How can I tell what alloy is used in a WG ring?

[MrsDrP]

I'm curious about which alloy is going to be used in my e-ring setting. It's 18k WG, but I'm not sure what kind of WG....how can I tell if it's nickel, palladium, etc? Which is more common?

And in your opinion, which one is better?

The designer who is making the ring is Henri Daussi. Maybe someone knows which alloy they use.

I'm very worried about maintenance on a WG setting

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Well, asking before it is made is a good idea because sometimes they will allow you to express a preference. Some like palladium white gold and Stuller makes a wg that supposedly doesn't need plating called X1. I always ask about alloys even with platinum because it affects hardness. So call your vendor and ask them to call HD!

 

[MrsDrP]

diamondseeker, you rock! You're always so knowledgable about these things!

I think it's too late to express a preference. It really didn't even occur to me to ask. I wanted a platinum setting so I wouldn't have to get it replated, but I found out he actually ordered an 18k WG setting instead to keep the ring within his budget, which I am perfectly okay with!

I will ask my jeweler to find out for me.

Which one do you think is better, nickel or palladium?

My ultimate fear is being able to see faint yellow color on my setting. I know i will have to get it replated periodically...but how often? I've been told different timelines. My mother swears she's never had to get any of her white gold jewelry replated and she's had it for decades. And she's right...none of her WG rings look yellow at all! But i've seen other people's rings that look yellowish after not being replated for 6 months. What's the deal?

And is it true that my ring will eventually be paper thin at the band because of the gold wearing away??

 

[diamondseeker2006]

It has been brought up here before that wg rings from the past didn't seem to yellow as much as current ones do and I don't think I have ever heard an explanation. Maybe they were made with more nickel back then or something. Nickel caused a lot of allergies so I am thinking nickel levels may have been reduced. Body chemistry seems to have something to do with the frequency of needing replating, and so does how you care for your ring. I'd probably choose palladium wg if I had a choice. But I don't even know what the alloy is in my Memoire ring.

I had a yg ring for over 25 years. The shank at the bottom was thin to begin with, so it was a little thinner after wearing it daily for that long. But if your shank is thicker at the bottom, you'll likely have no problem. Worst case scenario is having the shank replaced many years from now!

I think 18k white gold is fine. Where you'll see the yellow is at the bottom of the ring where your hand grasps things. I do have a diamond band in 18k wg, and I do see the faint yellow but have not bothered to get it replated yet. There are pros and cons to both wg and plat, so I woudn't worry too much about it! 18k white gold is certainly used in fine jewelry all the time! I'll look forward to seeing your ring!

 

[MissStepcut]

Like a J or K diamond, white gold alloys don't really turn "yellow," just less "icy white." My e-ring is unplated nickel WG, because I like that creamy look. What color is your diamond?

 

[CharmyPoo]

I really don't mean to be rude but I guess I will come out and say it. Why are you so worried about the alloy in your ring? Honestly, don't stress yourself out over this and focus on what is important. Trust me .. it's not the ring.

 

[MrsDrP]

Thanks diamondseeker!

Like a J or K diamond, white gold alloys don't really turn "yellow," just less "icy white." My e-ring is unplated nickel WG, because I like that creamy look. What color is your diamond?

It's a G colored diamond. Do you have a picture of your ring?

I really don't mean to be rude but I guess I will come out and say it. Why are you so worried about the alloy in your ring? Honestly, don't stress yourself out over this and focus on what is important. Trust me .. it's not the ring.

I get your point, but it's really a matter of curiosity to me. I want to know what kind of maintenance I will have to do on it. I'm somewhat OCD about things like that and I notice details. I had a platinum ring that I would get polished every few weeks or so because the little scratches on the bottom of the shank drove me insane!

 

[yssie]

Like a J or K diamond, white gold alloys don't really turn "yellow," just less "icy white." My e-ring is unplated nickel WG, because I like that creamy look. What color is your diamond?

Mine is unplated wg as well, for the same reason - I love the colour. Mine is 18k alloyed w/ nickel, which I specified. MissSC I think yours is 14k, am I remembering correctly? I ask because my 18k from WF could pass for 10k yg.

If you want to know what alloy is used just ask your vendor! They may not know the exact composition, but they should be able to answer your Ni/Pd question.


Ditto Charmy - at this point the ring is made, correct? So regardless of what we tell you, the fact of the matter is that you're going to have to keep up with the re-plating if you want to retain that brand new icy white chrome look - how often you'll need to plate will depend on what alloy was used, the quality of plating, how often you wear your ring, what sorts of environments you wear it in, your body chemistry...

ETA: you definitely don't want to polish your gold every few weeks, btw!

 

[MrsDrP]

I contacted a representative from Henri Daussi in NYC and she informed me that they use palladium.

Resolved!