelry

Without a doubt, Gold is one of the world’s most precious metals. It is also a certainty that gold enjoys an unsurpassed popularity as a medium for jewelry expression. Both jewelry artisans and consumers alike are "in love" with gold. There seems to be no end to the range of colors, finishes and styles available and gold remains a perennial favorite setting for gemstones.

Gold can last forever, will not corrode or rust and can be found anywhere. Gold exists in plants, rivers, oceans, mountains, it’s nearly everywhere but it is extremely difficult and costly to extract this amazing metal. Did you know that a single ounce of gold can be pulled into a thin wire that stretches nearly five miles long? An artisans hammer can work that same ounce into a very thin sheet that can cover a 10ft x 10ft(100sq. ft.) area. Also, it takes nearly 3 tons of gold or to extract a single ounce of pure gold. Well if you didn’t now you know!

Gold Basics

The word Gold, used by itself, means all gold or 24 karat (24K) gold. Because 24K gold is soft, it’s usually mixed with other metals to increase its hardness and durability. If a piece of jewelry is not 24 karat gold, the karat quality should accompany any claim that the item is gold.

The karat quality marking tells you what proportion of gold is mixed with the other metals. Fourteen karat (14K) jewelry contains 14 parts of gold, mixed in throughout with 10 parts of base metal. The higher the karat rating, the higher the proportion of gold in the piece of jewelry.

Most jewelry is marked with its karat quality, although marking is not required by law. Near the karat quality mark, you should see the name of the U.S. registered trademark of the company that will stand behind the mark. The trademark may be in the form of a name, symbol or initials. If you don’t see a trademark accompanying a quality mark on a piece of jewelry, look for another piece.

Solid gold refers to an item made of any karat gold, if the inside of the item is not hollow. The proportion of gold in the piece of jewelry still is determined by the karat mark.

Jewelry can be plated with gold in a variety of ways. Gold plate refers to items that are either mechanically plated, electroplated, or plated by any other means with gold to a base metal. Eventually, gold plating wears away, but how soon will depend on how often the item is worn and how thick the plating is.

Gold-filled, gold overlay and rolled gold plate are terms used to describe jewelry that has a layer of at least 10 karat gold mechanically bonded to a base metal. If the jewelry is marked with one of these terms, the term or abbreviation should follow the karat quality of the gold used (for example, 14K Gold Overlay or 12K RGP). If the layer of karat gold is less than 1/20th of the total weight of the item, any marking must state the actual percentage of karat gold, such as 1/40 14K Gold Overlay.

Gold electroplate describes jewelry that has a layer (at least .175 microns thick) of a minimum of 10 karat gold deposited on a base metal by an electrolytic process. The terms gold flashed or gold washed describe products that have an extremely thin electroplating of gold (less than .175 microns thick). This will wear away more quickly than gold plate, gold-filled or gold electroplate.

Vermeil (ver-may), a special type of gold plated product, consists of a base of sterling silver that is coated or plated with gold.

By Sam Serio

White Gold

White Gold began gaining popularity in the early 1900’s as an alternative to platinum. Platinum was steadily becoming more fashionable, but because of its rarity many could not afford it. Then, during World War II the government put a ban on the use of Platinum for any non-military functions and the demand for White Gold skyrocketed.

The most common alloys added to gold to produce white gold are nickel, palladium and silver. Most white gold jewelry is also given an electroplated rhodium coating to intensify brightness.

Throughout this process, white gold retains many of the benefits of gold. It won’t tarnish and due to the metals added, it is stronger than its yellow counterpart.

Recently, palladium has replaced nickel as the common alloy in white gold. It seems that a small percent of the population-approximately 12-15%-has an allergic reaction to nickel causing skin irritation and rashes. It is now required by law that jewelry pieces containing nickel be labeled “nickel-containing.”

By Sarah Cobler

Choosing Personalized Gold Jewelry

It's always hard to decide on what personalized gold jewelry to give to a loved one. Gold jewelry is something that will be treasured for a long time, so it is very important to go for a good piece of jewelry. You always want to have the finest piece of gold jewelry. How does one ensure this? Here are a few tips:

Get only jewelry from a company or Internet store that you can trust. This is very important since many people expect to get good quality pieces from companies that do not have a good reputation. You should also seek the help of a specialist that can help you in providing a wide range of personalized gold jewelry.

