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White Gold Vs Yellow Gold: Which is More Expensive?
Written by Karen Dunn
It's natural to get a bit lost when looking for jewelry settings, especially when choosing the right metal color. Choosing the right metal color can be a task you never thought would complicate your life. Choosing between precious and evergreen white gold vs. yellow gold diamond jewelry can be quite the task. A personal preference may ease you in picking a metal color that matches your tastes, but if looking for a deeper understanding of white and yellow gold colors, you have found the right article to guide you through the same.
TABLE OF CONTENT
- What is White Gold?
- What is Yellow Gold?
- White Gold vs. Yellow Gold: Which is Better?
- White Gold vs. Yellow Gold: Which is More Expensive?
What is White Gold?
Most people are unaware that white gold is not found naturally; it was originally developed to imitate platinum, a naturally available white color. White gold combines several white metals like zinc, nickel, manganese, silver, platinum, or palladium, bringing out the whitish look. Nevertheless, the shiny brilliance of the white gold is not because of the alloy of these metals. The white gold jewelry is usually given a coating at the end of the process of a rare, silver-white metal to provide it with its desirable white appearance.
Jewelry manufacturers also plate white gold jewelry with rhodium, another rare and precious metal that is lustrously white. This provides the white gold jewelry with a luminous white luster. Even though white gold utilizes other white metal alloys to increase its durability and shine, the status of white gold as real gold still stands. Inevitably, the worth of white gold jewelry will alter while considering the karat weight and the amount of metal used to create the jewelry. Hence, the popular misconception that white gold jewelry is readily available on the market as silvery-white color is incorrect. While in reality, white gold is an extremely pale grayish-yellow color that contains an alloy of yellow gold with other pale metals to bring that bright appearance.
What is Yellow Gold?
Contrary to white gold, yellow gold is a precious metal obtained naturally in its purest form; hence, it is a very soft metal that can easily bend or go out of shape. This proves the need for harder alloy metals to be mixed with pure gold, making them more durable and strong to create precious diamond studded jewelry. Therefore, yellow gold contains a combination of pure gold and alloy metals such as zinc and copper. The quantity of pure gold a jeweler utilizes in a piece of jewelry relies on the overall karat weight. A piece of jewelry with a higher karatage has more pure gold content than a lower karatage. As we know, the more pure gold is used, the less durable a ring will be. Due to that, 14 karat and 18 karat gold are more popularly used in yellow gold engagement rings and wedding bands compared to 24 karats or 24k gold, which has less structural integrity to hold the ring in shape firmly.
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White Gold vs. Yellow Gold: Which is Better?
With a brief understanding of white gold vs. yellow gold in jewelry, one can only look forward to the pros and cons of buying jewelry with white gold vs. yellow gold metal. With a neat and sleek aesthetic, white gold is one of the most preferred jewelry base metals. The beauty of the white gold metal is that it enhances the center diamond's charm with graceful elegance. While a disadvantage that white gold brings is that when combined with nickel, it can cause allergic reactions. The classic yellow gold, however, has been used since ancient times, and one can find no other metal that could be compared to its appearance. Thanks to its hue, it can make the skin look warmer and enhance the different tones of every colored stone. However, yellow gold can darken over time. Maintenance of yellow gold is much less pricey compared to white gold, it just needs to be polished and cleansed, and comparatively, it's an inexpensive option compared to white or rose gold jewelry.
White Gold vs. Yellow Gold: Which is More Expensive?
Variability is a crucial factor when speaking of price ranges in jewelry settings. The more the quantity of pure gold, the higher its price. Hence 18K costs more than 14k gold, and 14k costs more than 10K gold. Further, it's not unusual to find that white gold is valued much more than yellow gold. Firstly, white gold rings are coated in rhodium plating to enhance durability and to craft the treasured sheen that white gold jewelry boasts. Nevertheless, this is a normal process as the white gold jewelry must be polished with a new layer of rhodium every few years to keep it at its finest, particularly if the piece is worn frequently. Secondly, the admiration and preference for yellow gold jewelry declined in the late twentieth century. White gold and platinum took the front seat amongst diamond engagement rings, becoming a trend that inevitably drove up the prices.
If you are looking to own flawless white gold or yellow gold jewelry, then what better choice than Friendly Diamonds, a US-based eco-friendly online lab diamond jewelry brand offering lab diamond jewelry crafted with settings made of gold, yellow, and rose gold too? Below is a listing of some popular white gold vs. yellow gold designs available at Friendly Diamonds.
Delanie Side Cuff Diamond Ring
This gorgeous rare design of the Delanie side cuff ring is the best example of how white gold vs. yellow gold metal on jewelry can make all the difference. The splendor of the diamond embedded comfortably in these stunning gold metals will surely embrace those special events you'd love to attend and flaunt your diamond jewelry.
Three Prong Pear Lab Diamond Stud Earrings
The sheen of this pear shaped diamond stud earring, when viewed in white gold vs. yellow gold settings, gives an aura of luxurious subtlety that'll match well on you.
SHOP THREE Prong Pear Stud Earrings
Quartze Split Bail Solitaire Lab Diamond Pendant
Finally, the subtle yet elegant Quartz split bail solitaire diamond pendant is the best choice if you are looking to pick a neck piece that would merge well with white gold vs. yellow gold metal. Its versatile lab diamonds are crafted to promote sustainability and match all metal color styles well.
SHOP Quartze Split Bail Solitaire Pendant
Serene Pear Lab Diamond Tennis Bracelet
The delicate elegance of the Serene tennis bracelet sparkles just as brilliantly in the 18k white gold vs. yellow gold look. The pear-shaped diamonds placed alluringly in the bracelet make for the perfect wrist accessory.
