When searching for engagement ring that fits your style and desire perfectly, first you have some key decisions. First is what center gemstone is best. Usually that’s a diamond. You’ll next decide what kind of metal the band should be. White gold diamond engagement rings are always popular. They have been for decades. It’s easy to see why. : white gold is alluring, flexible, and sets off a beautiful diamond very well.
What is White gold?
White gold is a mixture alloy of gold (which is always actually yellow) with a “white” or silver metal. That could be palladium. Or it could be nickel. It The alloys can also include zinc, copper, or silver. Notably, all white gold rings are rhodium plated. That’s because without rhodium plating, “white” gold still appears a bit yellowish or golden.
White Gold vs. Platinum and Yellow Gold
White gold compared to platinum is less expensive. There are several reasons for that, beyond market dynamics of supply and demand. First, platinum feels more expensive, as it’s slightly heavier than the alloys that are white gold.
Platinum is stronger, and tougher. It stands up better under everyday use. It also makes for stronger prongs to keep a diamond in place. The rhodium plating on a white gold ring does wear off over time. However, it’s easy to renew it with a yearly or 2-year-interval replating. That’s not expensive. Maybe $50 or so, depending on the jeweler.
(Platinum also gets some wear. But platinum isn’t scratched off, like Rhodium plating. Platinum is just “moved around” on a microscopic level. Microscopic scratches that build up appear famously as a Platinum “patina.” It just needs to be buffed out by a jeweler. The cost is comparable to that of renewing Rhodium plating.)
Comparing white gold to yellow gold, some people wrongly say that yellow gold is more durable. That’s incorrect. Their reasoning is that white gold is an alloy, so it’s stronger. But that doesn’t take into account the obvious fact that yellow gold is also alloyed. Pure gold would be 24K. That would 100% gold. It would also be far too soft for everyday wear of jewelry.
Consequently, jewelers alloy all gold.
- They alloy 10K (too cheap looking for most expensive jewelry).
- They also alloy 14K white gold, rose gold, or yellow gold. It’s the most popular alloy. 14K gold of any color is always 58.3% gold. (It’s 14/24, or 14 24ths gold, you see.) So the rest, 41.7%, is some metal which is stronger.
- 18K white gold, rose gold, or yellow gold is all 75% gold. The rest (25%) is stronger alloy. The color doesn’t matter for durability.
So the only factor determining the durability of gold is what level of purity it is.
- 10K is toughest since it’s only 42% gold.
- 14K is a happy medium, both beautiful and tough.
- 18K gold is a little too soft for everyday wear for most people, on a ring.
So don’t be fooled by mistaken blog posts out there. A white gold engagement ring is not softer than a yellow gold engagement ring. Keep your eye on the purity measurement (10K, 14K, or 18K.)
Pros of White Gold Engagement Rings
One big pro of a white gold ring is the color. That’s the reason people choose it. It perfectly sets off the center stone. It does not “shade” the center stone by reflecting yellow or golden light up through the bottom of the diamond.
Diamonds function by taking up light from the bottoms and sides of the diamond, and channeling it through the top. That’s why diamonds seem to give off light.
So, if a diamond is mounted on a yellow gold band, some of the light entering it (quite a bit, since a diamond is very close to the band of course), will be yellow. That will give any diamond, no matter how colorless, a slight appearance of yellowish color. That never happens with white gold, because it’s silvery, like a mirror. Its color is neutral.
That’s one reason Platinum is so popular, since it is also a natural silver color that doesn’t affect the perceived color of a diamond.
It’s also a reason white gold is popular, because white gold is less expensive than platinum. And it’s an excellent alternative to platinum. You can even get the Rhodium finish on a white gold ring renewed, perfectly, every so often. (White gold is also easier for jewelers to work with, since every jeweler can work with gold, but working with platinum requires some different, higher skill in metalwork.)
Myths About White Gold That You Don’t Need to Worry About
Myth: You can’t wear white gold if you have a nickel allergy. WRONG. Just make sure your white gold ring is Rhodium plated. (Virtually all of them are, but double check.) The Rhodium will protect you against any allergy to any metal in white gold. Just get your Rhodium plating renewed every year or every two years. (You have to do that basic maintenance anyway. And it’s not expensive.)
