Buying a piece of jewellery can be as small or as large an investment as you decide. Up to a couple of decades ago the predominant choice for jewellery purchases was something containing yellow gold or perhaps platinum or silver. The jewellery can never be accused of staying static and has moved in time to changing tastes. More and more handcrafted jewellery is now for sale and there has been a rise in the amount of unique white gold jewelry available.

Pure gold is weighed at twenty-four carats and is quite a pliable material. For this reason it is not a practical material for use in the manufacture of jewellery for everyday wear. In order to make the gold more durable and less scratch resistant, alloys are added to the pure gold. Adding alloys
to pure gold has two immediate effects on the gold. Firstly, as previously mentioned it makes the material more durable and secondly it can also change the colour of the gold.

Pure gold which has a large percentage of copper added has a reddish hue and is known as rose or red coloured gold. Pure gold that has alloys of zinc, nickel and tin added in different percentages is known as white gold. Gold is also available in a greenish hue. White gold has become extremely popular over the last number of years and has become a firm rival for platinum. White gold is available in many different carat values and is an ideal material for making stunning jewellery. Engagement rings fashioned in white gold and set with diamonds are a prefect match and the metal and gemstones compliment each other beautifully. White gold is a beautiful material and contemporary designers are making more unique pieces of jewellery.