Joan had asked if we could check and clean her diamond ring even though she did not buy it from us. We told her it was not a problem. She also asked why her white gold ring was turning yellow and what can she do about it.

Upon inspection we found that it was an 18k white gold ring that was originally plated with Rhodium.

We explained to her that gold is yellow and pure gold is 24k. Eighteen karat gold is eighteen parts out of twenty four which make the gold content 75% the rest is white metals primarily nickel, palladium and zinc. That would mean that the majority of the metal is yellow. The whiter metals will dilute the yellow color a bit but still leave it with a tinge of yellow.

Joan’s ring was rhodium plated which covered the white gold and made it look whiter. Rhodium is a metal in the platinum family and is white in color, but as plating it is just a surface covering and is eventually is worn off exposing the yellowish tinge of the white gold.

We told her that she can have it periodically re-plated, the frequency dependent on how active she is, possibly every year or two.  She could also have it remade in platinum or palladium, other white metals, never having to worry about color changing or plating.

She decided to have it re-plated and to make it in platinum or palladium when she was ready to change the style of the ring, maybe in a year or two.

Russell Oshita, the diamonddude

The Diamond Specialists, Inc.

Diamonds Hawaii