Identification guide · Metals & Alloys
How to Identify White Gold
White Gold is usually white silver, pale gold, and silver with a metallic luster and is opaque. It has a Mohs hardness of 3. A copper coin (Mohs 3.5) scratches it, but a fingernail does not. Its streak is white metallic. It is most often confused with Nickel, Silver, and Gold; the tests below separate them.
White Gold identification checklist
| Color | White silver, Pale gold, Silver, Warm gray | Look at a clean, dry surface in daylight. Color zoning, banding or spots are as diagnostic as the hue. |
|---|---|---|
| Luster | Metallic | Turn it under a lamp: a true metallic shine reflects like polished metal and stays opaque at thin edges. |
| Transparency | Opaque | Hold a thin edge up to a bright light and note whether light passes through. |
| Mohs hardness | 3 | A copper coin (Mohs 3.5) scratches it, but a fingernail does not. |
| Streak | White metallic | Drag a corner across unglazed porcelain (the back of a bathroom tile) and check the powder color. |
| Cleavage | None | |
| Fracture | Ductile to uneven | |
| Specific gravity | 14 | Very heavy, metallic heft (specific gravity about 14). |
White Gold look-alikes and how to tell them apart
Nickel is harder (Mohs 4) than White Gold (Mohs 3), so Nickel will scratch White Gold and not the other way round. A copper coin (Mohs 3.5) scratches it, but a fingernail does not. White Gold vs Nickel →
Both sit near Mohs 3, so a scratch test alone will not separate them. Lean on luster, streak and heft instead. White Gold vs Silver →
Both sit near Mohs 3, so a scratch test alone will not separate them. Lean on luster, streak and heft instead. White Gold vs Gold →
Both sit near Mohs 3, so a scratch test alone will not separate them. Lean on luster, streak and heft instead. White Gold vs Sterling Silver →
Field tips
- Look for a bright white-silver jewelry metal.
- White gold can resemble platinum, sterling silver, or stainless steel by sight alone.
- Worn edges may look slightly warmer or yellower if rhodium plating has thinned.
- Hallmarks and karat marks are important for verification.
White Gold identification FAQ
How can you tell if a rock is White Gold?
Check the color (white silver, pale gold, silver, and warm gray), the metallic luster, a Mohs hardness of 3 and a white metallic streak. Photographing it with the StoneSnap app gives a match in seconds.
What is the hardness of White Gold?
White Gold has a Mohs hardness of 3. A copper coin (Mohs 3.5) scratches it, but a fingernail does not.
What is the difference between White Gold and Nickel?
White Gold (Mohs 3, metallic luster) and Nickel (Mohs 4, metallic luster) look alike, but hardness, streak and heft usually separate them. See the full White Gold vs Nickel comparison for a side-by-side table.
Is White Gold worth anything?
Entry-level White Gold specimens sell for around $20, typical collector pieces about $400, and premium examples $8000 or more depending on size, quality and locality.
What color is White Gold?
White Gold is most often white silver, pale gold, silver, and warm gray. Color varies with impurities and locality, so confirm with hardness and luster rather than color alone.
