Everything about 585 white gold: what kind of alloy it is, what its composition is and how much 1 gram costs today

Hello friends.

When a person thinks of gold, they imagine a yellow metal. Sometimes red. But not black, brown, blue, green... Right? And here we turn out to be wrong. All these colors exist and sell quite well. True, at different prices.

It is on this issue that I propose to dwell in more detail. What is the price of 14k white gold? What does it depend on? What is white gold made from and why?

I highly recommend reading this article to the end so that, if necessary, you do not buy a copper ring with the addition of gold instead of a gold ring with the addition of copper. And in general, it’s useful to know what white gold is made of.

What kind of sample is this

To begin with, gold in its pure form is soft and malleable. Imagine a ring that costs several thousand and easily becomes deformed when shaking hands.

To add rigidity, various alloys are added to the metal. The ratio of mass fractions of the composition determines the sample of the product. So, o means that the item contains 58.5% gold and 41.5% impurities.

It should be noted that the sample labeling system is used in European countries. It may differ for other manufacturers.

Composition and properties

White gold does not exist in nature. To significantly remove yellowness from the alloy, palladium, silver or platinum is mixed into it.

Due to its average price, 585 is perhaps the most popular among jewelers. In most cases, it is used to make rings, bracelets, and chains.

In Europe and some countries in other regions, the 585 sample is not so popular. Typically 750 and 800 samples are used. But this is connected with investment: in terms of price-quality ratio, the 585th sample looks more attractive.

Strength

Although more than half of the weight is pure metal, which affects the price, jewelry of 585 standard is durable, resistant to deformation and scratches.

Alloy shade chart

Depending on the amount and percentage of metals in the alloy, jewelry acquires its color. Below is a table with the features of some compositions.

The given compositions are typical for production, but not the only ones. Thus, nickel can be included in 585-carat white gold, which will be discussed below.

White gold contains more silver and other valuable metals than the usual yellow alloy, and copper is not used at all. That is why the price of white gold, for example, 585-carat, will be higher than yellow or pink alloys of the same marking.

Brand

Distinctive marks (stamps) were created to guarantee the authenticity of the alloy and determine its real price. They have been around since the 1200s, since the time of King Louis IX of France and Edward I of England. These are some kind of echoes of the very first consumer protection laws. Counterfeiting was punishable by death.

In 1972, a group of European countries signed the Vienna Convention on the Control of Fineness and Marking of Precious Metals.

The presence of a hallmark means that no additional examination is required, and jewelry marked “585” actually contains more than half gold. In some countries, such as Italy, India and China, gold hallmarking is voluntary.

How many carats are in this sample?

Some countries do not use the European system, but measure the purity of gold in carats. In terms of “karatej” (or carat) it meets our standards and looks like this:

The minimum number of carats for an item to be considered gold varies by country. So, in the USA, 10 carats is the minimum acceptable standard. In Austria, Portugal and Ireland it is lower and can be equal to 9.

14 carats, strictly speaking, equals 583 fineness. But since the carat calculation does not provide for the 585th fineness, it was decided to round this value.

Samples of noble alloys

There are several systems for determining fineness in the world, but the most popular are metric, carat and spool. The international standard of carat fineness in conversion corresponds to the following percentage of the noble element:

• 24 Karat – 100% alloy;
• 18 Karat – 75%;
• 14 Karat – 58.5%;
• 12 Carat – 50%;
• 9 Carat – 37.5%;
• 8 Carat – 33.3%.

The high-grade group includes metal containing 24 and 18 carats (999 and 750 samples), the medium - 14 and 12 (585 and 500 samples), and the low-grade group - 9 and 8 carats (375 and 333). The cost of white gold is quite high and depends on the number of carats, that is, the content of the noble element in the jewelry alloy. The approximate price of white gold is determined based on the sample number of the product.

How is white gold made?

Even in ancient Egypt, the most expensive jewelry - beautiful rings, bracelets, pendants - were made of platinum. This went on for centuries.

Platinum pieces, despite the price, were reserved for royalty and the wealthiest people. The situation changed during the Second World War. The army needed platinum for strategic use.

It was used in weapon parts (including chemical ones), instruments, and electric batteries. This directed the efforts of jewelers to create an alternative metal similar to the wonderful platinum.

It turned out that mixing gold with nickel, palladium or zinc will significantly whiten the metal, making it similar to the desired product. Although the war is long over, white gold does not lose its relevance. The main advantage is the price: for the 585th sample it is 4 times lower than the original.