Researching on the company can also help you in determining if the company is good enough to be trusted. If the company is associated with a professional trade group, then perhaps it is a good source of personalized gold jewelry.

Ask for guarantees or warranties. You can seek for details of their return policy to help you understand your rights especially in case you find out that the jewelry has a defect, or is not the type of jewelry you expected.

Do not hesitate to spend significantly for quality jewelry. Do not fall for the trap of getting discounted prices because more often than not, the items are of sub-par quality. Also remember that indication of gold, such as 24K which stands for pure gold, 18K which means 75 percent gold, and so on. The other percentage means they are made up of different materials that aim to strengthen and add form to the jewelry.

Don't be hasty. Do your rounds to make sure that you get the best deal in the market. Consult gold jewelry stores and make a comparison of their items even before you make a decision on what to buy. You can also look into the design, engravings, and the finish of the jewelry item before deciding on what to buy.

In case you are buying for another person, do not forget to note their ring size, wrist size, ankle size, or neck size. Whether you are buying a gold necklace or earring, you have to know their sizes so that the item will fit with them nicely.

By Jennifer Gold

White Gold Jewelry: Why It's Stunning!

I heard about white gold a few years ago and remember how intrigued I was to hear about an alternative to traditional yellow gold.

White gold jewelry is great because it looks fresh. It is quite neutral and understated and thus looks great on most people, which you cannot say about traditional yellow gold. Sometimes traditional gold does not quite fit with a person’s character because it is bold and quite charismatic. However, as I said with white gold jewelry, it is understated and thus should suit almost anybody. While gold jewelry will also fit with most of your clothes. Again, the reason for this boils down to its neutral color. Traditional yellow gold is bold and probably will not compliment your appearance if you are wearing a t-shirt and jeans, for example. This also means that you can only wear your yellow gold jewelry on certain occasions for when dressed a certain why. Again, white gold looks great on you no matter what you’re wearing.

Another great attribute of white gold jewelry is that it looks great when encrusted with diamonds or precious stones. The neutral white gold will draw attention to the diamond or precious stone and will add an element of mystery and intrigue to the piece of jewelry. Traditional gold can also capture this aura, but personally I think that white gold does it best.

So, if you are looking for jewelry, go with white gold! It is fresh, looks great on anybody, compliments your clothing, and arouses intrigue and curiosity.

By Hein Kok

Should You Buy White Gold Or Platinum?

I hear the same question time and time again. "They both look the same, so what's the difference?" Its true, white gold and platinum jewellery do look the same yet white gold is much cheaper than platinum. But before you rush to choose white gold, know the facts:

"I thought gold was yellow?" It is. The gold that is used to make jewellery is almost always not 100% pure. You may have heard the term "carat" to describe the purity of gold. This measure is a scale out of 24 where 24 carat is pure gold. 9 carat gold is thus 37.5% pure gold and 18 carat gold is 75% pure gold. The rest of the metal is actually a mixture of alloys. Gold is very soft and the alloys mixed with it helps make the metal harder. With white gold, white alloys are used to mix with the pure gold, and the result is a pale yellow metal. This pale yellow metal is then coated with Rhodium which is a very hard, expensive and white metal. The result is a bright white metal - white gold.

Platinum, on the other hand, is a metal that is naturally white. Platinum is rarer than gold, heavier, much harder and used in a purer form (usually 95%). Platinum is therefore much more expensive than gold.

The advantages of white gold over platinum when used in jewellery is that it is much more affordable. However, you may need to re-coat the item in Rhodium once or twice a year as wear and tear rubs away the coating and the pale, dull yellow gold becomes visible.

Platinum jewellery is initially more expensive, but it can be argued is more cost effective in the long run as when it scratches or becomes worn, it does not need to be re-coated.

Therefore, my metal of choice for jewellery is platinum. It does not only feel more substantial (as is heavier than gold), it is rarer and also more practical. Besides, when you buy an expensive piece of diamond jewellery, you want to know that you have bought the best!

By Gary Ingram

White Gold Diamond Engagement Ring

If you decide for a classic and traditional look on an engagement ring you can opt for a diamond with a gold band. But to add a little twist to it, you can choose a white gold diamond engagement ring.

