19K Gold does not turn yellow - please weigh in experts

[laylah]

I'm not sure if I am asking this in the right place, but I have a 19K white gold ring that doesn't turn yellow. It was sold to me with that guarantee - and guess what? It doesn't. All my 18K wg jewellery does.

Do any experts know the reason why? I have been asked why, but I don't have the answer. Are there different alloys being used?

Thanks!

 

[Niel]

well it will probably change colors with the oils of your skin, but WG "turns yellow" because the rhodium plating wears off, RG isnt plated so its colors wont fade, other than the changing it might have with your skin and oils and elements.

 

[heididdl]

White gold tends to yellow over time.

19k white gold is a proprietary product manufactured in Canada. It contains nickel. It is super-white, resists scratching, does not yellow,

 

[Karl_K]

There are different alloys of 19k on the market:

19k high nickel WG - very white, rock hard, can be brittle, can cause allergy issues.
19k palladium WG- not as white, not as hard, done right it is good but it is fussy to get right.
19k x1 WG from stuller - high nickel but in a blend that passes the European nickel release tests barely. Whiteness is about the same as palladium WG but is harder. More likely to cause allergic reactions than 14kx1 and palladium WG but not nearly as much as 19k high nickel. Limited availability is a problem.

14k x1 from stuller is likely the whitest WG and very tough and durable.
It is a nickel based alloy but passes European nickel release standards by a wide margin so is not allergenic to most people.
Limited availability is a problem.

 

[loralea]

There are different alloys of 19k on the market:

19k high nickel WG - very white, rock hard, can be brittle, can cause allergy issues.
19k palladium WG- not as white, not as hard, done right it is good but it is fussy to get right.
19k x1 WG from stuller - high nickel but in a blend that passes the European nickel release tests barely. Whiteness is about the same as palladium WG but is harder. More likely to cause allergic reactions than 14kx1 and palladium WG but not nearly as much as 19k high nickel. Limited availability is a problem.

14k x1 from stuller is likely the whitest WG and very tough and durable.
It is a nickel based alloy but passes European nickel release standards by a wide margin so is not allergenic to most people.
Limited availability is a problem.

I also have nickel allergies, so if I get a 19K WG palladium it shouldn't react to my skin, right? The 19K x 1 WG, what does the "x1 WG mean"? The jeweller I deal with has offered 19K as an alternative and has said it won't yellow. I assume that must mean it's the 19K with palladium. When you say "fussy" to get right, could you explain?

 

[Christina...]

There are different alloys of 19k on the market:

19k high nickel WG - very white, rock hard, can be brittle, can cause allergy issues.
19k palladium WG- not as white, not as hard, done right it is good but it is fussy to get right.
19k x1 WG from stuller - high nickel but in a blend that passes the European nickel release tests barely. Whiteness is about the same as palladium WG but is harder. More likely to cause allergic reactions than 14kx1 and palladium WG but not nearly as much as 19k high nickel. Limited availability is a problem.

14k x1 from stuller is likely the whitest WG and very tough and durable.
It is a nickel based alloy but passes European nickel release standards by a wide margin so is not allergenic to most people.
Limited availability is a problem.

I also have nickel allergies, so if I get a 19K WG palladium it shouldn't react to my skin, right? The 19K x 1 WG, what does the "x1 WG mean"? The jeweller I deal with has offered 19K as an alternative and has said it won't yellow. I assume that must mean it's the 19K with palladium. When you say "fussy" to get right, could you explain?

Palladium is a difficult alloy to work with and many jewelers are just not capable of working with it. It could become difficult to find a good bench or one that will even work on the piece. If you have allergy issues you may want to consider platinum.

 

[loralea]

Thanks Christina. A lot of people are going for palladium right now. I haven't seen anything here in Canada. I do suspect there must be palladium in my 19K ring though.

It would be interesting to know what the percentage of palladium/gold vs nickel/gold is used in order to pass the nickel releas standards in Europe. (nickel is banned I believe).