Composition (percentage):

• gold 58.5;
• copper 20;
• nickel 14.5;
• zinc 7.5.

The amount of impurities can vary up or down. Sometimes they even add natural platinum, which immediately affects the price.

Why do you need rhodium plating?

In fact, 14k white gold has a soft yellowish tint that is unattractive. To correct the situation, the finished craft is coated with rhodium. It creates a pleasant white color that lasts from one to five years (depending on careful wear, skin acidity, and the number of jewelry on the fingers).

Rhodium protects the skin from nickel allergies (for those who are predisposed to this) and provides additional protection against scratches.

How to determine the value of a metal?

How to determine the value of a metal? This indicator, however, like the price of white gold, directly depends on the additives used in the alloy (it is called alloy), or more precisely, on their quantity and quality. It is these characteristics that are reflected in the sample, which must be placed on any piece of jewelry.

You should know that there are currently three measuring systems available:

• spool valve (it was popular during Tsarist Russia, but is now practically not used);
• metric (was introduced in the USSR and is still used in the countries of the post-Soviet space);
• carat (Western system that was in effect abroad all the time).

Gold purity and the correspondence of data from different measuring systems are summarized in the table below.

Remember that the fact that this product is made of white gold is evidenced not only by its silvery-white hue and pleasant shine, but also by the presence of a fineness - 990, 958, 750 or 585.

All other engravings, typical for products with a large proportion of aurum in the composition, indicate that this is a piece of yellow gold jewelry (its tint will be either yellow or slightly reddish).

In principle, only products with engraving 750 or 585 (white gold) and 583 (yellow gold) are in demand in the world. All others are less common.

Advantages and disadvantages

There are many advantages. The material is pliable and easy to work with. In this regard, white gold is very popular among jewelers. The jewelry has a brilliant shine, even more attractive than the platinum itself.

There is enough white gold for everyone, it is produced in abundance, available in different segments that determine the price. It is the most popular metal in the engagement ring market. Finally, he is always in fashion.

The only drawback is that the rhodium plating wears off, and the cost of re-rhodium plating is quite high. However, many jewelry companies include this process in their warranty service. If not for this drawback, 585-carat white gold would be a win-win option.

Why do you need rhodium plating?

Experts say that in its properties, white gold is practically in no way inferior to platinum, but has two qualities that allow it to maintain a leading position in the jewelry market:

• the price of white gold is much more affordable;
• it can be used to create products with complex patterns and shapes, giving scope to the imagination of designers.

However, in its finished form, the alloy has a grayish or even yellowish tint, lacking shine. In this case, it is significantly inferior to the usual yellow metal. In order to get rid of this visual defect, specialists use the rhodium plating procedure. Rhodium has a fairly strong and hard structure that allows it to easily withstand:

• blows;
• a fall;
• friction.

The use of rhodium coating improves the quality characteristics of the resulting alloy:

• gives it beauty, shine and attractiveness;
• reliably protects against scratches and other external deformations, which is especially important when wearing the product every day.

Despite its strength, rhodium, like any other metal, can lose its original qualities over time, tarnish and wear out. In this case, to give the product its original shine, specialists use a rhodium plating restoration procedure.

Rhodium plating procedure for silver and gold

If nickel was used in the master alloy, this white gold alloy has a yellow tint and a rhodium plating procedure becomes necessary. This procedure is also carried out to add shine and durability to gold and silver jewelry.

As a result, it is impossible to distinguish 585 white gold from silver. To determine the type of metal, you need to inspect the sample and the shape of the mark on the product. A jewelry mark found on gold jewelry is usually rectangular in shape, while a silver item is stamped in the shape of a barrel. The most reliable way to determine what metal a product, such as a ring, is made from is a chemical test performed by a specialist.

Where can you buy or sell

In most cases, gold is purchased from jewelry stores or from a manufacturer. This protects us from counterfeits and is accompanied by a photo, a quality certificate and a guarantee. You can pay attention to pawn shops, where used jewelry is offered at discounted prices.

They sell through the same pawnshops, purchases, and jewelry workshops. They accept gold, preferring 585 purity, as scrap, by weight, often not taking into account precious stones. If you are the owner of a truly unique item, then you should pay attention to auctions. There you can sell your item at a significantly higher price.

Characteristics of 916 gold

Gold grade 916 can only be found abroad. The mark on gold-plated items produced in Russia in the 20th century is evidence that they are made from silver of this standard.