White gold is actually the result of an alloy that is added with a white metal. This metal may be palladium or nickel and this gives it the white and slight yellow tinge to it.

Like gold, white gold is also measured in carats. The best carat for making a white gold diamond engagement ring is 18 carat white gold which is combined with palladium, meanwhile a 14 carat white gold will not have the enough strength to hold precious stones thus; it can be used for other types of jewelry like for plain bracelets, rings or pendants.

To achieve a radiant color for a white gold diamond engagement ring, the band is covered with a hard metal, rhodium. This coat will eventually thin in years of use. But this can easily be solved by having the band of the white gold diamond engagement ring re-plated at any local jewelry store.

The price of this engagement ring depends on the purity and carat weight both of the band and the diamond itself. The way the ring is constructed and designed will also determine how much the engagement ring would cost.

White gold will not easily corrode or tarnish and is rust-free but with constant use, it may appear dull overtime. To care for your white diamond engagement ring, just use a baby toothbrush, warm water and a detergent free soap. You also have to make a conscious effort to remove your ring when cleaning and using harsh chemicals.

The nicest thing about white gold is the elegance it exudes in spite of its simplicity. Its beauty and elegance is not defined by the expensive nature or the price of it but how the stones are placed, and how they jive with the diamonds, and therefore the white gold allows them to shimmer. Furthermore, the white gold sparks up the curiosity of why it is special and therefore becomes intriguing, unlike gold.

The woman who is bound to wear a white gold diamond engagement ring is a woman who is far from ordinary. The ring will surely sum up how she is and how special she is to the man who gave it and who apparently is the one who promised a lifetime of love.

By Alice Sy

Why White Gold Rings Are A Great Choice

You will have unlimited option when it comes to deciding on wedding rings, or other important rings. You can choose from thousands of styles and types of rings. The type of metal you can use is also an option that you have to decide on. Sterling silver, gold, and titanium are the usual type of metal that people choose for their rings. However, you should not forget that you can also choose white gold rings for any special occasion or meaning.

Gold is considered as the traditional metal for wedding bands but some people simply don’t like the look of it. This metal is not very strong in its purest form which means that it can be bent or chipped rather easily. This is why people with active lifestyles or labor-intensive jobs do not like to wear gold jewelry. Gold rings can often be destroyed or marred by common day-to-day activities.

Silver is also a popular choice but it can tarnish easily. Some people cannot wear it because the skin under their rings turning green, and black in some cases. You should consider white gold rings if gold and silver are to not to your liking.

You can purchase white gold rings on the shops that sell jewelry. You should ask the jeweler to see what they have, and ask them about how to care for white gold before you decide it is something you want. You can also check out online outlets to find white gold jewelry at a cheaper price.

White gold can also be used for necklaces, bracelets, and earrings. The price for white gold rings is inexpensive if you compare it to other precious metals such as gold or titanium. You will get durability and the look of silver without having to
fear a green ring of skin under your ring when you go for white gold rings.

You have to be careful to choose the ones that are priced right when you look for white gold rings. You may not be getting white gold rings if you find something with a price that is half as much as most jewelers. Dishonest sellers often sell lesser products that never last very long, and often cause skin reactions.

By Morgan Hamilton

The Beauty of White Gold Engagement Ring

Indeed, rings—regardless of its kind—are beautiful and stunning. Depending on your purpose, rings are always valuable and sentimental.

Through the years, the use of rings has always been associated with weddings and engagements. And among the so many types and kinds of rings that have emerged over time, one of most popular choices of brides and grooms is gold.

Today, wanting to veer away from the traditional color of yellow in gold, more and more couples choose white gold diamond rings for their engagement. The contemporary beauty of white gold diamond engagement rings never fail to get the attention of countless future brides and grooms out there because it exudes elegance, simplicity, modernism and power all at the same time.

If you are already looking forward to wearing a precious white gold diamond engagement ring on your finger, then you might as well do a little research about it before finally purchasing it.

According to countless surveys, gold is the most common—not to mention, popular—choice of most couples for their wedding or engagement rings. Gold can either be white golf or yellow gold. Common standards dictates that fine gold jewelry should be mounted in either 14-karat (K) or 18 karat (K) gold.

