14kt white gold or 18kt white gold… which one should you choose? I find a lot of customers asking me lately for my opinion so I thought writing a quick blog about it would be an excellent idea. Here is a little more information on white gold (14k and 18k). My hope is that this may help you make your decision a little easier as to which you should choose.
All white gold is yellow gold with white metal alloys mixed in. Common alloys used are nickel, palladium, manganese, and zinc, just to name a few. Basically, from what I understand to be true, 14kt white gold is 58.5% yellow gold with white metal alloys mixed in. 18kt white gold is 75% yellow gold with white metal alloys mixed in. This is why you can see either 585 or 750 stamped inside your gold jewelry. When white gold (14kt or 18kt) comes from casting, it has a yellowish tint. This is obviously because a majority of the material is yellow gold. All white gold is typically rhodium plated. This is the final step in the manufacturing process. The rhodium plating makes the piece of jewelry super white. It’s important to know that this rhodium plating is just that… plating. It will wear off from normal everyday wear and you will need to have your jewelry rhodium plated again. It’s good to look at this as just part of the overall maintenance of your ring. You will (or should) have your jewelry inspected on an annual basis so the rhodium plating is just part of that.
Pros and Cons:
14kt is less expensive as it’s 58.5% gold vs 75% gold. 14kt white gold price can be appealing for many clients.
18kt is more pure gold (75%) and some clients prefer this metal as it’s more precious than 14kt.
14kt white gold MAY require rhodium plating slightly less often than 18kt white gold, but both will still require it so basically there is not much of a difference there.
If you have questions about metals or which to choose, do not hesitate to call on us! We are here for guidance throughout your purchase. Please also consult our metal information page for additional information. Happy shopping!