Any gold experts out there?

[kjessop]

Hi… long time lurker looking for help! I am looking to buy what is essentially a paperclip/figaro hybrid necklace. I’ve found a few options, but they are all 14 kt yellow gold, and I want white gold. One jeweller told me she can rhodium dip the yellow and it’ll be all good. Anyone know if the rhodium will be durable as a necklace? Not gonna lie… I’ll wear the crap out of the necklace. All day every day… swimming… showering… you name it. thank you!

 

[marymm]

Not an expert but here's what I know:

White gold usually is rhodium plated.

Chlorine, water, and other substances over time do erode the rhodium to reveal the natural (unplated) gold color.

If you wear the necklace all the time, you may want to buy it from a local jeweler so you can have it regularly replated with rhodium (i.e., rhodium dip). Rhodium dips vary in price by vendor and by thickness of the dip.

I do believe you'd be better off buying the necklace in white gold however. Unlike yellow gold, white gold contains either nickel or palladium which serve to whiten out the color of the gold. So even if the rhodium finish erodes, the gold underneath reads white, which I think is your preference.

If you buy the yellow gold necklace and have it dipped, as the rhodium wears off (and it usually wears off somewhat unevenly) your necklace will appear yellow in those areas.

If you're having trouble finding what you want in white gold, maybe post another thread asking for help in searching, and include a photo of the exact style of chain you want (even if the inspiration photo is in yellow gold) and specify you want it in white gold.

Good luck!

 

[theredspinel]

The rhodium plating on top of a white gold necklace just gives it a sharper whiter finish, however rhodium plating on top of a yellow gold piece (that will be so heavily worn) is imo not a good idea at all. It’ll wear away within the month and reveal an unsightly yellow tinge.

 

[Lakefront]

Don’t plate the yellow gold, at least not on a well worn chain. The links are in constant motion and rub against each other. The plating won’t last long and you’ll be left with an uneven color. I’d wait for the white gold chain.

 

[pearlsngems]

I used to wear my white gold rings in the therapeutic pool where I worked. In just a few months I had to have the prongs repaired due to damage from the chlorine. The jeweler said that white gold is even more susceptible to corrosion from chlorine than yellow gold.

Needless to say, I stopped wearing my rings in the pool.

 

[kjessop]

Thank you all! I didn’t think it made sense… and I found a local jeweller who is going to create it from scratch in white gold!

 

[lala646]

If you decide you prefer to go pre-made, I really like Goldmania on Etsy. She has WG paperclip chains in tons of different sizes, and I find her chains to be of high quality. I especially like that she will tell you the weight of the chain, unlike a lot of other vendors.

GOLDMANIA - Etsy

Shop Gold Chains Etc at Wholesale Price by GOLDMANIA located in New York, United States. Smooth shipping! Has a history of shipping on time with tracking. Speedy replies! Has a history of replying to messages quickly. Rave reviews! Average review rating is 4.8 or higher

www.etsy.com

 

[kjessop]

thank you for the recommendation. I am actually looking for a paperclip/link chain like this (but all white). I looked on goldmania’s store and didn't see any. but thanks!