The 18-karat gold should consist of 18 parts pure gold combines with 6 parts other metals while the 14-karat gold has 14 parts pure gold with 10 parts of other metals. In case of couples looking for their wedding or engagement rings, it is very important that they decide how many karats of they want in a gold mount or shank because it will set the budget and determine some minor advantages and disadvantages.

In market, white gold is more preferable compared to yellow gold. It is also usually harder that’s why it can last for longer period of time. White gold is usually more recommended for a diamond ring mount than yellow gold because it doesn’t wash off after years of use.

Although gold yellow appeals because of its glow and bright finish, more and more soon-to-wed couples prefer the simplicity and elegance of white gold in their diamond engagement rings.

If you are looking for a valuable and reliable mount for your diamond, then you should settle for an 18-K white gold because it is harder and its resistance against scratches is greater compared to other metals. An 18-K white gold is also recommended compared 14-K white gold because it has whiter color. Also, it doesn’t require rhodium in its plate to hide any discoloration that is common to 14-K white gold.

By Low Jeremy

Gold Diamond Engagement Rings

Jewelry is unique; a consumer product one may say but is an engagement ring, or a wedding band, or a vivid color gemstone jewelry gift presented by the beloved, really a consumer product. People would argue that nobody really needs jewelry or for that matter any subset of jewelry such as rings, pendants, bracelets, bands, gemstones, diamonds but find me a soul who would not like jewelry; you would not find one such individual who does not appreciate jewelry.

A diamond reflects true expression of love. Angara engagement rings are fabricated with high level of precision studded with superior quality diamonds, which have their own beauty. Angara has an array of designer engagement rings to select from and serves as one of the prime online source of diamond engagement rings, diamond rings, gold engagement rings, platinum engagement rings, yellow gold engagement rings, white gold engagement rings, ruby engagement rings, emerald engagement rings, sapphire engagement rings, diamond wedding rings, gold wedding rings, gold diamond rings and engagement diamond rings. Engagement rings are ideal for your special moment in life. Elegance is reflected in every design on display. Our Designs vary from contemporary to modern and unique engagement rings, which are as per the trend. The Diamonds, we stud in our Jewelry, are Certified.

The exquisite Diamond Jewelry collection is for online shoppers, those who buy diamond jewelry for all time wear as well as for different occasions. Our jewelry range comprises of gold engagement rings, diamond rings, diamond earrings, diamond necklaces, diamond pendants, diamond engagement rings, diamond wedding bands, diamond bracelets, gold diamond charms, baby jewelry, journey jewelry, and more.

By Nand Kishore

Why Invest in Gold and the Many Ways to Invest in Gold

The price of gold itself is up over 50% from its lows in 1999. Graded gold coins are up 70% in the last three years. Futures and options on gold have soared. Who knows how many thousands of percent you'd have made by investing in gold?

There are many major factors that make gold a great investment right now. Gold coin sale is still cheap, while stocks are expensive. In January of 1980, both the Dow Industrials and the price of gold were at the same level: 800. Now, nearly 24 years later, the Dow is near 10,000, while gold is less than half its January 1980 value. There are some great opportunities in gold stocks.
Governments will make our money worth less to pay off their record debts. Governments can print money to pay off their debts. But they can't create gold. The supply of paper money can be infinite. But the supply of gold is extremely limited (they say that the entire gold production in the history of the world could fit on the basketball court.

Gold should do well in extreme bear markets. Silver more than doubled in value from 1932 to 1936 during the Great Depression (the price of gold was fixed by the government). The next long bear market was 1968-1980. Silver rose from around $2 in 1968 to a peak near $50 in 1980.

Gold stock will rise during inflation… and during deflation. Investing in gold is good inflation protection… gold rises as the value of the dollar falls. As the government lowers interest rates significantly and wildly prints money (creating inflation) to offset that deflation… leading to substantially higher gold prices. This is where we are now, and gold has done what it's supposed to do.
When you buy gold coins, you lower risk in your investment portfolio. In the past, gold has tended to do the opposite of stocks…it skyrocketed in the 1970s, when stocks did horribly. Then in the 1980s and 1990s, when stocks soared, gold lost over half its value. Now in the new millennium gold has soared while stocks are still below their year 2000 highs I consider these to be the best opportunity right now. While gold stocks are up nearly 500%, investment grade gold coin investment (those that carry a grading of Mint State (MS) 63 or higher from the grading agencies PCGS or NGC) are 'only' up 70%. These coins peaked in value in 1989. They subsequently fell by 85%, bottoming in 2001. There is still 100% upside on the table here, and your downside is limited (since you're close to meltdown value).

