LOOKING AFTER THE METAL
The bright white finish on almost every white gold ring is a thin layer of another metal. What rhodium is, why it is used, and what happens as it wears.
Rhodium is a rare, very white member of the platinum family of metals. It is hard, highly reflective and resistant to tarnish, which makes it an ideal finish for jewellery. It is applied by electroplating: the ring is cleaned and polished, then a very thin layer of rhodium is bonded to its surface.
Gold is naturally yellow. White gold is made by alloying gold with white metals, but the result is usually a soft, slightly warm grey-white rather than a pure white. Rhodium plating gives it the bright, cool white most people expect, and adds a hard surface that resists everyday scratches.
Platinum is naturally white and does not need plating, although it is occasionally rhodium plated for an extra-bright finish. Yellow and rose gold are not plated in white.
There is no fixed answer. The plating wears with friction, so it depends on how the ring is worn. Engagement rings and wedding bands worn every day, and especially side by side, wear fastest. Rings worn occasionally can stay bright for years.
It wears first where the ring touches most: the underside of the band, and the sides where it rubs against a neighbouring ring.
A faint warm or yellowish tint where the band meets the fingers, a slightly greyer look overall, or a difference in colour between the ring and the band beside it. None of this is a fault in the metal. It is simply the gold beneath showing through.
A jeweller cleans the ring thoroughly, polishes away surface scratches, then re-plates it. The ring comes back looking new. Some gemstones, and stones that have been treated, need protecting during the process, so a good jeweller checks the stones first. A ring that has been resized or repaired will usually need re-plating afterwards, as the work disturbs the finish.
Some people like the soft, natural tone of unplated white gold and let it show. Others choose platinum, which is white all the way through and never needs plating. Our platinum vs white gold guide compares the two.
A very thin layer of rhodium, a bright white metal from the platinum family, electroplated onto jewellery. It gives white gold its bright white finish.
It depends on wear. Rings worn every day, especially beside another ring, need it more often than rings worn occasionally.
No. Diamonds are unaffected. Some coloured and treated gemstones need protecting during plating, so a jeweller checks the stones first.
No. Platinum is naturally white all the way through. It is occasionally plated for an extra-bright finish, but it does not need it.
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