White Gold Metals
Also: whiteners, bleaching metals (gold)
White gold metals are those precious and base metals that give gold a silvery-white colour when used as alloying partners — above all palladium, platinum and nickel.
White gold metals are alloying partners that give gold its characteristic silvery-white colour. Because pure gold (fine gold 999) is naturally a rich yellow, metals are deliberately added to it that optically neutralise or completely mask this yellow tone. Depending on the whitener chosen, alloys with very different properties result — both technically and in terms of skin compatibility and price.
The most important white gold metals at a glance
| Metal | Effect | Typical share | Special feature |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palladium | strongly whitening | 5–15 % | hypoallergenic, valuable |
| Platinum | whitening | up to 10 % | very hard, expensive |
| Nickel | strongly whitening | 8–20 % | cheap, but allergy-inducing |
| Silver | brightening | 10–25 % | slight yellowish residual tone |
Palladium is today regarded as the preferred whitener for high-quality jewellery alloys. It is a platinum group metal, hypoallergenic, and gives 750 white gold (18 carat) a natural whiteness without a rhodium coating being strictly necessary. Pd white gold typically contains 5–15 % palladium alongside further alloying metals such as silver or copper.
Platinum as a whitener likewise produces a very bright, allergen-free alloy, but because of its high price it is encountered less often. More frequently platinum is used as a standalone jewellery metal in pure alloys (950 Pt).
Nickel was until the 1990s the most widespread whitener. Since the EU Nickel Directive (Directive 94/27/EC, carried forward into REACH) nickel content in jewellery has been strictly limited, because nickel frequently triggers contact allergies. Older white gold therefore often still contains nickel — recognisable by the stronger yellow tinge once the rhodium plating has worn away.
Rhodium plating as surface protection
Most white gold jewellery pieces finally receive a rhodium plating — an electroplated layer of rhodium (0.1–0.5 µm). Rhodium is a platinum group metal, extremely hard and corrosion-resistant, and considerably intensifies the white appearance. After years of wear the layer rubs off and exposes the slight yellow tone of the base alloy; a refresh at the jeweller is then customary.
Price and market significance
The palladium price and the platinum price directly influence the input cost of white gold alloys. Rising palladium prices — as between 2016 and 2022 — can prompt manufacturers to switch to nickel or higher silver shares. The melt value of a white gold piece therefore results not from the gold content alone, but from the entire alloy composition.
Note: Statements on the tax treatment or return prospects of white gold alloys do not constitute tax or investment advice.
In brief
White gold is created by the deliberate addition of palladium, platinum or nickel to fine gold; the choice of whitener determines the colour, skin compatibility and price of the alloy. A final rhodium plating provides the striking high gloss and protects the surface.