Aquamarine Rings; White Gold 

Aquamarine is a beautiful gem that has a soothing color; the color of seawater. This color will blend beautifully with a setting that emits coolness as well, a silvery-colored setting. The setting could be sterling silver, platinum, or white gold. 

But you don’t just take the gemstone and place it next to some white gold or platinum. No, you make it into a ring. 

Aquamarine Rings 

An aquamarine is a gemstone characterized by blue-green hues. The stone belongs to the beryl family, making it a cousin to the ever famous emeralds. 

It is durable and is well suited for everyday wear rings. Though hitting the gemstone against a surface may chip it and it can accumulate scratches over time. 

Aquamarine has remained a popular choice gem for various types of  rings and many special moments like engagements, weddings,  anniversaries, etc 

Properties Of Aquamarine 

• The color ranges from pastel blue to a darker, vivid shade. The gemstone commonly has few greenish hues. 
• It measures 7.5 – 8 on Moh's scale of hardness. Making it a durable gem.
• It is commonly found in large pieces and can produce multiple smaller carat stones. 
• Aquamarine occurs naturally in a flawless to near-flawless state.  This enables it to appear eye-clean when used in jewelry. Another feature that makes it well suited for a ring. 
• The gemstone exudes feelings of tranquility. 
• It can easily be cut into various shapes due to its relative softness in comparison to diamonds which score a 10 on Moh's scale of hardness. 

Now, aquamarine goes well with several settings. The settings that are commonly used with aquamarine though, are the silvery ones. This makes white gold a perfect ring setting that accentuates your semi-precious gemstone. 

What is White Gold?  

From the name, you may think that this metal is gold that is white. You’re not far from it though. White gold is an alloy of gold made to have a white or silvery appearance. The metals commonly used in the alloys are nickel, palladium, silver, and zinc. 

White gold is never pure gold, that is, never 24K. 24 karat gold is 100%  pure gold. It is typically 14K and 18K because for it to be called white gold, the gold has to be alloyed with white metals. 

History Of White Gold

White gold was first discovered in the Georgian era by two German alchemists. However, this metal was not widely used at the time. 

The gold alloy rose to fame in the 20th century during the world wars.  Platinum was a widely used metal in the jewelry industry at the time.  Then it was discovered that the metal was durable and worked well with war machines. This resulted in platinum being reserved only for military purposes. 

Left with a void, jewelers had to search for a new metal that was close to the white appearance of platinum. Hence, they came up with the white metal alloy known as white gold. 

Eventually, platinum was back in the market but white gold had already made a huge impact in the jewelry industry. The alloy which initially served as a substitute is now an everyday choice in jewelry. 

Measuring White Gold 

24K gold is not used in making jewelry. This is because it is 100% pure gold which is very soft and bends easily. 24K gold is mostly used to electroplate other durable metals. 

Karat is used to describe the level of gold purity. It is usually represented by K or Kt. 

For instance, your aquamarine white gold ring will be hallmarked with its karat. This will be an engraving mostly in the band of the white gold. 

The standard measurements you may come across are 10K, 12K, 14K, 18K, and 22K. 

To calculate the amount of pure gold present, you will divide the gold's  Karat by 24 and then multiply by 100. Take an 18K ring, 18K divided by 24K is 0.75. Multiply it by 100 and you get 75%. This means that your gold jewelry is 75% pure gold and the other 25% are alloy metals. 

In the situation that your ring is not hallmarked, or that you want to confirm its hallmark; you may purchase a gold testing kit. The kit will help you find out the Karat of your gold. 

These are the steps to follow when testing white gold: 

• Scratch a portion of your ring. Make sure to press hard so you can get past the rhodium plating(do this in a place that is not readily visible; preferably inside the band). 
• The testing kit will contain bottles of nitric acid labeled with different Karats. 
• Start with the lowest karat (10K). Observe how the acid reacts with the metal. 
• Use the color chart to determine whether your gold is of a lower,  equal, or higher karat than the hallmark. 

