White gold is the youngest gold color, engineered in the early 1900s as an affordable substitute for platinum. It is made by alloying gold with white metals such as palladium or nickel, then plating it with rhodium for a bright mirror-white finish. That rhodium layer wears over one to three years and is renewed by replating.
White gold is the only major jewelry metal that began life as an imitation. Created in the early 20th century to mimic the cool brilliance of platinum at a lower price, it has since become one of the most popular metals in fine jewelry. This is the story of white gold, how it is made, the rhodium secret behind its shine, and why it now stands as a classic in its own right.
Invented to imitate platinum
1915
First white gold patent granted
75%
Gold in 18K white gold
Rhodium
The plating behind its bright white
1920s
Art Deco era made it popular
White gold is the youngest of the gold colors, and it was invented for a single reason: to imitate platinum. In the early 20th century platinum was the prestige metal for fine jewelry, but it was costly and, in wartime, restricted. Jewelers wanted a white metal with the same cool brilliance at a fraction of the price, so metallurgists set out to bleach gold's natural yellow.
The breakthrough came in Pforzheim, Germany, the heart of the jewelry trade, where the chemist Karl Richter patented a white gold alloy of gold, nickel and palladium, granted in 1915. In New York around the same time, David Belais developed his own 18 karat white gold and marketed it as Belais. Both arrived as deliberate, affordable answers to platinum.
Born as a platinum substitute
Unlike gold, silver and platinum, which occur in nature, white gold was engineered in a laboratory in the early 1900s for one purpose: to give jewelers the look of platinum at a far lower cost. It is the only major jewelry metal that began as an imitation.
How gold is made white
Pure gold is always warm yellow, so making it white means alloying it with metals that drain the yellow away. Two recipes dominate. Nickel white gold blends gold with nickel, zinc and copper, producing a hard, bright and inexpensive metal, though nickel can cause skin reactions. Palladium white gold uses palladium, a platinum-group metal, which yields a naturally whiter, hypoallergenic alloy that costs more and is slightly softer.
Here is the catch that surprises most buyers: even the best white gold alloy is not the brilliant silver-white you see in a jewelry case. On its own, white gold has a faint warm or grayish cast. The brilliance comes from a finishing step, and that step is the real secret of the metal.
The rhodium secret
Almost all white gold jewelry is finished with a thin coat of rhodium, a rare and brilliantly white member of the platinum family. Electroplated over the alloy in a layer just half a micron to two microns thick, rhodium gives white gold its intense, mirror-bright, reflective finish, and adds a hard protective surface.
The bright white of most white gold comes from a rhodium surface, not the alloy beneath it.
The trade-off is upkeep. That rhodium layer gradually wears with daily contact, typically lasting one to three years before the warmer tone of the alloy beneath begins to show through. Restoring the bright white means having the piece replated, a quick and inexpensive service. This is the key difference from platinum, which is naturally white all the way through and never needs plating, and from rose gold, whose color is built into the metal itself.
White gold purity and types
Because white gold is still gold, its karat works exactly like yellow or rose gold: 18 karat is 75 percent pure gold and 14 karat is 58.3 percent, with the remaining alloy doing the work of changing the color. The choice that matters most is which white metal does that work.
| Type | What is in it | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Nickel white gold | Gold with nickel, zinc, copper | Bright and hard at lower cost; nickel can trigger skin allergies |
| Palladium white gold | Gold with palladium | Naturally whiter and hypoallergenic; costs more and is a little softer |
| Rhodium finish | Rhodium plated over either alloy | The mirror-white surface; wears over 1 to 3 years, then replated |
For everyday wear, 14 karat white gold offers a good balance of durability and value, while 18 karat carries more pure gold. If skin sensitivity is a concern, palladium white gold or platinum is the safer pick, since nickel alloys can cause reactions and are restricted in some markets. For the full lineup side by side, the precious metals comparison guide sets out the options.
Good to Know
Plan on having white gold rhodium replated every one to three years to keep its bright finish, especially for rings, which see the most wear. If you would rather never replate, platinum gives a similar look with no upkeep, at a higher price. The complete guide to white gold jewelry covers choosing and caring for rhodium-plated pieces in full.
White gold today
White gold went from wartime stand-in to the most popular metal in fine jewelry. Its clean, bright look defined the Art Deco era of the 1920s and 1930s, and after the Second World War, with platinum reserved for military use, it became the default white metal for engagement rings and wedding bands, a position it still holds for many buyers today.
What began as an imitation has become a classic in its own right: the platinum look, made accessible. White gold completes the family of gold colors alongside classic yellow gold and rose gold, each made from the same precious metal and set apart only by what it is mixed with.
Gold alloys of a white color are known, for instance gold-nickel, gold-palladium.
Karl Richter, white gold patent (1915)
US Patent 1,165,448, patents.google.com
Further reading: FTC Jewelry Guides. Karl Richter's Pforzheim patent was among the first granted for white gold; the FTC Jewelry Guides govern how gold karatage and content are described in the US.
In Short
1White gold was invented in the early 1900s, with Karl Richter's patent granted in 1915, expressly as an affordable substitute for platinum.
2It is gold alloyed with white metals: nickel white gold is hard and cheaper but can cause allergies, while palladium white gold is whiter and hypoallergenic.
3Most white gold is plated with rhodium for its bright finish, which wears over one to three years and is restored by replating.
Yellow, white, or rose gold?
Our fine jewelry guide explains how the gold colors are made, how they wear, and which suits different styles, budgets and skin types. We will email it to you.
Email Me the Guide →
Every order ships free with a 30-day return policy.
From a laboratory substitute for platinum to the most popular metal for engagement rings, white gold has earned a place of its own in fine jewelry. Knowing that its brilliance comes from a rhodium finish, and that the finish needs occasional renewal, is the key to keeping white gold looking its best for a lifetime. Every order ships free with a 30-day return policy.
Frequently Asked Questions
01
When was white gold invented?
White gold was invented in the early 20th century. The chemist Karl Richter of Pforzheim, Germany was granted a patent for a gold, nickel and palladium white gold alloy in 1915, and David Belais introduced his own white gold in New York soon after. Both were created as affordable substitutes for platinum.
02
Is white gold real gold?
White gold is real gold. An 18 karat white gold piece is 75 percent pure gold and a 14 karat piece is 58.3 percent, the same as yellow gold. The difference is that it is alloyed with white metals such as palladium or nickel rather than the copper used for yellow and rose gold.
03
Why is white gold plated with rhodium?
White gold is plated with rhodium because the alloy on its own has a faint warm or grayish cast rather than a bright white. Rhodium, a brilliant white platinum-group metal, is electroplated in a very thin layer to give white gold its intense mirror-white shine and a harder surface.
04
Does white gold need to be replated?
White gold usually needs replating because its rhodium finish gradually wears with daily use, typically lasting one to three years before the warmer alloy beneath shows through. Replating is a quick, inexpensive service. Platinum, by contrast, is naturally white and never needs plating, as covered in the history of platinum.
05
Is white gold or platinum better?
White gold is more affordable and lighter, while platinum is naturally white, more durable and hypoallergenic but costs more and never needs replating. White gold gives a very similar look at a lower price, provided you are willing to have it replated periodically. The choice comes down to budget and how much upkeep you prefer.
06
Can white gold cause skin allergies?
White gold can cause skin allergies when it is alloyed with nickel, which some people react to, and nickel content is restricted in some markets for that reason. Palladium white gold avoids the problem and is hypoallergenic, as is platinum, making either a better choice for sensitive skin.
