There are many different types of precious metals, including gold, silver, platinum, and palladium.
But, if you’ve ever shopped for an engagement ring or wedding band, you’ve also likely heard of another option — “white gold.”
It’s made of pure gold, mixed with an alloy metal that has a silvery-white color, such as nickel or palladium.
Typically, a white gold ring might be 25 percent nickel and zinc. If it’s stamped “18 karat,” it would be 75 percent pure gold.
Since some people are allergic to nickel, however, palladium can also be used to create white gold.
It produces a higher quality material — and costs more as a result.
White gold was originally created as a way to imitate palladium, according to the United States Geological Survey.