It is not a difficult process. Make sure to carefully read the instructions that come with your gold testing kit. If you’re afraid that you may ruin your white gold aquamarine ring, then you should take your ring to get tested by a jewelry expert. 

The jewelry expert is likely to follow this same process to test your gold but will certainly be more careful. 

White Gold And Its Alloy Metals

Gold is alloyed with white metals to achieve a silvery finish. Metals like palladium, nickel, and zinc. These metals are alloyed with gold in different proportions to achieve a particular whitish hue. 

Nickel 

Nickel is a silvery-white lustrous metal. Nickel alloyed with gold will give a more white finish than yellow gold. It was a common choice for jewelry manufacturers because nickel is inexpensive and hard. 

Unfortunately, nickel causes allergic reactions in most people. This is making it a less popular choice to alloy white gold. 

A nickel alloyed white gold can still be worn though, even with allergies. A rhodium coating will prevent allergic reactions as it is hypoallergenic; also, it adds to the white finish of your white gold aquamarine ring.  

Rhodium 

Rhodium is a hard, white metal that belongs to the platinum family; this makes it less vulnerable to scratches. Not to mention that it is hypoallergenic. That singular property makes it a good choice coating for nickel alloyed white gold. 

Even after the alloying process, white gold may retain a mild yellowish tinge. This yellowness will be covered up by a rhodium plating. 

Over time, after regular wear, the rhodium plating will wear off and your skin will be exposed to the nickel. To prevent this, you will have to take your ring to the jeweler for re-plating or dipping.

It may be inexpensive to get a rhodium-plated aquamarine white gold ring at the onset but in the long run, it is costlier to maintain. Not to worry, another metal is used to alloy gold; and, it doesn’t need rhodium plating. 

Palladium 

Palladium is a white metal that also belongs to the platinum family. This metal is hypoallergenic and when alloyed with gold will require no rhodium plating. 

This metal is hard and will retain its white color forever. It is a far cheaper option in the long run because it doesn’t require constant re-plating. 

Just like platinum, the metal is scratch resistant. You can polish the metal occasionally to retain its lustrous shine without fear of exposing an inner yellow tinge. 

A palladium white gold for your aquamarine ring is a great investment;  it has many desirable qualities. 

Styling Your Ring 

Once you’ve decided that you want an aquamarine gemstone set in white gold, it’s time to design your ring. No matter the occasion, there is always room to get your ring personalized. 

Aquamarine Cuts

Due to the gem stone's relative softness, it can be cut into many shapes.  Some of which are: 

• Emerald-Cut: This shape is rectangular and comprises a layered pavilion. It is the most popular choice cut for aquamarine. This is because it works to maximize the gemstone’s sparkle.  

The cut that was originally used on emeralds is certain to work elegantly with the aquamarine. After all, both gems are from the same family. 

• Cushion-Cut: This is another popular cut used in the jewelry world. A cushion cut has the gem faceted to resemble a cushion.  An aquamarine cushion-cut ring is certain to look stunning on white gold. 
• Oval-Cut: It is easy to tell from the name that this cut has the aquamarine faceted in an oval shape. It is another beautiful cut style; one that exudes a romantic appeal. 
• Asscher-Cut: This cut style was developed by the Asscher brothers in the early 20th century. It features step-like facets like the emerald cut. This makes it a cut that works well with aquamarine. 
• Heart-Cut: This shape is elegant and gorgeous when used for an aquamarine ring in a white gold setting. It also makes a beautiful engagement or anniversary ring. After all, the heart shape is the same as love. 
• Princess-Cut: This cut is characterized by sharp edges and distinct square shapes. It blends brilliance with contemporary angles.
• Round-Cut: This is a very popular shape for gemstones. It is circular and faceted to exude brilliance. It is a classic; a truly timeless cut. 

These are some options for your aquamarine faceting. The gemstone is an important part of the ring. A badly cut gemstone will diminish the stone's brilliance. So, you must get your aquamarine from a trusted jeweler. 

White Gold Ring Settings 

The beauty of a ring goes a little farther than just an elegant gemstone;  the setting is very important. After choosing white gold as the metal for your setting, you have to select the set designs. 

