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Thread: Does White Gold Tarnish or Turn Tellow?

  1. #1
    Master Murdoc's Avatar
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    Does White Gold Tarnish or Turn Tellow?

    Will a white gold watch tarnish or turn yellow over time? I’ve tried to research but haven’t got very far. Apparently Rolex use a special alloy that won’t tarnish, however I’ve been told that all white gold will eventually turn yellow.

    I’m a bit confused, so thought I’d turn to the collective expertise of Watch Talk!

  2. #2
    Master
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    My understanding (this came from researching wedding rings) is that the rhodium plating wears off over time and will need to be replaced if you want the same brilliant shine. I imagine the white gold used on indices would be protected from wear and would look fine for much longer if not indefinitely.

  3. #3
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    The alloy will typically contain nickel to make it a bit harder but whether it will change colour or not is mostly down to whether it’s rhodium plated (Rolex are).

    Compare an old WG Rolex to an old Girard Perregaux (which aren’t rhodium played).

    The GP won’t turn yellow but it does take on a nice soft hue and looks distinguishable from steel. I quite like it.


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  4. #4
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    It will if its not either rhodium plated or mixed with palladium.

  5. #5
    Grand Master Dave+63's Avatar
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    White gold that is rhodium plated will eventually turn yellow as the playing wears off.

    There are white gold/palladium alloys that don’t need rhodium plating and will always stay white. They are generally a duller, grey colour though.

  6. #6
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    Rolex white gold is an alloy of Gold (approx 75%), Palladium (approx 12-14%), Copper/Silver (the balance). It contains no nickel nowadays (if it ever did?). It is most emphatically NOT Rhodium plated and it does not tarnish over time.
    Last edited by Satori; 27th October 2020 at 12:51.

  7. #7
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    The problem with Rolex white gold, if it is a problem, is that it marks fairly easily. Soft metal. But it can all be polished come service time. You just need to have a relaxed attitude to these matters.
    Otherwise, avoid gold. Mind you,I’ve seen plenty of equally scratched steel watches.

  8. #8
    Master
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    Modern Rolex watches aren’t plated; they use a more expensive alloy which won’t change colour

  9. #9
    Grand Master Dave+63's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Peck View Post
    Modern Rolex watches aren’t plated; they use a more expensive alloy which won’t change colour
    Reducing the amount of gold by alloying it with palladium and silver, actually makes it a cheaper alloy than using a purer gold.

  10. #10
    White gold itself has a warm tone to it, it’s not pure white. Jewellery buyers prefer the all white look so rhodium plating is often used to make the gold appear whiter and more like platinum. If that look is what you want then the item will need to be re-plated. It’s not that the gold has tarnished, it’s that the rhodium plating has worn down and you’re actually seeing the true tone of the white gold. The use of rhodium plating in watches is much less common and the warm tone of the white gold is much more accepted.
    It is true that Rolex use an alloy, which I believe is palladium, that prevents the gold from tarnishing. But it is also true that virtually every other maker also uses palladium in their white gold watches and that it has been industry standard for decades.

  11. #11
    Quote Originally Posted by Dave+63 View Post
    Reducing the amount of gold by alloying it with palladium and silver, actually makes it a cheaper alloy than using a purer gold.
    Silver might but palladium is 20+% more expensive than gold.

  12. #12
    Grand Master Dave+63's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Kingstepper View Post
    Silver might but palladium is 20+% more expensive than gold.
    I stand corrected!

  13. #13
    Quote Originally Posted by Kingstepper View Post
    Silver might but palladium is 20+% more expensive than gold.
    Isn't that made-up for by the fact that gold is rather more dense, so more in weight terms is needed of it compared to palladium?

  14. #14
    Quote Originally Posted by hughtrimble View Post
    Isn't that made-up for by the fact that gold is rather more dense, so more in weight terms is needed of it compared to palladium?
    You're correct so I'll stand corrected too!

  15. #15
    Quote Originally Posted by Kingstepper View Post
    You're correct so I'll stand corrected too!
    And I await to be corrected myself!

  16. #16
    Grand Master Dave+63's Avatar
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    Does White Gold Tarnish or Turn Tellow?

    To avoid confusion, I thought I’d check the relative densities.

    Gold is 19.25g/cm3 whilst palladium is 11.99g/cm3 so gold is 60% denser whilst palladium is currently about 23% dearer than gold.

    So palladium is £207/cm3 cheaper than gold.

    I’m not sure of the volume of metal in a Rolex watch but if we say there’s 2cm3 in the watch head and Rolex add 20% palladium, the difference in cost is about £80 so not much in the scheme of things!

  17. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dave+63 View Post
    Reducing the amount of gold by alloying it with palladium and silver, actually makes it a cheaper alloy than using a purer gold.
    I was referring to the use of palladium over cheaper alternatives like silver and nickel which do tend to need rhodium coating. The science of alloying precious metals is very interesting and Rolex scientists are well regarded in the field.

    I work in the precious metals industry, and spent a fascinating day last year at Switzerland’s largest PM refinery. They produce a range of semi finished components for the watch industry - I saw hundreds of gold bracelet components which were destined for a certain favourite manufacturer 😉

  18. #18
    Master Murdoc's Avatar
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    Thank you everyone for your replies.

