White and red gold: which is more expensive than the difference

To expand their production range of jewelry and create products of unprecedented beauty, today jewelers have come up with several types of gold that differ in color and composition. The precious metal palette can have up to 15 different options from light to black tones. However, for ordinary buyers, the most common types (apart from the traditional yellow) are white and red alloys. How do they differ from each other, and what jewelry is better to buy?

What is the difference between white gold and red

So, you have probably already heard that the specific concept of “jewelry gold” does not mean the metal itself with the chemical formula (Au), but rather an alloy of several metals. Usually this:

• silver,
• copper,
• zinc,
• palladium.

Making items from pure aurum is completely impractical.. The reason for this is very simple: gold itself is very soft, so the products of this metal are simply impractical, they wear out quickly, lose their shape and scratch. So does it make sense to buy expensive jewelry that will not last long? The market will not forgive this, and the buyer even more so.

In order for gold products to be used for many years, various impurities are added to gold, or, in scientific terms, ligature.

Depending on what percentage of impurities was added to pure aurum, it depends: the color of gold, its wear resistance and other parameters.

Red gold parameters

The composition of the red precious alloy included 58,5% pure gold (Au), 33,5% copper (Cu), 8% silver (Ag). It is only due to copper impurities that red gold has a pleasant warm pink color. Silver is added to prevent oxidation and darkening of the precious jewelry.

This type of alloy is popular because it goes well with almost any stone, looks elegant, attractive and self-sufficient. Moreover, such jewelry is not fabulously expensive and is available to a wide range of consumers.

white precious metal

Composed of white gold includes 58,5% pure gold (Au), 28,7% silver (Ag), 8,7% zinc (Zn), 16% palladium (Pd), 17% nickel (Ni). A characteristic feature of this alloy is precisely that it does not contain copper, but the ligature is exclusively made of white metals. As a result, the alloy turns out to be a beautiful cold steel color. Sometimes you can find a slight pink or yellow tint, and in order to get rid of this effect, jewelers cover the product with a thin layer of rhodium.

In addition to color rhodium gives jewelry increased durability, wear resistance and prolong the service life of accessories. Also, the rhodium-plated coating prevents human skin from contacting allergenic nickel components.

Did you know that in the countries of the European Union, the use of nickel in the production of a white precious metal alloy is strictly prohibited so as not to cause an allergic reaction in people.

As a replacement for nickel palladium is widely used. Products with this additive in beauty and appearance are not inferior to accessories made of an alloy with nickel. However, palladium is considered less durable, therefore, for the manufacture of the thinnest bracelets, small rings, chains of fragile openwork weaving and complex designs, it is rather problematic to use such material, since intricate bends and various sharp corners lose their original appearance over time.

The white type of alloy is considered quite young. It became the most popular in the XNUMXth century. This material gained its fame thanks to the discovery of synthetic diamonds, which became available to the general public. In a white frame, brilliant diamonds look much more attractive, since the gray color of the alloy allows the stone to shimmer with more saturation.

Marketers say that it is white gold that is gaining more and more popularity among young generation and is considered the most fashionable and advanced. Therefore, the market began to produce more products from white alloy than from red.

Now you clearly understand what is the difference between white gold and red. Despite the fact that both types of material belong to the 585 sample, since they contain 58,5% pure aurum, the main difference between them is in the composition of the ligature, i.e. set of impurities.

Which gold is more expensive: red or white

It is definitely not possible to say clearly which gold alloy is more expensive today and which is cheaper. Much depends on the trends and whims of fashion. If for some period some products are considered more trendy than others, then their price is artificially inflated due to the high demand for such products.

White gold price per gram can vary from 25 to 100 dollars. And the cost of red is from 15 to 75 dollars per gram. However, these figures are approximate. Pricing depends on many things, not the least of which is the US dollar exchange rate. The reason for this is very simple: today many capitals are stored not in paper currency, but in gold.

Talk specifically about what alloy is better to buy jewelry today, is also quite difficult. Here, most likely, you need to ask a question to marketers, bankers or economists who evaluate gold products not as beautiful jewelry, but in the form of ingots that are meekly stored in bank cells.

When choosing a product from one or another metal, it is better guided by the purpose of the purchase. If you want to buy yourself a gold item as a decoration, then here you can take such an accessory, which is currently considered fashionable. But if you decide to invest money in the jewel of the product, then, most likely, it is better to buy an option from the usual 585-karat red gold that is familiar to us. This type of alloy is unlikely to ever lose its value and will always be very expensive.

Is it possible to wear these types of gold together

In Soviet times, finding a product in which several shades of gold touched was quite problematic. As a rule, decorations were made in one shade. Why it is so, and not otherwise, is difficult to answer. But the fact remains, that was the fashion.

Today in order to satisfy all taste preferences of customers jewelers are experimenting with different combinations of gold, creating jewelry that is magnificent in shape, weaving and appearance, which can be matched to any style of clothing, outfit and accessories. Both colors of the metal are perfectly combined in one or more products and set off the natural brilliance of the precious metal.

