Pros & Cons: White Gold Wedding and Engagement Rings

White gold is one of the most popular metal choices for wedding bands for both men and women. While these bands are gorgeous, come in thousands of styles, and are often one of the less expensive options for metals for your wedding bands, there are also some other less well known ways in which white gold may not be the right metal for you.

Before you tie the knot, make sure you know the pros and cons of choosing white gold for your wedding bands and engagement ring:

Pros:

1. Beautiful Looking Precious Metal

White gold is the most popular metal for wedding and engagement rings because white gold is simply gorgeous and provides a timeless look for any style setting. The white color will always amplify the look of your diamond engagement ring, and both men and women love how the neutral color matches everything.

2. Less Expensive Than Platinum

Many people choose white gold over the similar looking precious metal platinum due to cost. White gold will costs less than platinum partly because 2,7000 tons of gold are mined per year compared to 80 tons of platinum, making platinum 30% more rare. In addition, platinum is much denser, purer and heavier than a gold alloy mixture. So a plain, white gold wedding band will be less expensive than the same band in platinum, but is still a great purchase because it is a classic precious metal.

3. A Wider Selection of Rings In White Gold Are Available

Because white gold is less expensive than platinum and is one of the most popular metal choices for wedding bands, there can be a slightly wider selection of styles of rings in white gold available compared to other metals, like rose or yellow gold. This way you have thousands of styles to choose from through practically every designer and vendor. The sky is the limit with white gold!

Cons:

1. White Gold Is Less Durable Because It Is A Softer Metal

White gold, compared to platinum which has a similar white hue, is less durable than its counterpart because it is actually a softer metal. Every time gold is scratched, a little sliver of the gold falls off and is lost. This is what causes visible scratches on your wedding bands. To avoid this, you might want to consider platinum for your wedding band which actually hardens over time and creates a more durable patina finish.

2. Your Ring Will Turn Yellow Over Time

Surprise - white gold is not actually white! White gold is made by combining gold, which is naturally yellow, with other alloys that create that white color that you love. Over time, your wedding band will start to turn a faint yellow through everyday wear. If you wear your wedding band 24/7, your beautiful white ring may start changing color as soon as 12 months after first wearing it. Definitely something to think about, especially if seeing your ring changing colors will bother you.

3. Needs To Be Rhodium Plated Periodically

To keep your white gold wedding band that white color, you will need to have your wedding band rhodium plated right when it starts noticeably fading to yellow. Rhodium plating sometimes needs to be done once every six to twelve months, which definitely starts adding up after a few years. While some people don't see a problem with this, others, especially those who are hard on their hands, may find this extremely inconvenient. If you want to avoid this all together, a great alternative is platinum which doesn't change color over time and will never need to be rhodium plated.

4. White Gold Is Not Hypoallergenic

Many people are allergic to the alloys used to create white gold. White gold, as mentioned above, is not pure gold, but is created by mixing the natural gold (which is yellow) with other white metals, like silver, palladium, nickel or zinc. Some of these alloys could easily irritate your skin if you have a sensitivity to those metals. If you know that you have any of these allergies, then you may want to pick platinum for your wedding band, which is a hypoallergenic metal.

Getting ready to tie the knot but still need your wedding bands? Contact us or make an appointment and one of our specialists will be more than happy to help you find the perfect wedding rings!