    Is it correct to say that a White Gold Rolex won’t tarnish or turn yellow because of the palladium in the alloy, even though they aren’t rhodium plated?

  19. #19
    Craftsman Exiztence's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dave+63 View Post
    To avoid confusion, I thought I’d check the relative densities.

    Gold is 19.25g/cm3 whilst palladium is 11.99g/cm3 so gold is 60% denser whilst palladium is currently about 23% dearer than gold.

    So palladium is £207/cm3 cheaper than gold.

    I’m not sure of the volume of metal in a Rolex watch but if we say there’s 2cm3 in the watch head and Rolex add 20% palladium, the difference in cost is about £80 so not much in the scheme of things!
    Is this not academic anyhow? I thought that all gold Rolex uses on bracelet/cases/crowns/bezels etc. is 18ct so you are getting "same" amount of gold, just the 25% of the alloy changes? Or am I getting it wrong.

  20. #20
    Quote Originally Posted by Exiztence View Post
    Is this not academic anyhow? I thought that all gold Rolex uses on bracelet/cases/crowns/bezels etc. is 18ct so you are getting "same" amount of gold, just the 25% of the alloy changes? Or am I getting it wrong.
    Think you're correct, good point!

    White gold should be more expensive than 18ct yellow because palladium is added rather than cheaper metals.
    Last edited by Kingstepper; 28th October 2020 at 15:23.

  21. #21
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    Quote Originally Posted by Murdoc View Post
    Thank you everyone for your replies.

    Is it correct to say that a White Gold Rolex won’t tarnish or turn yellow because of the palladium in the alloy, even though they aren’t rhodium plated?
    Yes this is correct

  22. #22
    Master M1011's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Murdoc View Post
    Thank you everyone for your replies.

    Is it correct to say that a White Gold Rolex won’t tarnish or turn yellow because of the palladium in the alloy, even though they aren’t rhodium plated?
    Yes this is correct. To simplify, the alloy Rolex uses is the same colour right the way through the metal. Rhodium plated jewellery is not white throughout, it just has a thin white layer on top of the gold which can wear over time to reveal the natural colour beneath.

    Quote Originally Posted by Exiztence View Post
    Is this not academic anyhow? I thought that all gold Rolex uses on bracelet/cases/crowns/bezels etc. is 18ct so you are getting "same" amount of gold, just the 25% of the alloy changes? Or am I getting it wrong.
    Yes and no.

    You're correct that it'll always be an alloy (pure gold is too soft) and that Rolex uses 18ct on all modern watches.

    However, whilst the purity and the size of the watch will remain constant (defined by the design), the weight will differ depending on the alloy used. Using a Palladium mix instead of a Nickel mix will result in a watch that's heavier overall despite having the exact same proportions, as Palladium is denser than Nickel. Therefore you end up with more gold in the 18ct item of the same proportions alloyed with Palladium than with Nickel, as the total item weight will be heavier and the proportion of that weight that is gold will remain constant at 75%.

    None of this has any bearing on why watch manufacturers opt for this alloy, but interesting nevertheless.

  23. #23
    Craftsman Exiztence's Avatar
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    Ahh I see what you mean, so if 18ct yellow gold alloy of 1cm3 weights X but 18ct white gold alloy of 1cm3 weight slightly more than X, than there needs to be slightly more gold in order for the alloy to still be 75% or 18ct pure.

    I guess this answers why some jewellers charge more for white gold.

  24. #24
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    Quote Originally Posted by M1011 View Post
    Yes this is correct. To simplify, the alloy Rolex uses is the same colour right the way through the metal. Rhodium plated jewellery is not white throughout, it just has a thin white layer on top of the gold which can wear over time to reveal the natural colour beneath.



    Yes and no.

    You're correct that it'll always be an alloy (pure gold is too soft) and that Rolex uses 18ct on all modern watches.

    However, whilst the purity and the size of the watch will remain constant (defined by the design), the weight will differ depending on the alloy used. Using a Palladium mix instead of a Nickel mix will result in a watch that's heavier overall despite having the exact same proportions, as Palladium is denser than Nickel. Therefore you end up with more gold in the 18ct item of the same proportions alloyed with Palladium than with Nickel, as the total item weight will be heavier and the proportion of that weight that is gold will remain constant at 75%.

    None of this has any bearing on why watch manufacturers opt for this alloy, but interesting nevertheless.
    Nickel won’t be found in modern Rolex white gold because of the well documented problems with allergies. I suspect their white gold is essentially all precious metal, possibly including some platinum for hardness

  25. #25
    Master M1011's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Peck View Post
    Nickel won’t be found in modern Rolex white gold because of the well documented problems with allergies. I suspect their white gold is essentially all precious metal, possibly including some platinum for hardness
    No need to guess, Satori has the answer for you. Quote below.

    Quote Originally Posted by Satori View Post
    Rolex white gold is an alloy of Gold (approx 75%), Palladium (approx 12-14%), Copper/Silver (the balance). It contains no nickel nowadays (if it ever did?). It is most emphatically NOT Rhodium plated and it does not tarnish over time.

  26. #26
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    Quote Originally Posted by M1011 View Post
    No need to guess, Satori has the answer for you. Quote below.
    How odd - I completely missed that post. Apologies to Satori!

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