Only a few things depict finding your better half than white gold diamond center stones on engagement rings. Like they make you a better version of yourself, so does a white gold diamond on engagement rings.
Once you’ve found that special person that completes you, shopping for an engagement ring is next on your to-do list. Every time you go out to shop for your engagement ring, you’re often shopping for two items. The first item is your center stone, then, the setting that holds your center stone.
For some rings, they come pre-set with a center stone and setting, of course. Cases like this are quite common with pretty much all antique engagement rings. Nonetheless, it’s more traditional today for jewelers to offer settings and center stones options individually. Hence, the decision is still yours to make!
Therefore, if you must get the perfect engagement ring, these are the biggest choices you must make. However, for this text, we are exposed to a kind of center stone that adds elegance and refinement to engagement rings. This is the white gold diamond. This blog post should ease you through the first phase of those big choices.
Meanwhile, white gold diamond engagement rings are a famous choice for good reasons. They are very lovely to behold, offering versatility and easy usage. White gold diamond center stones offer brilliance, a colorful sparkle, and reflect light elegantly. This combination of qualities is sure to bring the sparkle out in your engagement ring.
White Gold Diamond Center Stones: Precious Purity
White gold diamonds are an alloy of gold and at least one other white metal. This other white metal can be:
- Nickel
- Copper
- Palladium
- Zinc
- Silver.
According to a jewelry specialist, Kim Kanary, a white gold diamond fetches its trademark silvery-white color from rhodium. When there’s a mixture of gold with another white metal, “the resulting color is still a dull gray to brownish-yellow.” Hence, rhodium plating becomes important to get a white luster.
Furthermore, a significant portion of the color change comes from the metal combination and the kinds of metal involved. To further enhance the white gold diamond, it gets plated with rhodium. Rhodium is a silver/white metal that puts in a shiny color and adds durability to a white gold diamond.
Historically, the white gold diamond was first built in the 19th century but did not become well-known until the 1920s. The rise in fame of the white gold diamond was a result of the rise in demand for platinum for several military purposes.
Therefore, white gold diamonds became a simple and less costly alternative to platinum. This fame hasn’t waned one bit over the years. In fact, there was a large surge in demand for the white gold diamond for engagement rings in the 2000s.
Composing Pure Value From Quality Materials
We mentioned above how palladium, nickel, and other materials are added to white gold to achieve a lighter color. However, regardless of the metal added in the composition of the white gold diamond, the yellow undertone never leaves.
It is like adding white paint to a pot of yellow paint. The yellow paint will lighten and take on a more whitish look the more you add this white paint. Yet, there will always be that slight yellow undertone no matter how white it gets.
For this reason, rhodium plating is applied. Rhodium is one of the rarest, top-quality, and precious metals. It is part of the platinum with silvery-white color. One of the top qualities of rhodium is its impressive durability. Moreover, rhodium is a very reflective material adding that brilliant sparkle the white gold is renowned for.
With the application of plating of rhodium to white gold, you get a really white finish. The plating of rhodium covers the whole surface and hides the yellow color of the white gold. That makes the white gold diamond look more like platinum and takes on a whiter look.
Nevertheless, like all fine jewelry, white gold diamonds must be regularly maintained. For yellow gold diamonds, the risks are the scratches they get. Plus, it requires polishing regularly to renew its luminous glitter.
As for white gold diamond, the addition of rhodium plating makes it more durable and scratch-resistant. This high-quality rhodium plating is fit for daily wear but not for too long. With time, it will start to wear off revealing more of the yellow hue it concealed. Simply reapply the rhodium plating to get your white gold diamond sparkling again.
White Gold Diamond Center Stones: The Crown Your Engagement Rings Need
Your choice of center stone for your engagement ring reflects all the charm, appeal, and grace your ring can get. Of all the famous center stone choices for wedding bands for both men and women, the white gold is distinguished.
White gold diamond center stones are stunning. Plus, they are available in a wide variety of styles. More so, white gold diamond center stones are quite less costly compared to other center stones. This metal choice is as grand, classy, appealing, and sparkling as they come. They will make the perfect crown on your engagement rings.
When selecting white gold diamond center stones for your engagement rings, consider the following questions:
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What Kind Of Diamond Cut Fits White Gold Diamond Engagement Rings Best?
Simply put, practically every diamond cut out there offers a perfect blend with white gold diamond engagement rings.
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Which Is The Best White Gold? A 14-karat Or 18-karat?
18-karat white gold offers a purer gold option. But, the 14-karat white gold is advisable because of its added durability and scratch resistance.
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What Is The Expected Cost Of White Gold Diamond Engagement Rings?
The price of white gold diamond engagement rings can differ. However, white gold is generally a less costly option than platinum and other metal options.
