Going White with Gold

Move over platinum. White gold is here to stay. Jewellers and consumers are taking a liking towards the stunningly shiny metal, which is formed by alloying yellow gold with silver, nickel, zinc or palladium. The metal, or rather alloy is increasingly being used to fashion out engagement rings, wedding bands, cocktail rings, cufflinks, bracelets, bangles, earrings, nose pins, neckpieces and more.

"White gold is very popular. Although it may appear as not being so popular," says Vinod Hayagriv, Managing Director & Director, C Krishniah Chetty Group of Jewellers.

The market potential is high. As per estimates by the World Gold Council, India is one of the largest consumers of gold. The country consumed 848.9 tonnes in 2015. And alongside yellow
and rose gold, white too stands a good chance of scaling up in popularity, say experts.

Sachin Jain, President – Forevermark India says that white gold jewellery is the perfect alternative for those who want the luxury of gold with a cool silvery tone.

For connoisseurs of fine jewellery, the reasons to try on white gold are far too many.

Firstly, it appears similar to platinum for most observants by matching the lustre. White gold is light-weight, durable and scratch-resistant. Thirdly, white gold can beautifully offset coloured gemstones like rubies, sapphires, emeralds, say experts, while superbly complementing the sparkle of diamonds, when positioned exquisitely in pieces of jewellery.

And most importantly, it is much more affordable than platinum. Says celebrity jewellery designer Farah Khan Ali, "White gold costs much less compared to platinum. Gold colour trends keep changing every few years and currently, white gold is trending."

Jewellers say that platinum is often double or three times the cost of white gold. For example, if rings in white gold cost Rs 7, 500; then the same ring (with a similar design element) in platinum would cost Rs 15, 000. Or a Rs 1 lakh white gold necklace could cost as much as Rs 3 lakhs when designed in platinum.

The alloy is 'in demand' with both women and men. Ashwini Oza, Principal Designer from the jewellery brand Arnav says the contemporary woman is open towards experimenting with an eclectic mix and match with her attires, "which are more Indo-Western for their big day. And the perfect match for such attire is white gold and diamonds."

Fashion designer Paresh Lamba says he would personally invest in a sophisticated white gold watch "for its wearability and versatility. Also in a nice pair of cufflinks. White gold is an elegant and an understated yet luxurious metal to possess."

For jewellery designers, white gold offers all the malleability of yellow gold (since it is of the same strength), "thereby not restricting us in any way, the way other white metals such as platinum or silver restrict," says Oza. Brands are witnessing demand for white gold jewellery pick up at a gradual pace.

"The buying patterns and mind-sets of modern-day consumers have transformed, and the timing is great for white gold to sparkle," says Pratap Kamath, Managing Director of Abaran Timeless Jewellery. "Between 25 and 40% of our diamond designs (depending on the segments we handle) are made specifically in white gold. That's a lot by any measure. We take great effort to create designs for this soft beautiful metal. Ironically, consumers don't even realise it is white," says Hayagriv.

According to Kamath, when it comes to bridal jewellery, yellow gold is still the most preferred. "This festive season, we saw less than 5% demand for white gold."

Lamba says he wants to create a limited edition line of metal accessories for men that includes necklaces, bracelets, cufflinks, lapel pins, broaches and belts (with white gold).