White Gold Vs Silver

To the untrained eye, white gold and silver look and feel the same. However, they are two completely different metals. This post explains the difference between white gold and silver, then runs through the pros and cons of each.

Difference Between White Gold And Silver

White gold is a gold alloy. The pure gold is mixed with paler metals such as nickel, palladium, silver and zinc (and sometimes a little copper) to give it a whiter colour and make it harder wearing. How much gold is in the mix depends on the carat: 9 carat is 37.5 per cent gold, 14 carat is 58.5 per cent, and 18 carat is 75 per cent. By contrast, investment gold bars are usually 99.99 per cent pure gold.

Silver, on the other hand, is almost entirely silver. 925 Sterling silver is 92.5 per cent silver and 7.5 per cent other metals, usually copper. Fine silver (like fine gold) is more than 99 per cent silver. The metal in a piece varies with what it is: most modern bullion coins, such as Britannias, are fine silver, while older British coins and a lot of antique silverware are Sterling.

Both white gold and Sterling silver are harder wearing than pure gold and silver. Alloying improves their strength and durability. Pure gold or silver jewellery dents and scratches easily because both metals are soft in their natural state.

White gold is bright and shiny, similar to platinum. However, that brightness comes from a thin layer of rhodium plating on the surface, not the white gold underneath (the underlying alloy is actually slightly yellow).

Appearance

Silver is shiny and lustrous, like white gold, but with a slightly warmer, greyer tone. It isn't quite as bright as rhodium, but it's easy to texture and style.

Price

White gold costs more than silver because it contains gold and, in many cases, other expensive metals like palladium. White gold can also work out dearer than yellow gold of the same carat, partly because of the rhodium plating and the extra finishing it needs, and partly because metals such as palladium can be costly in their own right.

Silver is far more abundant, and cheaper, than either gold or palladium.

Maintenance

The rhodium plating protects white gold and keeps it looking bright, but it doesn't last forever. You'll know it's wearing thin when the slightly yellow base metal starts to show through, at which point it can be re-plated.

Silver shows marks more easily. It needs cleaning and polishing now and then to keep it looking its best. Over time silver reacts with sulphur compounds in the air and tarnishes, forming a darker film on the surface, and the copper in Sterling silver adds to this. The tarnish doesn't damage the silver, but it does dull the appearance.

Pros And Cons Of White Gold

Pros:

• Bright, shiny and lustrous
• Usually less expensive than pure platinum
• A popular choice for wedding bands

Cons:

• The rhodium plating wears and needs replacing now and then
• The slightly yellow base metal can show through as the plating wears
• Not always hypoallergenic, as some alloys contain nickel

Pros And Cons Of Silver

Pros:

• Affordable and attractive
• Looks great when new
• Widely available and can mimic the look of more valuable metals

Cons:

• Tarnishes over time, helped along by the copper content
• Softer than white gold, so it marks more easily
• Needs regular cleaning and polishing to look its best

Both white gold and silver are worth money, so if you own pieces you're thinking of selling, it's worth getting them properly weighed and valued.