White gold, what’s the point?

[Huromjuicemaker]

it’s pretty much indistinguishable from steel or silver so why pay for it in jewelry and watches?

Been married over 25 years and my yellow and white gold wedding ring is still sparkling but the rope detail has worn a bit which would be expected after that many years despite the precious metal used imho.

Some cheap 18k white gold is made with zinc or nickel instead of silver. So it’s not always 75% gold and 25% silver.

I was mistaken on the 18k and above not plated, that’s what I was told thirty years ago. Obviously things have moved on since then!

I have a platinum engagement and wedding ring. I would pick silver over white gold though. I have a few silver and diamond necklaces and earrings. They are easier to clean too.

I inherited vintage (30s) yellow gold wedding and engagement rings. When I got married nobody got yellow gold ones but they meant something to me. I don’t think they look tacky! I do otherwise wear silver but mainly because nobody buys me anything else.

If its for a watch rose gold is actually much nicer
white gold will get worn.
platinum will be heavy

I was passed my aunts, when I was given them I thought I'd never wear them because white gold was the only jewellery I had at the time, but I love them now, I wear the engagement ring (not as an engagement ring) people often ask about it. It's lovely, simple and classic.

I also love stacking rings and and very fine bracelets that can layer, I don't match the metals, I have silver, rose gold and yellow gold.

Well, on reading this thread, I looked at my rings, and have just cleaned them as they were filthy, so thank you all!

Mine are yellow gold wedding, engagement and eternity rings, and an absolutely fabulous white gold diamond solitaire I wear on my right hand. I've had it redone once in twenty years and it's still looking superb.

I have a platinum engagement ring and wedding band. It's noticeably weightier than gold and does aqcuire the 'patina' effect much quicker - some people prefer to retain the high shine new rings have, but I love it and I think it highlights the colour of platinum more than when it is brand new and shiny. Side by side with the silver that I wear, it is a very different colour and much deeper and more grey. I don't have any white gold to compare it to.

I read that it is more durable than gold as if gold scratches, it is actually a loss of metal which is why over time the bands on heavily worn rings literally wear thin, whereas with platinum, there is no loss and the metal just displaces so it can always be reshaped to its original form.

Yes - I’ve got a beautiful rose gold watch. Really does not look tacky.

I am with PP
platinum abrades to a lovely soft sheen and doesn’t scratch in the same way as gold so looks smooth
its also 95% pure unlike gold which is 75% for 18ct and its much heavier.
it also has a much higher melting point so is more difficult to work with which adds to the cost

but we all like different things and now platinum now is half the price of gold so makes more sense than white gold unless you want a high shine look

Due to an accident my white/gold wedding ring had to be cut off. It took ages to drill through it. It is 18ct.

In 1991 it cost £160. The repair involved some lasering and the little circles/pattern on the outside edges ar a bit worn (possibly a bit stretched as it has been upsized twice). The repair was £180 and I nearly fell off the chair. The jeweller told me it was well worth it because the retail price new in 2021 was about £2000. It's a simple little ring.

I bet the ring is lovely. I love fine bracelets too and would happily mix yellow gold ones with silver!

The jewellery industry are masters of making out that bits of scrap metal and stone are precious and need to be paid for.

Try to sell your "oh so precious" diamonds back to them. Let me know how you get on. Most are a grade up from the stuff used in sandpaper and not as rare as you were told they were when you bought them.

No, that’s rose gold 😂

Whether something is 'tacky' or not very much depends on whos wearing it and how they're wearing it. If you can't make yellow gold look tasteful, that's a you problem really coz plenty of other people can.

I have read many stupid comments on here but that takes a prize.

This was my face too when I read that ludicrous comment.

Yellow gold is timeless and classy, especially for wedding, engagement and costume jewellery.

That poster must have surrounded herself with people who don't know how to wear it.

Coming back to the thread topic, white gold has a different tone to silver and is more suitable for diamonds. Some people are allergic to one metal, but not the other so it's useful to have options, too.

I assume you have only ever seen the stuff in the Argos catalogue.

What ignorant comments. Surely you must realise that yellow gold simply doesn't suit some skin tones.

Well, surely it's not the metal that's tacky, it's the design, right?

No. Ignorant comments are those making sweeping claims that gold is tacky.

The

Ignorant? You've made me chuckle. Wearing any jewellery that doesn't suit your one's tone is one if the examples of not knowing how to wear jewellery. As is wearing all of the gold you own looking like a Christmas tree.