From the counter at TraxNYC, 47th Street.

The short answer

  • At the same karat, white, yellow and rose gold hold the same gold. 14K is 58.3 percent gold in all three colors; only the other metals in the alloy change.
  • Yellow gold is the color of the metal itself. Rose gold gets its pink from copper. White gold is a pale alloy, usually plated with rhodium for its bright white.
  • Platinum is a different metal. It is white all the way through, about 95 percent pure in most jewelry, and about 60 percent heavier than 14K gold at the same size.
  • Which to buy? The color you love on your skin first, then the care: white gold wants re-plating now and then; platinum never does.

Between two colors? Talk to a personal jeweler: call 212-872-9692 or text us, seven days.

One link, the solid 14K rope, in three golds, and a band in platinum, from our listings.

The four side by side

What it is Over the years Care On our listings
Yellow gold Gold with silver, copper and zinc; the color is the metal Stays yellow A wash, a polish now and then About nine in ten of our gold listings
White gold Gold with white metals, usually rhodium plated The plating thins at rub points; a warm tone shows Re-plating at the bench About seven in ten
Rose gold Gold with more copper Can drift a little browner A wash, a polish now and then About two in three
Platinum About 95 percent platinum, white on its own Takes on a soft gray sheen No plating A small share, mostly rings

The last column: shares of our gold listings offered in each color, counted September 28, 2026; about two in three come in all three.

White gold vs yellow gold

At the same karat they hold the same gold. White gold is not white on its own: in our experience the alloy under the plating is a pale grayish yellow, and the bright white is rhodium, a white metal plated over it. As the plating wears, the warm tone shows; the gold is all still there.

In our experience 18K white gold is harder to keep white than 14K, because more yellow gold sits in the alloy under the plating.

Yellow gold needs no plating: the color is the metal, paler in 10K and deeper in 18K.

Stones read differently too. A near colorless diamond, G to J, looks whiter in yellow or rose gold, where a faint tint blends in; in white metal a tint shows first.

On price: most of our listings that come in more than one color carry one price for every color, counted September 28, 2026.

Why white gold turns yellow at the edges, and what darkening means on each color: does gold tarnish, or is it fake.

White gold vs platinum

Both look white. Platinum is white all the way through: most platinum jewelry is about 95 percent platinum, marked 950, PT950 or PLAT, and it needs no plating.

It is dense. By the book platinum runs about 21 grams per cubic centimeter against 13.0 to 13.6 for 14K gold and about 15.5 for 18K, so the same ring weighs about 60 percent more in platinum than in 14K, and about a third more than in 18K.

Platinum scratches like any metal, but a scratch pushes the metal aside rather than taking it away, so the ring keeps its weight and wears a soft sheen that polishes back. White gold stays bright white as long as the plating does.

Price moves with two markets. Platinum and gold each have a price that changes daily, and a platinum ring carries more metal, so compare the two listings rather than a rule. Today's gold price is on the spot page.

For skin that reacts to metal, platinum is often the gentler choice; some white gold alloys use nickel. Ask the desk which alloy a piece uses. Our platinum for men: men's platinum.

Rose gold

Rose gold is gold with more copper in the alloy, which gives it the pink. At the same karat it holds the same gold as yellow and needs no plating.

Copper deepens with air and sweat, so over the years rose gold can drift toward brown; a polish brings it back.

From the counter

“Buy jewelry you fall in love with: something that makes you happy every time you put it on, a reward for your hard work. And it has to be right, and it has to fit right. Otherwise there is no point.”

Trax, at the counter on 47th Street since 2004

Which should you buy?

If you want Look at
White with the least upkeep Platinum
White on a gold budget 14K white gold, re-plated now and then
A warm classic that forgives wear 14K yellow gold
Something softer, with a pink warmth 14K rose gold
Skin that reacts to metal Platinum, or ask the desk which alloy a piece uses

For a chain, start with 14K gold chains in all three colors, or men's white gold chains. For rings: engagement rings, women's wedding rings and men's wedding bands, most in yellow, white or rose.

Talk to a personal jeweler

See yellow, white and rose side by side before you choose.

Our personal jewelers on 47th Street answer by phone and text seven days. Ask to see a piece on video before you buy.

Questions we hear at the counter

Is white gold real gold?

Yes. 14K white gold is 58.3 percent gold, the same as 14K yellow, stamped 585. The white metals in the alloy and the rhodium plating make it white.

Which is more expensive, white gold or yellow gold?

At the same karat they hold the same gold, and most of our listings that come in both carry one price for both.

Is platinum better than white gold?

For white that needs no plating, and for skin that reacts to metal, often yes. It is also heavier on the hand. White gold is lighter, and its plating needs renewing now and then. Neither is the wrong buy.

Does rose gold fade?

It does not fade to yellow. The copper in it can deepen toward brown over the years, and a polish brings back the pink.

Keep reading

More answers from the counter: all TraxNYC buyer's guides.

Still deciding

See the three golds under one light, at the counter or on video.

We are at 64 W 47th St, Booth F-1, New York, NY 10036, on 47th Street since 2004. Monday to Friday 11 am to 6 pm ET, Saturday and Sunday 12 pm to 4 pm ET; around a holiday, text first.

Text or call 212-872-9692, seven days, read our showroom page first, or go straight to 14K gold chains.