Notwithstanding what has been said, there are still some prohibitions. For example, it is still considered inappropriate to wear red alloy rings and a white bracelet together, or steel-colored earrings with a red chain and pendants. But to combine a pendant made of white gold and a chain and red today is quite acceptable.

Modern fashion is quite calm about jewelry that combines red and white gold.

Stylists give us some tips todayhow you can combine jewelry made of metals of different colors. For example, you have a beautiful white gold engagement ring, but your husband gave you a magnificent red metal ring for some holiday. Wouldn't you take off your engagement ring to put on a piece of jewelry donated later? Stylists say that in this case you can wear both products on one hand, but in this case, the image will need to be supplemented with an accessory made of two alloys of different colors, for example, in the form of a red gold chain and a white pendant, wristwatches of different colors alloys or earrings. Such a combination of accessories today is quite acceptable in one image.

Which gold is better

Now let's talk a little about which alloy is the most convenient to use.

Benefits of red gold:

• strength and durability;
• does not fade;
• goes well with many types of gems;
• difficult to deform;
• practically does not cause allergic reactions, therefore this type of alloy is recommended by doctors for allergy sufferers;
• has medicinal properties due to copper impurities.

Advantages of white precious alloy:

• resistant to deformation;
• has high strength, due to which it perfectly holds various forms of precious stones;
• does not fade over time;
• most often has a rhodium coating. which prolongs the life of the jewelry.

In terms of attractiveness both alloys are very elegant and noteworthy. However, white gold has another advantage. This alloy can be easily disguised as silver if necessary. Why do that? A few decades ago, it was believed that it was absolutely impossible to wear silver and gold jewelry together. Probably, such an opinion has developed so that the ladies do not overdo it with heterogeneous accessories in order not to look ridiculous. In this case, white gold rescued the beauties, which from a distance cannot be distinguished from silver. However, today the bad manners for the combination of gold and silver in one image has been abolished a little, so the cunning disguise has become unnecessary.

From interesting. Experts claim that gold colorworn by a person, usually depends on the personality type. Kind, bright open, creative people usually buy an alloy of a warm shade, and also prefer stones of sunny tones. And cold, closed, unsociable people are more fond of steel gold and stones of white or dark tones. Also, the color of jewelry very much depends on the mood. Usually this parallel is observed in the behavior of our beloved ladies.

If a girl puts on red gold, then she is doing well in her personal life, at work, in family relationships and, of course, her mood is also sunny. But the ladies who prefer white products are most often in a very focused, fighting mood, sometimes you can even say that these people are prone to depression. These are mostly women in leadership positions, "businessmen", teachers, doctors, police officers.

If you woke up in a bad mood and want to raise it, then put on red gold. And if you have a hard day ahead, and you have to solve a lot of unpleasant issues, then a piece of white gold will be a great helper for you.

What gold to wear with what stones

We have already told you that white gold is best paired with diamonds. There are two main reasons for this:

1. White gold is slightly stronger than red, so the stones are fixed in it with greater reliability.
2. Steel alloy better sets off the magnificent reflection of white and black stones.

However, in addition to diamonds, there is also a list of stones that are best combined with a white alloy, according to modern stylists. Also, steel metal is often combined with amethysts and sapphires. Stones of deep saturated blue and violet tones (from bright to almost transparent) look great against the cold silvery background of a noble alloy.

Often, white earrings and rings are decorated with sea stone. aquamarine. Its deep color plays beautifully and shimmers in steel-colored gold.

Can emphasize the elegance of this alloy and stone labrador. Its delicate yellow-blue tints and unique pattern will make an excellent company for the ice metal.

Red gold is considered a very bright metal, so transparent or translucent stones in warm colors are best suited for it.

What about red gold? One of the perks of our favorite red alloy is pearls. Often, jewelers say that the mother-of-pearl color looks best in the usual alloy with copper. Pearls can also be inserted into the white material, but their chic and splendor is lost and the whole product does not look so pretentious and beautiful. It is for these reasons that stylists recommend pairing pearl strands with red alloy rings and earrings. So your image will look complete, adult, well-chosen and moderately decorated.

The optimal stones for inlaying in warm gold are considered to be the following crystals:

• ruby;
• Garnet;
• yellow sapphire;
• amber (and other yellow stones);
• hyacinth;
• chrysolite;
• combinations of white and black diamonds;
• spinel;
• Emerald.

You can say that amber is almost impossible to find in gold, usually this stone is instructed in silver. And in a way, you'd be right. Amber belongs to ornamental stones, and it is practically not used together with expensive gold. Here the rule plays: "The status does not fit." However, such items can be made to order by a jeweler, and believe me, the combination of red gold and sunstone looks simply royal.

As for emeralds, rubies and garnets, then they are recommended to be worn only in red gold. The different metal tone of the jewelry simplifies the magnificence of these stones, making them look like regular costume jewelry. Therefore, if you are offered to buy a ruby ​​in silver or white gold, think twice.

So, we hope that today you have learned more interesting information about the different types of gold and now it will be easier for you to navigate the gold jewelry market. And if you still haven’t decided which alloy you prefer red or white, then there is a great way out: buy your favorite jewelry made of both white and red gold. In this case, you do not have to choose between products and there is an accessory for any color of clothing and for any mood.