Hare & Lily's White Gold

White gold is a sure favourite of mine, when used in its natural and untouched form. Read on to discover what this truly means.

The majority of gold used in jewellery is in the form of an Alloy. This simply means that Pure gold is mixed with other metals to give it desirable properties, such as durability, and colour tints. Pure gold alone is very soft, so would be highly susceptible to damage and wear.

I want to talk about white gold in particular, as the jewellery market as a whole seems to do white gold a certain way, and it may surprise you to know that it’s usually plated.

I would describe the colour of White gold in its untouched form as creamy and champagne-toned. The exact colour and properties will depend on the proportion of pure gold, and the combination of other metals that the gold is mixed with in the alloy.

To give white gold jewellery a bright, white finish, most manufacturers will add a plating (a thin layer) of a metal called Rhodium to the finished piece.

I personally will not rhodium plate my white gold for two reasons:

1- The cream toned gold is gorgeous and unique.

2- Plating comes off quickly, particularly if the piece is worn daily, worn heavily, or exposed to chemicals. This will expose the yellowish tone underneath the rhodium.

The beauty of white gold, in my opinion, should not be hidden by plating. I personally feel it naturally exudes elegance, quiet luxury and simplicity, particularly when paired with a satin brushed finish.