A popular choice in engagement rings today has to be diamonds. But diamonds are only the stone, what about the ring band itself? Typically it would be either gold or platinum, or alternatively silver and other expensive metals. But nowadays there is always a better and more famous alternative to all of this, which is the white gold. A white gold engagement ring is indeed popular these days because of the merits of this metal.
What is White Gold?
During World War II, platinum was banned in manufacturing for commercial use, and was only limited to military usage. Due to this reason, white gold, which looked almost exactly like the platinum, became used more. The white gold engagement ring increased in popularity, and is still en vogue. White gold can be commonly found in 18K, 14K, and 9K.
White gold is actually an alloy of pure gold and other white metals. These white metals would include nickel, palladium, or silver. Sometime the white gold alloy can also be plated with rhodium to achieve a pale luminescence, which can give a different effect.
However, not many people are into this option, because the rhodium coating would eventually wear away and has to be replaced every one to five years, if they want to maintain the original brilliant white color. Usually this would not cost more than $50 depending on the style and the make of the ring.
Why a White Gold Engagement Ring?
White gold engagement rings are in fact these days a more popular choice compared to gold and platinum. One simple reason would be cost, as generally white gold is far cheaper than platinum. And the best part of it is that both look almost alike that no one can easily tell them apart. White gold, just like platinum, also has the nature of showing off the brilliance of the diamonds on it, due to the white color of the band.
Besides that, a white gold engagement ring is lighter than other metal engagement rings. This is due to the light weight nature of the white gold, compared to heavier ones such as platinum, gold and silver. A white gold engagement ring is also proven to be stronger or more durable than gold or silver engagement rings. This is because the white gold is generally stronger and more scratch resistant as well.