To own gold directly, you can buy common gold coins or small bars of gold. Common gold coins are known as 'bullion' coins. These include popular coins like Krugerrands or Canadian Maple Leafs, and they cost just a few dollars more than the current price of gold. These don't have extraordinary upside or downside, they simply move with the price of gold.

Are you ready to invest in precious metals? Coins and bars bullions are the choice of any smart investor under the current financial circumstances of world economics. While the paper dollar is still devaluating, your gold investment will only increase in value.Reputable sellers online can provide direct access for your immediate investments in precious metals such as gold bars.

By Inventory of Coins and Bullions

What is a Pennyweight of Gold? What is a Gram of Gold?

These are the most frequently asked questions we receive at GoldFellow. It's problematic for everyone as it doesn't relate to any measurement we currently use in our daily life. Pennyweights, however are still commonly used in the U.S. jewelry industry but we prefer to use the more accurate and globally recognized Grams (metric) as our unit of measure.

There are 20 pennyweights also referred to as DWT in an ounce. There are also 31.1 grams in an ounce. As we are talking about precious metals I'll use gold in my example throughout this post.

Many of our customers are weighing their valuables on home kitchen or postal scales of either mechanical or digital make. Most measure in grams and ounces, particularly when weighing food. The grams shown on your scale are not the same as the grams used in gold! You are measuring on a device that uses 28 grams per ounce while gold is measured in troy ounces. There are 31.1 grams per Troy ounce. The simplest way to use your home scale is to multiply the number showing as ounces by 20. That's it. If your scale shows 3.5 oz you have approximately 70 pennyweight. 1.5oz is about 30 pennyweight and so on. (Same for silver and platinum)

Ok, now for measuring your gold in grams. The scale shows 3.5 ounces. Multiply by 31.1 and it comes to 108.85 grams of gold. If it's 1.5 oz x 31.1=46.65 grams.

Lastly, if you would like to know a price per gram, follow this formula. $20 per pennyweight is$12.86 per gram. To convert simply divide $20 by 1.555=$12.86. Try $18 dwt divided by 1.555 and you get $11.58 gram.

A useful site to check out for conversions is http://www.metric-conversions.org/weight/grams-to-pennyweights.htm

Hope this is helpful!

By Michael Gusky

White Gold vs Platinum Jewelry

Jewelry pieces are available in a wide array of metals. Perhaps the two most common metals which one will see with jewelry are gold and platinum. For those who like white-tone jewelry, white gold and platinum present two options for jewelry shoppers to choose from if they are searching for a higher end metal which is durable and considered to fit within the fine jewelry category. The following will list some things to consider in order to determine which type of jewelry metal is right for you.

Durability Factor

When comparing the two types of metal, platinum tends to be a bit more durable in consistency than white gold. Although both metal varieties in a jewelry item should be treated with care, the platinum items may be able to handle a bit more wear and tear than their white gold counterparts. If you are searching for a ring, necklace, bracelet or other type of jewelry piece which is durable then platinum might be your best bet.

Color Tone of the Jewelry

Although both white gold and platinum are of a whitish color, white gold is only so due to the adding of alloys to pure gold. White gold is usually comprised of a combination of metals such as gold, silver, palladium, zinc, and copper. In order to make the color whiter a coating of rhodium is often placed on top of the white gold. On the other hand, platinum jewelry is already a whitish color and does not usually need rhodium to be placed on top of it in order to whiten the overall color. Depending on your tastes, choosing one type of metal over the other should be based on your individual desires as the final product is usually white in both cases. It is just through different manufacturing processes in which the jewelry items reach their final color.

