A lady walks into Timothy’s Fine Jewelry and says….”My ring doesn’t look white anymore, what can I do to get it to look like when I first bought the ring?”
My answer. Rhodium.
Gold is actually alloyed with other metals to give white gold its white property. The reason for this is because pure gold has its limitations. The closer gold is to 24 carat the richer the color is but it is more susceptible to scratches and wear over time. Therefore, pure gold used in jewelry is not ideal because it will not last as long as gold that is alloyed with other metals.
They use silver, copper or nickel to give gold strength and durability. However, using these different metals will result in new colors or different shades of yellow as well. Commonly to achieve red copper is used, silver will create a green tinge, and nickel or palladium will whiten gold.
Yet, gold is still not a true color of white, and shows a tint of yellow. White gold has a buttercup color, so it is commonly practiced in the US and other parts of the world to plate with rhodium to achieve a more whiter finish. Rhodium is in the platinum group and to plate, is to apply it mechanically or electrically to protect, enhance, or even change the color of gold. Thus, after a few years that plating of rhodium will wear off and it will be time for you to bring it into Timothy’s Fine Jewelry to re-rhodium your ring to achieve that desired white finish again.
