Do your white gold rings have yellow tint/ look like yellow gold?

jenna8984 · April 2014

I've been arguing with my jeweler because my white gold ring looks very yellow to me. He keeps saying that's how it is for every single piece of white gold jewelry because true gold makes up about 60% of the piece and other white metals make up about 40% of the piece so yellow is always going to show through. I think he's full of shit because I have plenty of other white gold pieces that are clear white with zero hint of yellow. He says "well they must have been dipped in rhodium, which wears off and needs to be done every 6 months". No, my other pieces have never been dipped, and do get worn daily and have not changed over time.

I know it's not the end of the world and I would never want to get a new ring because FI loves this one, it just bothers the crap out of me that it's a little yellow when my other white gold pieces are not. Wondering if anyone else has this issue or if my jeweler is full of it?

emmyg65 · April 2014

From Wikipedia:

"The term white gold is used very loosely in the industry to describe karat gold alloys with a whitish hue. Many believe that the color of the rhodium plating, which is seen on many commercial pieces, is actually the color of white gold. The term 'white' covers a large spectrum of colors that borders or overlaps pale yellow, tinted brown, and even very pale rose. The jewelry industry often improves these off-white colors by rhodium plating."

JMalettas · April 2014

Ditto! I also didn't realize that what makes a "white gold" band white, is the rhodium plating. The diamond store my rings are from let me know, that over time, my ring would eventually show a yellowness, and at that point, I could have it re-dipped. (For free)! Lol

They told me it eventually happens to all rings, and it's basically dependant on how you wear them. Obviously, your bands are generally worn daily, so they may yellow a little sooner. (Although 6 months seems a bit quick). She said if you shower with them they can yellow sooner, & antibacterial soaps can wear them down too. She also said to take them off to use hand sanitizer, because the alcohol content also affects the rhodium. So I basically take them off to shower, do dishes, wash my hands, etc. I find having them done yearly keeps them looking nice.

*J

jenna8984 · April 2014

Ok so I guess he's not cazy!! My other jewelry must have been dipped before I bought it without me knowing it. You are lucky that you get it done for free- my sister in law brings hers 1-2 times a year to be dipped and it costs $100 each time! So my jeweler recommended I live with the yellow and don't get them dipped because of the maintenance cost which is probably what I'll do.

JMalettas · April 2014

@jenna8984 - Did you get a warranty plan with your rings? If you did, maybe check if having them dipped is included. I can have mine dipped as much as needed for free, because it's included in that package my H bought, when he purchased my rings. Worth checking, if you have it!

If your other jewelry is white gold, then yes, it would have been dipped to look that way before purchase. If you don't wear them 'that' often, that's likely why the rhodium has held up! I have some white gold jewelry that I don't wear every day, & have had for years, that hasn't gone yellowish yet either. It just depends on how often you wear it, and how you wear it. It's totally normal.

*J

STARMOON44 · April 2014

Yeah you need to get it rhodium plated if you don't want the yellow to show through. Yearly seems a bit much to me, in my experience the plating has lasted close to 5 years.

jenna8984 · April 2014

@jmalettas No, he bought it from a little local jeweler and that guy who was arguing with me was the owner who said they do not have the machinery to dip them so I'd have to bring it somewhere else and pay. Boo

tammym1001 · April 2014

I asked my FI about the rhodium dipping after he gave me my ring and he told me he had no idea what I was talking about. I talked with the jeweler and he said yes it's dipped and you need to bring it back in. Apparently FI wasn't paying attention when they told him that. LOL My jeweler recommended having it done every 6 months and possibly a little more because I have well water and he said that makes it wear faster as well.

I have had my ring for about a year and a half and I didn't really notice that it was any different until I took it in to shop for wedding bands. When I had the other rings against it I could definitely tell that the color of my ring was off. They re-dipped and cleaned it for me and it looks amazing. Now that I know I'm going to have it done every 6 months, but my jeweler does it for free. It's included with the ring purchase.

JennyColada · April 2014

As a retail professional, I find it really annoying when customers feel the need to argue with me about what I'm selling. They don't know the product better than I do.

That stuff bugs the hell out of me.

That matter aside, I do kind of like the lighter hues that come with white gold. I probably wouldn't want to get it re-dipped, personally.

jenna8984 · April 2014

@jennycolada Yea I agree. I wasn't being a jerk to him, I was just asking him (trying to wrap my head around) why my other white gold pieces I own don't look like this. Clearly from the answers here, he was not full of crap but some salesmen are sheisty so I wasn't sure (and I say that as a sister of a sheisty salesman lol)

princessleia22 · April 2014

That's so interesting! I never knew that either. I always prefer white gold (or platinum or other white metal). I have several pieces of white gold jewelry, but I don't wear any on a daily basis, so I've never had much issue with them fading (at least not that I've noticed). My e-ring is yellow gold though. It was FI's grandmothers ring. FMIL offered to have diamond put into a new setting or have it plated, because they knew I prefer white metal, but I didn't want to mess with their family heirloom. I've gotten used to the yellow gold and nobody cares or notices if e-ring doesn't match my other jewelry. After hearing about the maintenance with white gold, I'm kind of glad that I have yellow gold now though.

QueerFemme · April 2014

A lot of jewelers will re dip for about 30 or 40 bucks. (Not chain jewelry stores, actual jewelers). shop around.

sophhabobopha · April 2014

This is so interesting! So what is rose gold then?

JennyColada · April 2014

@sophierosebride: There are hundreds of possible alloys and mixtures, but in general the addition of silver will color gold white, and the addition of copper will color it red. A mix of around 50/50 copper and silver gives the range of yellow gold alloys the public is accustomed to seeing in the marketplace. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colored_gold

erinlin25 · April 2014

yes, mine start to get a yellow tint but I only notice it on the plain part of the band (behind my finger). I take mine in every 6 months for warranty and the dip is included in our maintenance plan.

hyechica81 · April 2014

my ring that fi got from beldens ws rediped around thanksgiving, i am taking it in next week along with the wedding band to get e ring dipped and wedding band cleaned before my wedding in june and to also make sure w band will still fit me

selenathegreat · April 2014

Hm! My ring is from Zales and is white gold, and hasn't yellowed at all...I assume it really is gold! I wonder if they will dip it. Oh, the things you run in to when you don't buy cheap-ass jewelry from Target, which is what I usually do.

JasperandOpal · April 2014

It actually depends- there are two types of white gold- rhodium dipped and alloy-mixed (gold mixed with another metal, usually nickel for white gold, copper for rose gold, silver for green gold). Dipped rings, also known as electroplated ring. Older rings weren't rhodium plated, which is why they don't have that sheen that modern rings have.

White gold that is not plated is not "white". The gold alloy will have a yellow or gray tint. Rhodium plating adds hardness and makes the ring a uniform color, as well as protecting people from the allergic reactions they may have to the metal mixed with gold that is under the rhodium plating (lots of people have nickel allergies for example). And sometimes the white gold that is hidden under the rhodium is actually a pretty close match to the rhodium on top (though less shiny) and so you might not even realize that the plating has worn off.

So if a ring not plated, it won't have that super pure shiny white color. If it is plated, it will have to be dipped every so often (and the frequency depends on your body chemistry, how you wear it, what you do, etc.)

Do your white gold rings have yellow tint/ look like yellow gold?

Re: Do your white gold rings have yellow tint/ look like yellow gold?

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