Details of White Gold Vintage Rings

During the 1920's, in the Art Deco era, is when white gold vintage rings became very popular. The platinum rings that everyone desired were quite expensive, and white gold emerged as a much more affordable alternative for those who could not afford the precious platinum. Ever since then, white gold has only increased in popularity, which only causes white gold vintage rings to be sought after today. Part of their charm is that you can be completely in style with a decades old piece of jewelry that has historical value and is completely unique.

What Is White Gold?

What makes white gold white? It was because other white metals have been alloyed with gold. Palladium and nickel and the most commonly used white metals. A strong and hard alloy is created when nickel is used, which is very good for rings. A softer alloy is created when palladium is used, which is good for use with gemstone settings. Because nickel is cheaper than palladium, it is more commonly used. However, almost 13% of the population is allergic to nickel, causing palladium to be a more popular choice in jewelry made today.

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How Much Gold Do You Really Have?

24 karat gold, or 24k, is considered pure gold, though it is too soft most of the time to be used in jewelry. More commonly used are alloys of 22k, 18k, 14k, and 10k gold. You may wonder how you can find out how much gold is in a piece of jewelry because other various metals are often part of the alloys made. It is a simple calculation - you can determine the amount of gold present by dividing the carat rating by 24. For example, 18k is 75% gold (18/24 = .75), and 10k is only 42% gold (10/28 = .42). Because pure gold is quite soft, a lower percentage of gold usually results in a more durable ring. This should be a factor taken into account when the wearer considers how much wear and tear they would put their ring through on a daily basis.

What Are the Eras About?

Even though white gold wasn't popular until the 1920's, there are still white gold vintage rings out there from this time, but they are fewer and farther between. A fairly good selection of rings can be found starting in the Victorian Era, which began in 1837. After that, progress through the Edwardian and Art Nouveau eras as well, and the selection really increases in the Art Deco and Retro eras.

From 1837 to 1901 is known as the Victorian Era. Since it spans over 60 years, it is commonly divided into three distinct time periods - the Romantic, Grand, and Aesthetic. Much variation can be found in the styles during this era. Even though white gold was not very popular back then, vintage rings made of white gold were still created. After the Victorian era, the Edwardian Era was quite short, dating from only 1901 to 1910. The rings from this time had a light and lacy appearance to them, which match the clothes worn at the time.

During the Art Nouveau timeframe, vintage rings with more naturalistic images dominated the styles, sometimes with insects and flowers. This is sharply contrasted with the Art Deco style that emerged, which was based more on symmetry and geometry, resulting in a more streamlined look. The most recent time period, which is known as the Retro Era, produced the largest number of vintage white gold rings. There was a shortage of precious metal during World War II, and diamonds were declining in popularity. This caused rings to be made with large colorful gems and with styles that appeared to be heavy with metal, although they actually were not.