The Facts About White Gold Engagement Rings
When you finally find the person that you want to marry, you of course want to make every detail perfect. And popping the question isn't an easy thing to do, since there's that build-up of anticipation before you ask, little details to be worked out as far as how you propose, and of course, what to get for the engagement ring. You have a choice of a multitude of stones, as well as different metals. You could shell out a lot of money and go for platinum, or spend a little less and choose among yellow, rose, or white gold engagement rings.
Of the options, white gold engagement rings offer a blend of style, durability, and price that are hard to match. Simply telling why white gold engagement rings are a great choice, though, doesn't help you to understand why. To do that, let's delve into the facts about this material.
A Mix Of Metals
White gold is not a metal that is mined naturally, but an alloy, or a mixture of two metals in order to create a new material. For white gold engagement rings, the gold is likely to be mixed with silver or palladium to create the distinctive light color of this metal. The highest purity of gold, measured in karats, is 18kt, which means that the highest quality white gold is 18kt gold. In the case of engagement rings, this is actually better than pure gold, which would be too soft for the everyday wear of the ring.
Because the metals used to make white gold are often more expensive than used to make the yellow or rose gold alloys, white gold engagement rings tend to cost more. However, platinum rings are even more expensive than white gold, so if you do want that beautiful look of a white metal without the huge price tag, white gold engagement rings are best.
Potential Problems
There are some things to consider with white gold engagement rings that you generally don't have to contend with if you purchase one of a different alloy. White gold is actually more of a grayish color than white, so white gold engagement rings are often coated with rhodium to help keep the bright color and luster that would come with a brand new ring. But this coating does wear with constant use, so to keep white gold engagement rings looking new, you will want to have the ring coated again about every 18 months.
Finally, when choosing white gold engagement rings, be sure to inquire as to what material was mixed with the gold. Some rings, particularly older ones, are made with nickel to create the white gold alloy, and some people do have allergic reactions to those rings. Occasionally, this allergy won't show itself in any discernible way until pregnancy, so unless you choose from white gold made with something other than nickel, you may have an unpleasant surprise down the road. Still, despite these drawbacks, the durability and price of white gold engagement rings make them an attractive choice for your own engagement.
