Shaykh Muhammad Nasiruddin Al-Albani was asked:

Question:

There is [a type of] gold that is 21 or 18 carats and it is gold but it is chemically treated in terms that the color changes from yellow to white. Some brothers purchase it from some businessmen who do not fear Allah and do not say that this is gold. They say it is only platinum; however, it is gold whose color changed due to chemical treatment. So what is the ruling on this?

Shaikh:

”The ruling on this question is in what has preceded. This ring, which chemical treatment has removed its natural color, the color of gold, to a white color that they call white gold, does it cease being gold due to this chemical treatment or does it remain being called this real name? The answer: yes, it is a gold ring even if its color is chemically removed. So it is not allowed. Rather this may even be more prohibited than gold that is clear in its color due to what is in it [wearing white gold] of deception towards the prohibition of the legislation in regards to the likes of this ring. It is not said that it and natural gold which is not treated have the same ruling. However, it [white gold] is worse than natural gold because in it is the permissibility of what the wise legislation has prohibited”.

[Fatawa al-Judah no. 17]

Translated by

Faisal Ibn Abdul Qaadir Ibn Hassan
Abu Sulaymaan