Sterling Silver Or White Gold

Normally white gold consists of gold silver and copper.

Sterling silver or white gold. Sterling silver is mixed with copper which is a less expensive metal. If the silver was any purer then it would be to soft to use. Sterling silver is more prone to tarnish and corrosion because it reacts with oxygen in the air because of its copper content thus requiring more cleaning. The most obvious difference between sterling silver and white gold is the fact they are made from two different precious metals.

Sterling silver is the highest grade of silver that can have any practical use and is usually 92 5 percent silver and 7 5 percent copper. Due to it being an alloy white gold can be found in. Regarding white gold nickel is generally used as the alloy but often white gold is plated with rhodium a silvery white metal in the platinum family. White gold is a harder more durable jewelry and demands less care than sterling jewelry.

Typically white gold is more valuable than sterling silver. Yet if more gold has been placed into the alloy this may cause its color to alter. Unfortunately with time white gold may lose its rhodium coating and show its inner color. While sterling is the same metal alloy in and out.

One of the most common metal allergies is nickel which can be used in both white gold and silver. Sterling silver and white gold both have their pros and cons. White gold is resistant to corrosion because it is commonly rhodium plated. Though in some cases it may be made with lesser quality metals such as a skin irritating metal like nickel typically the higher the purity level gold percentage of white gold the more valuable the piece will be.

It only needs periodic cleaning to maintain its shine. Sterling silver is open to tarnish but white gold is not. Silver durability pure silver and pure gold are soft metals that are not recommended for use in jewelry. To many this makes the piece lose its appeal.

The sterling silver ring is much more affordable than the white gold ring even though they look very similar. Sterling silver is the most affordable white metal on the market today. This is the case because white gold is made up of up to 75 pure gold.