Expert opinion Vsevolod Kozlovsky 6 years in the jewelry business. Knows everything about samples and can identify a fake in 12 seconds

It should be noted that 916 is a very good standard for gold, since the approved standards in Russia are 375, 500, 585, 750 and 958. Obviously, the number 916 indicates a high gold content in the item being studied.

Photos of products made by Indian jewelers leave an excellent impression. They have access to complex techniques. If the grade of gold and the price of it are in accordance with each other, such jewelry finds its buyer.

Composition, color and brand

Since the sample indicates the percentage composition, it means that 916 is the number of grams of pure gold per 1000 grams of alloy. The remaining 84 grams are copper. In some cases, the admixture of copper is 54 g plus 30 g of silver. This gold has an attractive bright yellow hue.

The gold hallmark is “916” or “22” K (sometimes just “22”). The designation “22 K” may not be supplemented with anything, or it may be located inside a figure (square, rectangle, complex figure), where the weight of the product is sometimes indicated.

Where is it used?

916 gold is well known to numismatists; it is coinable. Collectible coins in the USA, United Kingdom, and South Africa are minted from it. Investing in coins is popular all over the world. They are produced regularly, their number currently exceeds tens of millions. Russian investment coins are made from 999 mark gold.

The jewelry that tourists buy in China and India may be made of gold of this standard. She is very popular in the East. Although this test is also common on the American continent and in Europe.

How many carats are in this sample?

By the way, those who want to buy jewelry while traveling should clarify the difference between the metric and karat gold classification systems. When a seller recommends a 22-carat item to you, it means that he is advising you to buy the item you like, 916 carat.

Expert opinion Vsevolod Kozlovsky 6 years in the jewelry business. Knows everything about samples and can identify a fake in 12 seconds

One more clarification. 22 carats in gold can be called both 916 and 917 marks, since the amount of pure gold according to the karat system will correspond to 916.667 g per 1000 g of alloy. That is, by rounding this number up or down, we get an approximate value in the metric system.

Price per 1 gram in Russia today

If you decide to get rid of jewelry that you are already bored with, then for 1 gram of gold of the brand in question you will receive no more than 2,200 rubles. And if you liked something interesting in a Russian jewelry salon, then 5,000 rubles will cost 1 gram of a new product. At the same time, the market price of 916 gold is 2,400 rubles. The pawnshop sets its own prices.

We offer a chart of price changes for 916 gold:

Below is a table of prices for gold 916 marks:

Recommendations for care, cleaning and storage

Carefully cleaning and caring for your white gold pieces means that you will enjoy their grace for a very long time. Jewelers recommend cleaning once every six months. This can be entrusted to specialists at very reasonable prices or done at home. Specialty chemicals are commercially available.

Proper storage is also a pressing issue. A white gold ring thrown onto a table will very soon become covered with scratches, darkening, and lose its original appearance. To avoid this, you should use special boxes, bags, and columns, which are sold in jewelry departments.

Which metal jewelry is best to choose?

When choosing something to wear constantly, you should give preference to the material that has the best physical properties.

Platinum jewelry is stronger, it will last longer, and there will be no scratches on the surface. In addition, such products will not cause allergies. They are much more expensive and belong to the premium segment. Gold jewelry is a relatively inexpensive option, but it will delight you for many years.

Recommendations for care, cleaning and storage

White gold is a rather capricious material; it should be protected from chlorine-containing substances and abrasive pastes. You should not wear jewelry in the pool, sauna, or while doing housework. Platinum items may become dull over time, but this has nothing to do with how they are used. To update the appearance, both gold and platinum jewelry are rhodium-plated in a jewelry workshop.

Tips for choosing gold jewelry

The choice of white gold jewelry depends on the person - his taste, ideas about what is beautiful and acceptable, preferences, finally. And price here plays an important but secondary role.

There are several general rules, and everyone decides for themselves whether to follow them or not.

1. Buy jewelry from trusted sellers, beware of fakes.
2. Don't view your purchase as an investment. At least short-term.
3. Carefully inspect the product for markings and damage. It's a good idea to check the weight matches.
4. If the price allows, buy products of a higher standard.
5. If you are allergic to nickel, make sure that the rhodium plating is reliable or purchase jewelry without such an additive.

