Do not confuse the term carat as it applies to gemstones like Tiffany diamonds. Gemstone carats refer to the weight of the stone and are not a reflection of purity. As with any type of gold Tiffany jewelry, the more carats, the purer the gold is. Eighteen carat gold contains approximately seventy percent gold and twenty five percent of another base metal. Common base metal alloys are silver, zinc, nickel and copper.
The process of combining metals is known as alloying. This is a very common metallurgical process that bonds one or metal elements to form a compound. In the manufacturing of white gold, pure gold is alloyed with other metal elements such as nickel, silver or palladium. The higher the gold content the more likely it is that the white gold will appear to have a yellowish hue.
In order to achieve a uniform white color, white gold is always plated with a thin coat of rhodium. Rhodium is a metal that helps to enhance white gold in several ways. Since rhodium is a hard metal element, the coat of rhodium plating makes white gold tiffany jewelry more durable. Rhodium also imparts a very bright shine and gives the gold a white coloration similar to platinum.
Depending on the age of your white gold tiffany jewelry, you may notice that it loses some of its luster over time. If the piece looks dull it is the result of rhodium plating being worn. There is a way to restore the piece to its original luster and whiteness. Many jewelers offer plating service where more rhodium plating is added. This is a common and relatively inexpensive process compared to buying a replacement jewelry piece.
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