White Gold Body Jewelry

In the Developed World, gold to be used for body jewelry is usually mixed with another precious metal to give it its colour. Western gold is therefore normally an alloy.

This is not the case of Asian gold which is normally sold at 24 carat or 100% pure. In contrast, most Western jewelry gold is 9 or 14 carat, which is 37.5% and 57.75% pure respectively.

White gold is often confused with silver, which is not strange as white gold is normally an alloy of gold and silver or gold and palladium. These 'white' metals tone down the true yellow colour of gold without reducing the value of a 'cheap' ring any further.

Nickel and platinum can also be used as the other metal to be mixed with the gold to produce the same colour. It is practically impossible to tell with the naked eye which white metal has been used.

However, as the white metal may be in a higher measure to the gold it is worth asking, since platinum and palladium will increase the value of the ring whilst silver and then nickel are not worth as much.

Some alloys have rather special uses. For example, gold mixed with nickel produces a very hard alloy and is more suitable for pins used in bone surgery, whereas gold mixed with platinum produces a softer alloy which is suitable for making a mounting for a gemstone.

Some metals produce an allergy in a relatively small percentage of people, which is a further reason for finding out what your body jewelry is manufactured of. Nickel produces skin reactions more than the others and you do not want to become allergic to your wedding ring, do you?

Platinum is a very tough metal in comparison with silver and gold, which makes it perfect for use in a wedding ring that tends to be worn all day, even at work. Platinum is more resistant to scratching than silver or gold or a silver-gold white gold alloy.

Platinum is also very highly-regarded for use in body piercing, but it is quite costly when likened to gold and silver. However, platinum is the best alternative, if you would like to wear an expensive white metal ring or other piece of jewelry.

The fact is that the alloys known as white gold were created as cheaper options to platinum. The white gold alloys are completely man-manufactured and do not occur in nature. White gold is also measured in carats, but it can only go up to 21 carat. Pure gold is 24 carat.

The measurement known as the 'carat' is slowly being superseded as a definition of the purity of gold. The carat is a Fifteenth Century archaic measurement, but jewelers

are moving over to 'parts per thousand' of precious metal - millesimal fineness. Under the new system 18 carat, 75% gold would be expressed as 750/1000 pure gold.

Before going to buy gold, it is best to become acquainted with these three systems of measurement and it is prudent to know whether you are allergic to some precious metals and if so which ones.

Owen Jones, the writer of this piece, writes on a variety of subjects, and is now concerned with Baby Birthstones. If you would like to know more, please visit our website at Jewellry and Watches.