Be careful. Sellers are good at tricks to sell their products. So, the signature under the photo may look like “585 gold ring.” And in the description: silver with gold plated, of the same standard - 585. The catch is that “Golden Ring” is the name. Like “Bears in the North.” And everything is correct with the sample, no one cheated. And the price is low. Where, they say, have you seen gold at such a price?

How to properly care for the product

The strength of white gold and its rhodium plating allows the jewelry to maintain its whiteness and shine for many years. However, given the high cost of such products, experts still advise their owners to follow some rules for caring for them:

1. the product should be protected from contact with caustic chemicals often used for household cleaning;
2. do not wear jewelry in the pool to protect the rhodium coating from exposure to active chlorine;
3. Regularly clean the stones built into the products from accumulated dirt.

White gold has gained immense popularity throughout the world. In many countries, wearing items made from it is considered a sign of good taste and high material wealth. Jewelers enjoy using it to frame diamonds, emphasizing their beauty and brilliance.

Such popularity could not but affect the cost of this alloy, obtained by adding various non-ferrous and precious metals to ordinary yellow gold. Its price per gram depends on the fineness and today cannot be lower than 2 thousand rubles, which significantly exceeds the cost of a gram of gold alloy of the traditional yellow color.

Reviews

Website "Motherhood". You can agree with Tata on some things. I would add: “And the poor don’t need to know that it is gold and what its price is.” But here’s the phrase about “585 standard is a scoop.” Hm…

Reviews "Yandex.iQ". The girl's 585 gold turned white. And here we are talking about rhodium...

Forum "Fish shop". Such reasoning also occurs. Our white gold, 585, turns out not to be gold at all. This is an alloy. Why is its price higher? What about the price?

How are these metals different?

When choosing jewelry from a particular metal, you need to know that they differ not only in color, but also in some characteristics, cost, and markings.

Composition, strength and weight

White gold is obtained by creating an alloy based on yellow metal and a ligature. The latter includes the following elements:

• platinum;
• silver;
• nickel;
• palladium;
• zinc.

Thanks to the alloy, gold acquires the necessary strength and wear resistance, but at the same time remains quite ductile.

Silver in jewelry is also used in the form of an alloy, to which copper, lead, antimony, oxygen, and bismuth are added. They provide the necessary strength and wear resistance of the alloy. However, if we compare the strength characteristics of precious metals, the advantage will be on the side of gold.

Expert opinion Vsevolod Kozlovsky 6 years in the jewelry business. Knows everything about samples and can identify a fake in 12 seconds

Different densities of metals affect the weight of products. Depending on the composition and standard, the density of white gold is 12.85-16.44 kg/m3, and that of silver is 10.49 kg/m3. Accordingly, a gold ring will be heavier than its silver counterpart, given the same size and shape.

Effect of acidic environment

One of the advantages of white gold over silver is that it is not afraid of acid. That's why one of the most popular ways to test jewelry at home is to dip it in a container of vinegar. If the product contains aurum, it will not change its color.

Silver jewelry will make the liquid cloudy. Because of this reaction, they must be removed before cleaning.

Appearance and markings

White gold has a varnished appearance, while silver metal has a matte finish. With the special lighting available in every jewelry store, the jewelry may shine equally, but when worn, the difference will become more noticeable.

Based on this, in a salon environment, the difference between metals can be determined solely through markings. In the first case, a stamp is placed on the jewelry with the designation of the sample (585 or 750), enclosed in a blade or rectangle. In the second case, the sample (800, 830, 875, 925, 960) fits into the barrel.

Difference between different purity grades

Precious metals have differences not only among themselves. Products made from seemingly the same metal will also have differences depending on the sample. It is determined by the percentage of the main precious metal in the jewelry. Due to the difference in proportions, the density of the alloy, melting point, and hardness change. GOST-approved options based on silver and gold can be seen in the tables below.

Graduation of gold-based alloys:

Graduation of silver-based alloys:

Differences in guest standards and quality

The chemical composition, as well as the physical characteristics of white gold and silver alloys are regulated by law. Each product must comply with GOST 30649-99 “Alloys based on precious metals for jewelry.”

Price and demand

The main difference between precious metals, which immediately catches your eye, is the cost of the products. The price of both yellow and white precious metals is much higher for a number of reasons:

• There are fewer gold veins in nature than silver ones;
• complex production technology;
• unique properties of yellow metal.

What stones are suitable

White gold is eye-catching even without inserts. However, bright precious stones make jewelry especially attractive: sapphires, emeralds, diamonds. Also popular are products that harmoniously combine several types of metals, such as white and yellow gold.