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Unplated White Gold for O/P OEC

nowicanseethemoon

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I'm working on a bezel setting reminiscent of the Fred Leighton bezel setting seen here: https://www.pricescope.com/communit...-gold-milgrain-bezel-setting-from-erd.176615/ for my O/P OEC. I want to use unplated white gold and am planning to have Adam at OWD make the setting. I've read the white gold threads I can find and have tried to learn as much as I can about the different alloys. It is my understanding that a gold/palladium alloy gives you a whiter metal, but that gold/nickel is more common. Is that correct? Also, Adam recommended 14k unplated WG, but a lot of what I've seen here is 18k. Why should I choose one vs the other? Anything else I should discuss or inquire about during this process? Thanks so much for sharing your expertise.
 

Niel

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Do you want it to look of white or a soft yellow? I think that's the main reason to pick 14 k over 18k unplated white.
 

cygnet

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My ring is unplated 14KW and it's definitely a very soft off-white. Warm in tone, but not noticeably yellow. I don't know the exact recipe because Jeff Cooper doesn't give out that info, but I know it's alloyed with nickel and there's no palladium. I had to specifically request there be no palladium alloy, which is why I ended up with 14K rather than 18K. Palladium WILL make it whiter.

It was hard to accurately capture the color of the metal on camera, but I think it looks most true to life in the photo and video below:

http://youtu.be/LZ4lao0m5PE

wp_20130905_125.jpg

Hooray! I'm so glad you're getting the stone you wanted ::)
 

Niel

Super_Ideal_Rock
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I think you might be disappointed if you went 14k. Its not yellow.

Here's mine. Its JA, I don't know the alloy buy easy to ask a sales associate. (Its 14k)
uploadfromtaptalk1377877713350.jpg
 

Niel

Super_Ideal_Rock
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Heres sonyachancs gold. I think its 18k.... at least. This is what i imagine your probably going for.

uploadfromtaptalk1380951709529.jpg
 

liaerfbv

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Welcome to obsessing about metal! :lol:

My first custom e-ring was 14k unplated wg and it was pretty white. I did not know the alloy. I had it set with a G MRB and the color match was perfect. My 2nd was unplated 18k wg with palladium with my N OEC and it was a soft yellowy white. I had a really hard time pairing bands with it bc plated white gold was too white, plat looked gray, it looked best with yellow gold bands.

I realized that while I loved the color of my old setting, it always bothered me at the same time. Have you seen unplated metal IRL? I will try to post some pics for you today of that setting with diff bands so you can see the tones I'm talking about.
 

nowicanseethemoon

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Thank you Cygnet and Niel for the photos. I like both of your 14k rings - pretty color, soft but not yellow. I also really like the look of Yssie's DBL 5 stone and it's a gold/palladium mix. Lia, the band issue is of some concern so I'm anxious to see your photos. Thank you all so much for your help. I've not seen unplated WG IRL. I mentioned it in a local jewelry store last weekend and the owner got really offended. Like I was saying plating was bad, which I wasn't. I was just curious if they ever had any rings that weren't plated. Needless to say, looking locally isn't going to be an option! ;-)
 

packrat

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My AVC three stone is unplated 18k wg from Single Stone. I'd never seen it IRL before either, just pics on the internet, and I'd been a little anxious about it, but it's perfectly perfect w/my L/M stones. There isn't the harshness of the rhodium, it's just completely soft and...I don't know, gorgeous!

100_20.jpg
 

cygnet

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nowicanseethemoon|1380978957|3532647 said:
Thank you Cygnet and Niel for the photos. I like both of your 14k rings - pretty color, soft but not yellow. I also really like the look of Yssie's DBL 5 stone and it's a gold/palladium mix. Lia, the band issue is of some concern so I'm anxious to see your photos. Thank you all so much for your help. I've not seen unplated WG IRL. I mentioned it in a local jewelry store last weekend and the owner got really offended. Like I was saying plating was bad, which I wasn't. I was just curious if they ever had any rings that weren't plated. Needless to say, looking locally isn't going to be an option! ;-)

You are most welcome for the help! :)

I think that in general, an 18K ring will be a little yellower than a 14K one simply because of the higher gold content. But this is really truly dependent on what that gold is alloyed with, because again, palladium will be pretty white. I think you would actually be slightly disappointed if you got a ring that's Pd-WG. For a brief moment I had an 18K Pd-WG mounting from DBL, and honestly, it looked like it was rhodium plated. If I put it next to rhodium plated pieces I could see a difference but on its own it was very white with a very slight greyish hue.

On a side note, I am completely OBSESSED with packrat's rings and I was really hoping I'd get something the color of hers. I LOVE IT. :love:
Sadly the recipe is SS's proprietary information. I almost wanted to have SS do my ring though because I wanted that gold so bad. My gold ended up being a little lighter than hers but it's still pretty good. Seriously though those rings are so pretty. Slurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrp. :lickout:

Stuller makes a soft white 18K alloy that is quite lovely. Yssie can correct me if I'm wrong, but I think her original Butterflies 3 stone was made with the Stuller soft white.
 

packrat

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Oh Cygnet, that is so incredibly nice of you to say! They're not a "normal" PS look, so thank you!
 

