On Tue, 05 Jul 2005 18:16:56 -0700, in ¤õ "m4816k"
wrote:

14k vs. 18k?
Palladium vs. nickel?

Which brings the best white color? Thanks!



As other posts will have suggested, there are lots of mixed feelings about white
gold. Abrasha's comment in particular sums up the feelings of many, including
myself.

Nevertheless, while white golds can be highly unpopular with those who actually
have to work with the stuff, it remains popular enough with those who buy and sell
jewelry made with it, since they're not the folks who have to struggle to make the
metal do what is desired.

In general, the palladium based white gold alloys are usually reasonably
workable, but have a tendancy towards a darker color, variously described as
brownish or yellowish. But this isn't universal. Depending on the particular
alloy, some are better color than others, generally in my experience, at the
expense of that workability. If you don't mind the darker toned color, some of
the palladium based white golds can be decent enough to work with. You still have
issues with solders being different hardness or color, and frequent problems with
porosity in casting, depending on your casting methods, but nevertheless, it can
be workable.

Nickle based white golds are different. They vary a great deal in color, from
decidely yellowish, to very very white. The very white alloys can be almost the
same color as platinum, and get that by very high percentages of nickle. These,
unlike most other white golds, are white enough so as to not require or benefit
from rhodium plating. However, in general, whether they are workable or not
depends on whether one is talking to a goldsmith or a metals dealer. The sellers
will present them as workable, and they can indeed be cast, and with good
equipment, rolled and drawn, etc. But if you talk to the goldsmiths (many of us)
you'll find a degree of hate and disgust that may amaze you. The better color
white golds, especially the high nickle 18K alloys, can be actually harder than
your steel tools (I have hammers with distinct dents in them from the white gold),
and brittle enough and unpredictable enough as to be sometimes almost unworkable.
I know at least one diamond setter who actually quit his job when his employer
switched to these alloys. He said he simply could not raise beads in the stuff,
and it was ruining his hammer handpiece, his hands, and his self confidence. he
quit and went somewhere else, where they were working mostly in platinum. Now
he's a happy camper... And I myself have had jobs where I was supposed to
fabricate something in these white golds where, after multiple tries to get the
metal to cooperate, I've simply given up and made the thing in platinum. Platinum
is more costly, of course, but I figured the time it was going to save would make
up the difference. I always, by the way, tell my employer when I've done this,
making sure he understands the economics of his decision to specify white gold in
these orders, in the no doubt vain hope that someday he'll agree with me and just
dump the stuff. hasn't happened yet.

So what's the best white gold?

That's easy. Platinum.

Peter