White gold engagement rings have a cool sophistication and understated glamour which makes them highly desirable. Fans include Jennifer Aniston, Eva Longoria and Elizabeth Hurley who have all owned one of their own. They offer the same steely contemporary look as their platinum counterparts but come with a smaller price tag, which makes them instantly endearing during this credit crunch time. In fact their original conception came out of a period of financial hardship.
Shortly after the First World War, white jewellery was incredibly popular but as much of the platinum resources had been used up, the cost of this already expensive material had risen considerably. Its' toughness and the sheer amount of labour needed to make platinum jewellery is what make it so value. A replacement was needed that was stronger than silver, another alternative, but more affordable than platinum.
All gold used in jewellery is generally not pure as it is incredibly malleable and soft. Instead it is made up of an alloy with other metals. So to create white gold, metals were added that would have a bleaching effect on the gold such as nickel, silver and platinum. The combination creates a light grey colour. To make it so it is indistinguishable from platinum, it can be coated with a white metal such as rhodium to make it even lighter. To keep it at this shade it needs to be re-coated everything 1-2 years. It costs approximately £20 and most jewellers will do this.
During the Art Deco period it was common place to see these kinds of engagement rings. White gold was very fashionable then, as it is now. More modern versions of these rings exist in the form of the white gold princess cut engagement ring which uses the most recent of diamond cuts to create a stylish and dazzling item, worthy of representing a lifetime of happiness. Different engagement ring sets and diamond cuts however can literally transform the look and provide the modern bride-to-be with a virtual deluge of choice when it comes to gold engagement rings.
Print this page