Sterling Silver vs white gold

[TowleY]

Not sure about where this post would go. But I was thinking about buying a cross, and the only problem is I work in a pool and dont want to have to take it off every time. Obviously white gold tarnishes much slower than silver however the question I would like to know is how much slower will it tarnish. Is it that big of a difference in time frame?

Thanks for any help.

 

[gdl203]

I would say it's a pretty noticeable difference. From a couple months for silver to years for WG

 

[TowleY]

Originally Posted by gdl203

I would say it's a pretty noticeable difference. From a couple months for silver to years for WG

Dang that bad?

thanks.

 

[gdl203]

Originally Posted by TowleY

Dang that bad?

thanks.

Just my own estimate - haven't tried experiments like that but silver tarnishes pretty quickly

 

[js4design]

silver will tarnish but it always stays silver. white gold always yellows relatively for me. my vote is for silver.

 

[MrG]

Originally Posted by js4design

silver will tarnish but it always stays silver. white gold always yellows relatively for me. my vote is for silver.

Have it rhodium plated. This will bring back the "whiteness" of the gold. White gold isn't actually white, it's an alloy of gold and another white metal, and the gold is usually rhodium plated to make it bright white. However, the plating wears off over time, thus revealing the yellowish gold underneath. Any decent jeweler can re-plate it for you.

OP, consider the above when making the decision. Silver will tarnish more quickly, but you'll eventually have to pay to re-plate the gold to get it back to white.

 

[gdl203]

But how long does it take for WG to turn yellow? I have WG case watches that are several decades old and not yellow

 

[MrG]

Originally Posted by gdl203

But how long does it take for WG to turn yellow? I have WG case watches that are several decades old and not yellow

From what I understand, it depends upon how the piece is worn. We have to have my wife's engagement/wedding rings re-plated relatively often, every couple years or so. This is because she wears it every day and it's on her hands under constant abuse. More wear/abuse causes the plating to wear off more quickly (note that the plating wears off, it doesn't simply dissolve or turn). I believe it can last much longer on items that see less wear or wear that is less abusive. Also, there are varying thicknesses of rhodium plating, with the thinner plating obviously being more prone to wearing off quickly than a thicker plating.

I would also assume that it would be more noticeable on pieces made of gold that have a higher proportion of gold relative to the whitening metal. I.e. more nickel makes whiter gold that would demand re-plating less often.

 

[gdl203]

Gotcha. I guess that's another difference between WG and silver. Silver tarnishes naturally with air contact, WG turns yellow through friction rather than oxydation.

 

[JustinW]

Also for consideration - sometimes the tarnishing on silver can look nice. I wear a smallish silver Canterbury cross that had some filigree detail. When I polish it every month or so, the detail remains tarnished, giving a cool contrast to the raised surfaces.

 

[visionology]

If platinum is above your budget perhaps take a look at palladium, it offers a nearly identical look and chemical structure of platinum, requires no plating, is lighter weight, durable, and less cost.

 

[otc]

silver that gets used often is going to be less likely to tarnish fast since it will rub against your shirt and stuff (also it can be pretty quick to polish back with a cloth).

White gold doesnt have to be plated, you can get it without rhodium (and you dont need to replate every 1-2 years). Just go with a palladium white (rather than alloyed with something else) in a low karat (18K still has 75% yellow gold which is going to give the wrong color).

Personally I like the warmth of sterling over the brightness of rhodium plating (it just has more depth) but I must admit that I have never rhodium plated my own work...

 

[raclotz]

Silver is always a good option because its not too expensive and the water is not really going to blacken it because as compared to most metals silver is very durable for daily use.

 

[TowleY]

Nce thank you everyone for you contribution. Yea platnium is out of the league lol. Thinking of going with the white gold. Im trying to find a place that can customize a cross but I cant find any. Anyone know where i can do this. There is a David Yurman cross I like alot in sterling silver I would like in white gold.

Any help again very appreciated.

 

[zippyh]

I had always heard that chlorine was bad for white gold.