White and rose gold are not separate metals. They are gold alloys, priced by purity like any other gold. An 18K white gold ring and an 18K yellow gold ring of the same weight hold the same amount of gold. KDM is not a purity mark at all.
Why gold comes in colours
Pure gold is yellow and soft. Jewellery gold is mixed with other metals to make it harder, and the mix sets the colour:
- Yellow gold: gold with silver and copper in balance, keeping the natural colour.
- Rose gold: more copper, which turns it pink.
- White gold: gold mixed with white metals, and often plated so it looks bright silver.
Because coloured gold needs a larger share of other metals, white and rose pieces are most often 18K or 14K rather than 22K.
How coloured gold is priced
The gold in a piece is worth its weight times the rate for its purity, whatever the colour. At today's IBJA rate, 18K gold is worth about ₹10,622 per gram and 14K about ₹8,285 per gram, before making charges and 3% GST. Where white and rose pieces cost more, the extra is in the making charge, for the alloying, plating and finishing. Ask for it as a separate figure, as our GST and making charges guide explains.
White gold or platinum?
They look alike, but platinum is a different metal with its own price, and it is not covered by gold hallmark grades. If a piece is sold as white gold, the hallmark should show a gold grade such as 18K750. If it is sold as platinum, ask what certification it has. When you sell white gold later, you are paid for its gold content, so keep the bill that states its purity.
What KDM means
Older bills and shop talk often call gold “KDM”. The term is generally used for the solder that joins parts of a piece, not for how pure the gold is. It is not a hallmark, and a KDM stamp on its own proves nothing about purity. What does is the BIS hallmark: the BIS logo, a grade such as 22K916, and a six-character HUID you can check in the BIS Care app.
Read the mark on your piece
Type what is stamped on your white, rose or yellow gold piece.
22K, 91.6% gold
916 means 916 parts of pure gold in every 1,000. This is one of the six purity grades BIS allows on hallmarked gold jewellery. At today's IBJA rate the metal in it is worth about ₹12,973 per gram, before making charges and GST.
For the full check, step by step, see our hallmark and HUID guide, and for what each grade is worth, the purity guide.
Sources
- Bureau of Indian Standards: Hallmarking FAQ, purity grades under IS 1417:2016 (bis.gov.in)
- India Bullion and Jewellers Association: published rates (ibjarates.com)
Questions people ask
Is white gold real gold?
Yes. White gold is gold mixed with white metals, so it is priced by its gold content like any other gold. An 18K white gold ring is 75% gold.
Is rose gold real gold?
Yes. Rose gold is gold with a larger share of copper, which gives it the pink colour. It is priced by purity, the same as yellow gold.
What does KDM gold mean?
KDM refers to the solder used to join parts of a piece. It is not a hallmark and says nothing about purity. Only the BIS logo, a purity grade and a HUID make a hallmark.
Is white gold more expensive than yellow gold?
Not for the gold itself: the same purity and weight contains the same gold. White gold pieces can cost more because of the extra work and plating, which shows up in the making charge.
Can white gold be hallmarked?
Yes. BIS purity grades describe gold content, not colour, so a white or rose gold piece carries the same marks, for example 18K750, with the BIS logo and a HUID.