Cost

If you are hoping to compare white gold jewelry and platinum jewelry on the basis of cost you will usually find that platinum jewelry is more expensive than white gold jewelry items. This is due in part to the pure consistency of the platinum metal in addition to the preciousness of the metal itself and difficulty in the manufacturing process. With that said, no matter what your price range may be when shopping for jewelry items, if you are searching for a platinum piece of jewelry you can often find a good deal on this item albeit you may have to pay more in the end than if you were buying a white gold item.

Product Availability

For those who are going back and forth between selecting a white gold piece of jewelry and a platinum product you may be wondering which one is more readily available on the general consumer market. Today the trend is to see many more platinum jewelry items being sold by retailers than in the past. Platinum is extremely popular these days as the favorable qualities surrounding this type of jewelry item attract individuals. However, jewelers still carry a great deal of white gold items due to the constant desire of purchasers to buy this type of jewelry. White gold is less expensive than many pieces of platinum jewelry and although it may not be as durable it is still a good choice for many. A diamond will usually look whiter when it is set into a platinum engagement ring. In the end it is ultimately up to the jewelry purchaser to determine which metal type is best suited for them and purchase an item which has the qualities they are looking for in a lovely piece of jewelry.

By James Greene

Tips For Buying Gold Jewelry

1. Gold has always been treasured for its value, both as a metal and in the form of ornaments. We all buy gold for both of these reasons, directly or indirectly. If you’re buying gold as an investment, go for the purest form that you can buy. If buying simply for ornamentation, you may opt to choose a less pure form.

2. The purity of gold is displayed in karats: 10, 12, 18 and 24 karat gold. The number indicates purity. 18k gold is comprised of 18 parts of gold and 6 parts of other metals. 12K gold contains 12 parts of gold out of 24 and 10K gold would contain 12 parts of other metals. 24K gold is the purest and does not contain any other metal.

3. Gold jewelry uses gold of one or the other karats. Always ask about the purity of the gold used in the jewelry you buy. Very versatile, gold can be shaped into different forms: wires, flat sheets, rings or poured into a mold for custom shapes. This is why gold is widely used in jewelry.

4. If buying gold jewelry with stone insets like diamonds, rubies, emeralds or any other gemstones, always ask about the quality and purity of the stones used. The jeweler should be able to provide you with a certificate of authenticity of the gemstone, preferably from the GIA, Gemological Institute of America or the AGS American Gem Society.

5. You may have heard of White Gold. White gold is a gold alloy containing a percentage of nickel or platinum. Some people experience allergic reactions to white gold. Jewelers are now shifting to palladium as the other metal used in white gold since it does not create allergic reactions. Always ask for gold mixed with palladium when you buy white gold.

6. Avoid gold "plated" jewelry, unless you plan on infrequent use. Gold plating usually consists of a very fine layer of gold. The thinner the plating, the faster it will wear off and begin to look tarnished and worn out.

Caution

Always ask for a certificate of authenticity for the gold jewelry that you purchase and separate certificates specifying the quality of any gemstones that are a part of your gold jewelry collection.

What is white gold?

White gold was originally developed to imitate platinum, and is usually an alloy containing 25% nickel and zinc. If stamped 18 karat, it would be 75% pure gold.

White gold is an alloy of gold and at least one white metal, usually nickel or palladium. Like yellow gold, white gold is measured in karats.

White gold's properties vary depending on the metals and proportions used. As a result, white gold alloys can be used for different purposes; while a nickel alloy is hard and strong, and therefore good for rings and pins, gold-palladium alloys are soft, pliable and good for white gold gemstone settings. The highest quality white gold is usually at least 17 karat, and made up of gold and palladium, sometimes with trace levels of platinum for weight and durability, although this often requires specialized goldsmiths.

White Gold is an alloy of gold and silver or palladium. Nickel used to be used instead of silver or palladium, but nickel can cause skin reactions with some people. All high quality white gold does not use nickel for this reason. As white gold is a light gray color, it is sometimes plated with rhodium to give it more of a white coloring.

While some higher-quality white gold alloys retain their shine and lustre, most will be coated with a very thin layer of rhodium. This gives the naturally more-dull white gold a shine comparable to platinum or silver; however the rhodium may wear off over time.

Actually, they are true carat golds, just like yellow or red carat gold jewellery. They are gold alloys that look white rather than yellow. The white colour is achieved by careful choice of the alloying metals, which bleach the deep yellow of pure gold.