Myth: White gold is not as durable as yellow gold. WRONG. As discussed above, the durability of a gold ring is determined by its purity. 24K gold is 100% pure, and not very durable. 18K gold is 75% pure, and still pretty soft. 14K gold is 58.3% pure and the ideal choice for an engagement ring because it’s very durable, quite beautiful (especially a white gold one since it’s Rhodium plated), and still feels “heavy.” 10K gold is toughest of all, but it’s only 42% gold, so it can feel less luxurious in its weight.
Some of my favorite white gold engagement ring designs
Do you feel that white gold is a good choice for you? It is for so many people! Here are 18 white gold diamond rings that we love (along with alternatives that have certified, objectively better diamonds, for less money. These designs will inspire you. The alternatives will also inspire you get a better diamond, and keep more money for a better honeymoon, or other gifts.
1. The Gemist Oval Solitaire Pavé for $14,912.50 (and an objectively better alternative for $8,995).
A beautiful and respected Oval shape, this white gold band brings the brilliance with the pavé of diamonds on each shank. It’s an oval solitaire center stone. Minimalist but stunning.
Unfortunately, the offer at Gemist is overpriced in my opinion. I say that because: First, I was unable to find any certificate noted for it. (I’m 99% sure such doesn’t exist. I think they’d make it obvious, if it did, because diamond certification is so important at this price level.) Also: Second, I built a GIA-certified diamond ring in the very same style, but with better color, and a GIA certificate, at James Allen for only $8,995 (a savings of $5,917!) (See below.)
Gemist offer:
James Allen offer:
See those two diamond rings compared head to head, in detail, with full instructions on how to get the lower price.
2. Catbird Violette The Swan, Supreme (Lab-Grown Diamond) Engagement ring for $4,700 (and a certified, better alternative diamond ring for $3,012, below).
Catbird offer:
James Allen offer:
See those two diamond rings compared head to head, in detail, with full instructions on how to get the lower price.
3. Entincelle de Cartier Emerald Cut Pavé White Gold Ring for $3,350 (and a GIA-certified, likely better alternative diamond ring for $1,505, below).
This elegant Cartier ring is lovely, and yet I think it’s overpriced and under-reported. Meaning, I’m not finding much information about the diamond itself. (You can’t rely on the product page photo, since that is obviously an artist’s idealized version. Absent real images of the real diamond [which you can get for many diamonds at James Allen or Blue Nile, for example], I simply wouldn’t buy unless I could see the purported GIA certificate before purchasing.)
But it’s so beautiful! So why not get a slightly larger, but still delicate similar design of ring at James Allen? For around half the price? Oh yes! Scroll down to see the proof.
(Some will say the Cartier design is simply more delicate. I can’t disagree. And placing the emerald cut diamond lengthwise is a nice touch. And yet it is smaller. 0.18 carats is awfully tiny. And also, it’s not as if the James Allen design is not beautiful and delicate. Hardly. Plus, you get the satisfaction of seeing exactly which diamond you’re buying. That’s a plus for any but the least sophisticated diamond buyers, in my opinion. Especially if you have someone like me showing you exactly how to use the search filters to get the best one possible.)
Cartier offer:
James Allen offer:
See those two diamond rings compared head to head, in detail, with full instructions on how to get the lower price.
4. Anna Sheffield Eleanore Delicate Pavé Ring for $11,750 (or this GIA-certified, likely better diamond ring for $7,620)
These two diamond rings, so similar, showcase Emerald cut diamonds, a cut which displays great depth and transparence (supposing they have a great clarity grade). They look like deep swimming pools surrounded by jeweled accent diamonds.
Anna Sheffield offer:
James Allen offer:
See those two diamond rings compared head to head, in detail, with full instructions on how to get the lower price.
5. J.R. Dunn’s offer of a 3-Carat, Pear-shaped diamond ring for $29,500 (or James Allen’s offer of a very similar one for $16,580).
These two diamond rings showcase huge (3-carat) pear shaped center diamonds, surrounded by halos of accent diamonds. The accents even flow down both shanks. Both center diamonds are GIA graded, and have identical specs in color and clarity.
One is overpriced, it seems. The other is not. I know which one I’d buy. What about you?
The J.R. Dunn Offer:
The James Allen offer:
See these two diamonds compared in detail, head to head. Find out why James Allen can offer it for so much less.
6. J.R. Dunn’s offer of a Verragio engagement diamond ring (setting + a 1-carat center diamond) for $12,239.49 (or James Allen’s offer of a very similar one for $10,490).
The J.R. Dunn Offer:
The James Allen offer:
See these two diamonds compared in detail, head to head. Find out why James Allen can offer it for so much less.
