(Nearly all gold jewelry is alloyed, because pure gold is too soft on its own.) One study showed that when a 14K white gold ring was placed in common household bleach for 36 hours, the ring completely disintegrated! Small amounts of chlorine exist in tap water, too.
Salt water, chlorine, soaps, detergents, and lotions: All of these will start to wear off the rhodium plating. Rubbing: The more your white gold is being rubbed, the faster it will turn yellow, which is why rings turn yellow quickly.
For the average person, white gold is not difficult to maintain. The major maintenance is the rhodium rebuffing that white gold jewelry requires every year or so. Many jewelers will actually take care of this for free.
Wearing solid gold jewelry, white gold or yellow gold, in the shower will not harm the metal itself, however it can reduce the shine therefore it is not recommended. Showering with gold plated jewelry can eventually cause the gold layer to wear off completely, therefore you should definitely refrain from doing so.
Where yellow gold tends to become scratched and need polishing to restore its bright shine, the rhodium plating on white gold is more durable and scratch resistant. While high-quality rhodium plating will stand up to daily wear, over time it will begin to wear off and the yellow hue of the white gold will show through.
"Sweat and friction can cause gold to leach out of jewelry," notes Dr. Dao.
While white gold may be more affordable to buy at first, keep in mind that it needs to be replated every five to 10 years to keep its color.
When you see a yellowish tint in your white gold jewelry, it's not because of poor quality. Instead, you see the inner layer of gold alloy under the rhodium plating. Because rhodium is applied in such a thin layer, usually only a few microns thick, it can wear off over time.
Cleaning gold-plated and white gold jewellery
Gold-plated jewellery can be cleaned with a mild dish soap soak, but should not be scrubbed or rubbed with anything abrasive. All colours of gold, including rose gold and white gold, can be cleaned the same way.
Lotion is especially harmful to jewelry as it can take away from the brilliance and luster of your stone. You might not notice it at first, but over time, a cloudy layer of film will build up on your stone and your gold.
The short answer is no. Toothpaste is not a good option for cleaning your ring. Toothpaste contains scrubbing particles to polish your teeth, but these particles are often harder than the metals in your ring, especially gold or white gold. Using toothpaste on your jewelry could cause scratches or pitting in the metal.
Perfume Impact on Gold Jewellery
We might have no idea that Perfumes do not react directly with pure gold but can attack the metal alloys . However, when it comes to gold, perfumes can often lead to discoloration or simply dull luster of this precious metal, which directly affects the look and charm of the jewelry.
White gold, on the other hand, is more likely to be damaged by hand sanitizer. This is because white gold has a rhodium plating that can wear off. It's not uncommon for white gold jewellery to require replating at some point, but frequent use of hand sanitizers can speed up the wear and tarnishing.
Elements such as sulphur and chlorine react with the other metals in the gold jewelry, causing it to corrode and turn black, thus blackening the skin underneath.
It can take anywhere from a few weeks to several years for white gold to begin showing a yellow color, depending on how quickly the thin rhodium plating wears away.
It is a white metal that is much more affordable than platinum and palladium. It is significantly more durable and scratch resistant than platinum and sterling silver, due to the lower gold content. It is an excellent choice for those who are in search of a bargain but who still want a beautiful piece of jewelry.
The yellow color is the natural color of white gold before the rhodium plating. When white gold looks yellow the thin layer of rhodium has worn down, allowing the gold hue to come through. This happens to all white gold eventually.
Replating a white gold ring may cost around $100-$200. But it still depends on the thickness, quality of the rhodium, and the expertise of the jeweller.
Is your engagement ring starting to look dull or yellow? Don't worry, this is normal - if you have a white gold engagement ring, it's bound to happen. White gold is plated with rhodium. This is because when white gold is produced, it naturally has a warmer hue.
This coating is almost always made of rhodium. When the rhodium plating is removed, the piece of gold loses its color and surface and becomes cloudy.
Remove any white gold jewellery before you carry out dirty or hands-on tasks. Don't swim while wearing white gold as the chemicals in the water (chlorine) can react with the plating. Remove white gold items when bathing and sleeping. Keep your white gold away from other metals.
Does white gold rust? When someone says white gold fades or tarnishes, they're most likely referring to the rhodium plating fading to reveal the white gold underneath. And this white gold can look yellow - which is the reason why your jewelry was rhodium plated in the first place.
DON'T Wear Your Ring in Salt Water
That's because salt in the ocean is extremely corrosive to metals like copper, gold and rose gold. Rose gold is especially sensitive to salt water as it will corrode much faster than traditional yellow or white gold.