Some prefer the lustrous bright glow of yellow gold, some go for the passionate white gold and others love the romantic appeal of rose gold. Before you decide on your favorite, let us understand the difference between Yellow, White and Rose Gold. 

 

Q. What is the difference between Yellow Gold, White Gold & Rose Gold?

Yellow Gold

Gold in its purest form, when extracted and mined has a distinctive bright yellow eye catching appearance. It has 99.9% content of pure gold, which makes it the most malleable metal and its shape can be easily deformed as it lacks durability and strength. Thus, it becomes very difficult to craft jewellery in 24K pure gold.

To overcome the above challenge, pure 24K gold is mixed with other metals like silver, copper, zinc etc. to form an alloy which is used to make durable gold/diamond jewellery.

So, it is the alloy which is used to make jewellery. Now, different gold karats are determined depending upon the ratio of pure gold and other metals that we use. To get 18K Yellow Gold, 75% of pure gold is mixed with 25% of other metals mostly silver, zinc and copper to give more strength and durability to the jewellery items.

Similarly, to make 22K Yellow Gold Jewellery, an alloy (consisting of 91.6% pure gold and 8.4% of other metals mostly silver) is used. 22K Gold being soft is used to make plain gold jewellery and not diamond jewellery.

White Gold

Elegant and striking, white gold is the most preferred choice when it comes to diamond engagement rings. The major difference between between white gold and yellow/rose gold is that, white gold jewellery is made of pure gold and other white metals like silver, palladium, nickel.

For eg: 18Kt White gold jewellery is made up of an alloy consisting 75% of pure gold and 25% of white metals mostly silver.

If you like the platinum look but want something much more affordable with guaranteed lifetime buyback/exchange then white gold is a fantastic choice.

The finished product of white gold jewellery has a very slight yellowish tint on which rhodium plating/polishing is done to give it the perfect look.

Rhodium is actually the metal which makes white gold more durable and gives it the white color. It is silvery white in color, is a sturdy metal and hypoallergenic which prevents white gold from tarnishing.

Over time this rhodium polish can wear off, on jewellery worn regularly and exposed to chemicals such as perfume/cosmetics. This polishing/plating can be easily re-done to give the jewellery a brand new and brilliant look.

Rose Gold

With a romantic and unique appeal, rose gold has gained tremendous popularity in the 21st century. The concept of rose gold also called as ‘Russian Gold’ started in Russia in 19th century through which it gained popularity across the world. The most durable among other alloys, rose gold is made of pure gold and copper mostly.

For eg: 14Kt Rose Gold Diamond Ring has 58.3% content of pure gold and 41.7% of other metals mostly copper which gives it the strength and color. The higher the copper content, the stronger its red color and more durability.

Rose Gold in the 21st century has won the hearts of a lot of women and is gaining popularity in engagement and wedding rings.