There are several setting designs to choose from. These are some gorgeous ring-setting designs. 

• Solitaire/Prong Ring Setting: This ring setting features a single gem held in place by prongs. It is an all-time classic and works very well with white gold and aquamarine. A single light blue gem on a silvery setting is bound to make heads turn.  

In this setting, all the attention is on the bluish gem set in the prongs. 

• Halo Ring Setting: This setting features a center gemstone surrounded by pavé, micro-pavé diamonds, or colored gemstones. It is a beautiful setting for white gold. 

Say your halo ring features an aquamarine center stone and diamond halo, a white gold setting will pair gorgeously here. 

A major benefit of choosing this setting is that the halo offers protection to the aquamarine center gem. 

• Paved Ring Setting: This ring setting features a band paved with diamonds or colored gemstones. White gold pairs elegantly here too. 
• Shank/Split Shank Ring Setting: The shank is the part of the ring that surrounds the finger. The shank could be paved or left plain. 

A split shank divides into two as it meets the center stone. This is a  striking and romantic setting that is again, well suited for an aquamarine ring in white gold. 

These are just some of the setting designs you can select from; there are much more. Consult our expert team for further inquiries. 

White Gold Vs. Silver 

White gold and silver are both white metals. In most cases, silver is alloyed to form sterling silver just like white gold is alloyed. These metals are both desirable when searching for a metal setting for your ring. Below is the comparison between them: 

• White gold is more durable than silver due to the presence of other hard metal alloys that strengthen white gold. Silver's durability may also be improved on with alloys; the alloys usually make up 7.5% of sterling silver. 
• Silver is a more affordable option than white gold. However, white gold is considered moderately affordable since it is more expensive than silver but cheaper than platinum. 
• White good has a shinier more brilliant luster because of its rhodium plating while silver has more of a grayish-white hue that tarnishes over time. 
• Silver requires frequent polishing and cleaning to prevent it from tarnishing which can be done at home while white gold requires re-plating of its rhodium coating every 2 – 3 years; everyday wear typically makes the rhodium coating wear off. 
• Both silver and white gold may be alloyed with nickel. Nickel causes allergies in lots of people. The rhodium coating in white gold protects your skin from this allergen. 

In the end, it all depends on your individual preferences. You may like a  white gold aquamarine ring while someone else will want their aquamarine set in sterling silver. 

Maintenance Of Your Aquamarine White Gold  Ring 

If you wear your ring daily, whether you do active work or not, the gemstone and the setting are bound to accumulate dirt. Because of this,  there is a simple cleaning process to follow at least once in two weeks.

All you have to do is gently scrub the entire ring with a mixture of warm water and mild detergent. Then rinse the ring over running water; pat dry with a clean cloth or leave out to air dry. 

Regular cleaning of the ring is certainly not enough, at least once a year take it to a trusted jeweler for a thorough inspection. The jewelry expert may find that some stones are falling out, the rhodium plating is wearing off, and things like that. 

It should be a built-in practice for you to take your white gold ring for re-plating of the rhodium coating. This is especially important as it enables the ring to maintain its white silvery luster and hypoallergenic nature. 

Storage Techniques  

Do you want your ring to last long? Do you want the white gold to maintain its white finish for as long as possible? If yes, then you have to store your aquamarine white gold ring properly. 

Wrap it in a clean, soft cloth and keep it away from other pieces of jewelry. This will protect the aquamarine and white gold from getting scratched by other harder jewelry materials; also, it will keep aquamarine and white gold from scratching other softer pieces of jewelry. 

Aquamarine is a gem that pairs perfectly with white gold. There are so many designs to choose from if you see this elegant pair. You can even add other gemstones!

This ring will serve as the perfect engagement or anniversary band.  It is also the perfect gift for a birthday, especially one in March as aquamarine is their birthstone. 

A white gold aquamarine ring is a dazzling and affordable choice.  Personalizing your ring is very much possible here, you can always get your rings according to your taste at our jewelry store. Visit here to get started now!