SB621

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Hello again! Have we met before?! :naughty:

I was actually talking about this with SK the other day. 14k unplated WG will always look at bit whiter then 18k unplated WG which will have more of a softer color. Overall if you want more contrast between your O/P and the metal I would do 14k. If you want less contrast I would do 18k.

Here is a link with all M and under diamonds. Many PSer's choice unplated white gold so this might help you: [URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/show-me-your-m-and-under-diamonds-please.180912/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/show-me-your-m-and-under-diamonds-please.180912/[/URL]

My unplated 18k unplated WG ring by Steven: [URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/steven-kirsch-jbeg-owd-yssie-2-62ctw-oec-3-stone-goodness.184650/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/steven-kirsch-jbeg-owd-yssie-2-62ctw-oec-3-stone-goodness.184650/[/URL]
 

liaerfbv

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Ok I took some shots for you and dug up some old ones that show the contrast:


Unplated 18k wg with palladium alloy (my JBEG Julia), and my new platinum ERD reset on the bottom. Don't shoot me because I haven't done a SMTB thread yet, I just got it on Thursday and I've been at a probate seminar all weekend for work.


Another shot of same.


Yellow gold, unplated 18k, platinum.


Yellow gold, unplated 18k, plated 14k wg, platinum.

photo_334.jpg

photo_335.jpg

photo_336.jpg

photo_337.jpg
 

liaerfbv

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With plated 18k white gold.


Another shot.


I feel as though I've taken over this thread with my hand. :oops:

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_10608.jpg
 

nowicanseethemoon

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Hiya SB!

Packrat, your SS is gorgeous and that white gold is gorgeous. SB, I love the color of your WG too.

If I tell Adam I think the Stuller 18k soft gold will I be safe?

Thanks Lia! These are great. I'll look at them when I get home so I can really see the difference. Can't wait for the SMTB thread!
 

Rosebloom

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I'm no help with your metal question but can I just say I CANNOT WAIT to see this ring! That Fred Leighton has been one of my favorites since that picture was first published in MS Weddings. It's just stunning.
 

SB621

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nowicanseethemoon|1381004969|3532824 said:
Hiya SB!

Packrat, your SS is gorgeous and that white gold is gorgeous. SB, I love the color of your WG too.

If I tell Adam I think the Stuller 18k soft gold will I be safe?

Thanks Lia! These are great. I'll look at them when I get home so I can really see the difference. Can't wait for the SMTB thread!


My personal opinion but I would do 18k unplated. I like the blending of color vs. contrast. I think the contrast would bother you a bit.
 

nowicanseethemoon

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Rosebloom - thank you! I can't wait to see how the whole project turns out.

SB - I think you're absolutely right. The cost to do platinum isn't that much more than gold and if I wanted white, I would go that route. The problem I'm having is getting something that's pale and creamy like yours without having it be too yellow. I'm scared of too yellow.
 

SB621

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nowicanseethemoon|1381018817|3532896 said:
Rosebloom - thank you! I can't wait to see how the whole project turns out.

SB - I think you're absolutely right. The cost to do platinum isn't that much more than gold and if I wanted white, I would go that route. The problem I'm having is getting something that's pale and creamy like yours without having it be too yellow. I'm scared of too yellow.


I think you might want to discuss your fear with Adam. I bet he will say do it in unplated 18k and if you think it is too yellow they will redo it in another color. See what options he gives you. When he did my rosebud setting he told me if I hated it they would recast it completely new to the way I wanted it.
 

nowicanseethemoon

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SB621|1381019770|3532907 said:
nowicanseethemoon|1381018817|3532896 said:
Rosebloom - thank you! I can't wait to see how the whole project turns out.

SB - I think you're absolutely right. The cost to do platinum isn't that much more than gold and if I wanted white, I would go that route. The problem I'm having is getting something that's pale and creamy like yours without having it be too yellow. I'm scared of too yellow.


I think you might want to discuss your fear with Adam. I bet he will say do it in unplated 18k and if you think it is too yellow they will redo it in another color. See what options he gives you. When he did my rosebud setting he told me if I hated it they would recast it completely new to the way I wanted it.

Sweet! I will talk to him tomorrow and see what he says. Thanks for your help. Fingers crossed that this turns out how I imagine it.
 

luvsdmb

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Niel|1380951506|3532591 said:
I think you might be disappointed if you went 14k. Its not yellow.

Here's mine. Its JA, I don't know the alloy buy easy to ask a sales associate. (Its 14k)
uploadfromtaptalk1377877713350.jpg

Niel

If possible I would love to see a picture with this ring compared with a plated 14K ring.
I'm also thinking of using unplated 14K for my ring.
Thanks
 

luvsdmb

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nowicanseethemoon,

Just curious with which metal you decided to use?
 
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