Maintaining Your White Gold Diamond Engagement Rings
White gold diamond engagement ring requires extra care compared to other metal options. For Kanary, “[White gold diamond engagement rings] will require occasional buffing and polishing as well as periodic replating to ensure it maintains its silvery-white sparkle year-round.”
These white gold diamond engagement rings are softer than platinum and other metal choices. Therefore, they are likely to get scratches more easily. Regardless, they are still ideal jewelry options for everyday wear.
Finally, store your white gold diamond engagement rings by wrapping them in a piece of velvet or a soft cloth.
The Good And The Bad Of White Gold Diamond Center Stones On Engagement Rings
White gold diamond center stones are one of your best bargains for center stones out there because of their numerous qualities. However, there are some other attributes that might make them not to be the right center stones for you.
Therefore, before you say “I do,” be sure you know the good and bad of choosing white gold center stones.
Pros Of White Gold Diamond Center Stones On Engagement Rings
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No Color Difference
The absence of color difference is one of the biggest advantages of white gold diamond center stones on engagement rings. What you get is a neutral band with a silvery shade. So, the band does not affect the center stone at all.
In addition, Kanary explains that “Gemstones will reflect the color of the metal in which they are set, meaning that colorless gemstones (like diamonds) can appear to have a tint of color if the surrounding metal contains color.” That is one of the letdowns of the yellow gold settings but not with white gold diamond center stones.
For white gold diamond center stones, Kanary says “Your gemstone will reflect the silvery-white metal, which will not result in any noticeable color differences in your stone.”
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The Gorgeous Looks Speaks Volumes
White gold diamond center stones are likely to be lustrous and less bleak. This metal option offers a precious yet cost-effective alternative to other top metal choices.
White gold diamond center stones are the most popular metal choices for engagement rings because of their gorgeous appearance. This metal option delivers a timeless look regardless of the style setting. They produce a white color that will always enhance the beauty of your engagement ring.
More so, the way the neutral color blends flawlessly makes them a popular choice for both men and women.
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Lower Price, Higher Value
Most intending couples prefer the white gold diamond over platinum even though they look similar, because of the price. Partly, the cost of white gold diamond center stones is less than platinum because of its availability.
While 27,000 tons of gold get mined annually, only 80 tons of platinum are mined in the same time frame. This means that platinum is 30% rarer and would cost more.
Still, these white gold diamond center stones offer higher value in appearance, fire, luster, etc. They are always a great bargain because of how classic this precious metal option is.
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There Is A White Gold Diamond Center Stone For Everyone
White gold diamond center stones cost less than other metal options. Plus, they remain one of the most prominent center stones options for engagement rings. Hence, you enjoy the luxury of a wider variety of styles of rings offered in the white gold diamond option.
Compared to other center stone options, like rose or yellow gold, the white gold diamond is available in a range of styles. So, there is always a white gold diamond for everyone. You have thousands of styles to select from regardless of the designer or vendor you choose to buy from.
Cons Of White Gold Diamond Center Stones On Engagement Rings
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Fallen Off The Pure Side
Yellow gold diamond offers a purer option compared to white gold diamond because of the additional metal alloys. January explains it better: “Pure natural gold is yellow in color, so the higher in purity you go, the more yellow it will be.”
Yet, yellow gold might be purer, but it is also naturally softer. White gold offers more durability than yellow gold diamond. Kanary recommends that “If you are interested in a higher degree of fineness, white gold may not be your best option.”
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Not Enough Durability
White gold diamond center stones offer more durability compared to yellow gold. Yet, these stones do not quite measure up to platinum metals. The durability of platinum metals makes them resistant to everyday wear and tear.
With that, platinum metals offer more protection for center stone settings than white gold. Kanary adds that “It’s also denser than gold, so if all other qualities are equal, a platinum ring will be heavier than a white gold ring.”
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Not Your Best Bet For Never-Fading Looks
We already know that white gold is a product of combining gold, which is naturally yellow, with other alloys. This combination creates that white color we all see and love. But, with time, your engagement rings will begin to reveal a faint yellow as you wear them every day.
For those that love to wear their engagement ring, every time, that beautiful white ring may begin to change color. Sometimes, due to everyday wear, it begins to fade as early as 12 months after you first wear it.
This is not the kind of news you want to hear, especially if seeing your ring changing colors will displease you. You should try regular rhodium plating to get the ring back to its best.
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Contains Alloys That Might Stir Up Allergies
Also, a white gold diamond often contains nickel as one of its metal alloys. So, if you’re allergic to nickel, white gold metals are not best for you
Nickel is only one of the other alloys used in making the white gold diamond that people can be allergic to. Some of the alloys used could easily unsettle your skin if you are sensitive to any of those metal alloys.
Therefore, watch out for any of these alloy metals depending on your allergies. Plus, platinum is another option you should consider for your engagement rings because of its hypoallergenic nature.
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