It is interesting to note that white golds for jewellery were originally developed in the 1920's as a substitute for platinum. Nowadays, they are a jewellery metal in their own right and currently very fashionable and desirable, particularly among the younger age groups. White golds are available up to 21 carat. They are often used to enhance diamonds and other gemstones. White gold bridal jewellery is increasingly popular.

Making gold white
Making gold white is similar to mixing colours in paints. Adding a red metal (copper) will tend to make gold red and adding a white metal tends to make gold paler and eventually white. Thus, all other alloying metals to gold, apart from copper, will tend to whiten the colour and so it is possible to make carat golds that are a reasonable white colour.

Whilst additions of any white metal to gold will tend to bleach it's colour, in practice, nickel and palladium (and platinum) are strong 'bleachers ' of gold, silver and zinc are moderate bleachers and all others are moderate to weak in effect.

This has given rise, historically, to 2 basic classes of white golds - the Nickel whites and the Palladium whites. The nickel-whites tend to have a colder white colour, whereas the palladium whites have a warmer colour. Good nickel whites tend to be hard and difficult to process. Good palladium whites tend to be soft, easy to process (but lost wax casting is more difficult) but are much more expensive, because of the price of palladium. Consequently, many commercial white alloys are thrifted in nickel or palladium and contain some copper; hence, colour is compromised. At the 8-10 carat (33.3 - 41.6% gold) level, gold-silver alloys are quite white, ductile although soft and are used for jewellery purposes.

Yellow Gold vs White Gold

Gold prices have been on a steady incline over the past year, but the growing price tag seems to have had little effect on the overall global demand for gold jewelry.

While individuality and a lack of rules characterize current fashion, here are a few suggested guidelines: Yellow Gold works fabulously with the current ethnic-inspired trends which have ruled apparel for several years and looks best with rich, gem-hued clothing.

Black and white clothing calls for basic white gold jewelry. And, according to online polls conducted by NationalJewelerNetwork.com, 53% of the gold jewelry sold in retail sales is white gold.

Trends in jewelry fashion also include designer wedding jewelry, evident by the growing popularity of the white gold 3 Stone Engagement Ring. Metal choice should depend on stones and design. We like white gold for diamond jewelry, and yellow gold is better for more fashion-oriented styles.

As for diamond wedding jewelry, women like the wedding band to make a statement. The unbroken circle is an age-old symbol of eternity. The eternity ring, with its circle of diamonds, symbolizes the never ending love of the couple. The circle is endless and timeless suggesting a repetitive unbroken wholeness in time and space.

White Gold Jewelry - An Affordable Substitute For Platinum

White gold jewelry is widely accepted in place of platinum. Jewelry made with platinum comes with the heftiest price tag as compared to gold or other metals. White gold jewelry has a special spark, is easy to maintain, catches the eye and is also especially reflective for diamonds.

Various designs look absolutely stunning in this form of gold. If you love diamonds, combine them with white gold and you will have a sparkling piece of jewelry. White gold was specially developed as the substitute for platinum in making jewelry.

Platinum jewelry is very expensive in comparison to white gold jewelry and the marriage season calls in for heavy demand of white gold jewelry.

Well-crafted white gold jewelry will brighten up your look and keep you shimmering throughout your wedding. At Elsa Jewelry, we can make the jewelry as per custom design or choose from our quality selection of designer wedding jewelry.

By Stefan Deutsch

All about White Gold

What is White Gold?
White gold is an alloy of gold and other white metals that has silver, nickel, platinum and palladium. Same as yellow gold, white gold can also be 18kt, 14kt, 8kt or any karat. An 18kt white gold is 75% gold mixed with 25% other material called silver and palladium. The color of this gold is white color.

Properties of White Gold

The properties of white gold would normally vary depending upon the actual metals that are used in it and the proportions that is used in it. So, white gold alloys could even be custom made for any particular purposes; for instance, alloys using nickel are usually very hard and very strong, so it could be used for rings and pins. White alloys using palladium are quite softer and more flexible and could be further used for settings to hold a gemstone.

White gold is actually speaking white; its actual color is grey steel like color that is treated with the metal rhodium which makes the finished white gold to appear white in color.

