About White Gold Wedding Rings and Bands
It was during World War II that white gold wedding bands became popular as during this period using platinum for non-military purposes was banned. White gold is an elegant and versatile material that is also inexpensive and can be sued to create beautiful and unique pieces of jewellery. White gold wedding rings are lighter in weight than platinum wedding rings and compared to pure or yellow gold they are more durable and scratch resistant. If you take proper care of your white gold wedding ring it can maintain a flawless appearance for a very long time.
White gold wedding rings are not pure gold. White gold is an alloy of gold and this is usually nickel, palladium or silver. The alloy of metals is a pale yellow colour naturally but white gold wedding rings are plated with rhodium to make the rings shinier and also whiter in colour. Rhodium us extremely hard and does not tarnish as well as being very reflective.
There is one problem with rhodium plating and that is that in three to five years, depending on how active you are when wearing your white gold wedding ring, the rhodium plating will begin to wear off where it has been rubbing against your hand or other fingers. When this happens the rhodium needs to be replaced. This is done by re-plating the ring. The re-plating process is not expensive and the price will depend on the intricacy of the design of the ring. Most jewellers nowadays offer a re-plating service.
You can also easily clean your white gold wedding rings at home. The simplest and easiest way is to use a solution of equal parts ammonia and water. You can also buy ammonia based commercial jewellery cleaning solutions. If your white gold wedding ring has gems or pearls set into it the make sure you check with your jeweller before cleaning the ring with an ammonia solution.
All you need do is soak your ring in the ammonia solution in a bowl for 10 to 20 minutes. This will loosen any dirt and grime that has accumulated over time on the ring. It is recommended that you soak your white gold wedding ring in a bowl rather than a sink to avoid inadvertently losing your ring down the drain. After you have finished soaking the ring you can use a soft toothbrush to gently scrub off any remaining dirt and grime in the crevices of the ring. Once the ring is clean, rinse it with warm water and dry off with a soft towel. If you have a white gold wedding ring that has designs or etchings you may want to use an alternative method which is an ultrasonic machine. This works by using vibrations and water to clean the crevices of the ring. Keep your white gold wedding ring clean by storing it in a cloth box or bag or a jewellery box that has a separate compartment, this will avoid the ring being scratched but other pieces of jewellery.
White gold wedding rings are good value for money as well as being beautiful. Even when you account for the cost of re-plating the rings every now and again they are still a less expensive option that a platinum wedding band.
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