White Gold Jewelry

You could find all types of white gold jewelry today. From pins to brooches to chains, necklace, bracelets and rings, gorgeous white gold jewelry is very east to find. Further white gold wedding bans and engagement rinds are gaining popularity day by day.

Taking Care of White Gold

White gold rings are coated with Rhodium. Rhodium is same as platinum and also shares many its properties including its white color. Just because the natural color of white gold is light grey, rhodium plating makes white gold whiter. Since rhodium ultimately wears away white gold should be re-rhodium plated every 12 to 18 months.

Whatever white gold you choose, however you choose to purchase it, white gold is extremely beautiful. Get what you want and enjoy!

By Jasonkendric

White Gold in Jewelry

White gold is a wildly popular metal for use in all sorts of jewelry, and makes a stylish choice for wedding rings, engagement rings and eternity rings. Yet, if you have ever seen a solid gold bar, you probably noticed that pure gold has a vibrant, deep yellowish-orange tint. So where does white gold come from? Actually, there is no such thing as white gold! Gold in its purest form is exactly the color the name suggests—gold.

By the early 1900s, jewelers had developed the advanced techniques required to make jewelry from platinum. Platinum, being highly durable and a stunning silver-white color, became a superior option to the silver that had been widely used to accentuate diamonds. The rarity of platinum, however, contributed to its high value, making this beautiful silver metal unaffordable to most. White gold began to fill the public’s insatiable demand for a shiny silver yet sturdy metal for jewelry.

The purest form of gold, 24 karat gold, is not often used alone in jewelry manufacturing because of its inherent softness as a metal. Instead, gold is commonly mixed with other metals to form an alloy, which is a combination of metals. However, simply mixing gold with another metal does not make it appear white. When metals are alloyed, a change takes place in the atomic structure which causes a change in the way the metal reflects light from different wavelengths. When gold is alloyed with one of the metals used to produce white gold, the metal takes on a silver-white hue, the characteristic color of white gold.

White gold can be produced by alloying gold with one or several other metals that have a “whitening” effect, commonly nickel, zinc, copper, or palladium. Nickel has been heavily used to produce white gold in the past, though the jewelry industry is transitioning away from its use partly because of the allergic reactions some people have to nickel. Palladium, a sister metal of platinum, makes an excellent constituent of white gold, though its rarity and high melting point make palladium expensive to purchase and tricky in manufacturing. White gold alloys are not limited to gold and another metal. It would not be uncommon, for instance, for white gold to be composed of a combination of gold, silver, copper and palladium.

White gold jewelry is often plated with rhodium, a white, reflective and very durable metal that is also related to platinum. This rhodium plating serves to strengthen and brighten the color of the white gold. Eventually, a rhodium plating will wear off, so there is a need to have rhodium plated white gold jewelry re-plated periodically. The amount of time before re-plating is needed depends on the amount of rhodium present and how harshly the ring is treated.

By Maher

Wonderful White Gold Wedding Rings

The elegant and sophisticated look of glittering, gleaming gold. There’s nothing quite like it.

Some people never grow tired of the look of pure gold jewelry. Gold, being our most precious metal, is often a first choice among couples looking for that perfect gold wedding ring.

While yellow gold remains very popular with the wedding crowd. Many people prefer the brilliant hue of a white gold wedding ring.

White gold will look beautiful on you whether you’re a man or a woman. You can find online a great selection of white gold diamond wedding rings and white gold wedding ring sets. Also, if you’re looking for something a little fancier that can also become a piece of wonderful keepsake jewelry, white gold makes a very elegant engraved wedding ring that can be passed on to future generations.

The one thing you need to be aware of when buying a white gold wedding ring is that it will need periodic maintenance in order to keep it’s luster.

To obtain it’s much desired glittering white color, white gold is coated with another alloy called Rhodium (the natural color of white gold is really light gray). Rhodium will wear down after a while, so to maintain your ring’s luster, you’ll need to visit your local jeweler about every 12-18 months and have it re-plated with a new coating of Rhodium. The cost for this should be very reasonable.

Whether you’re looking for a plain gold wedding band, or a wedding ring with sparkling diamonds, white gold is an excellent choice for those looking for something a little extra special.

By Donna Monday