Platinum or white gold?

[rook02]

I have heard that platinum can get dark and chips more easily. Considering this, I was advised to go with white gold instead. What do you guys think?

 

[JulieN]

Platinum doesn't get dark... as in, oxidize, or tarnish.

Any gouges can be polished out if desired. It is not a problem.

And... buy insurance.

 

[LibbyLA]

I like the weight and feel of platinum and the fact that it doesn't have to be replated periodically like white gold does. I also don't mind the patina that platinum develops. Platinum doesn't chip, per se, but it does scratch, which is why it develops patina.

Platinum rings cost more to resize than gold rings because the jeweler has to use a laser with platinum.

It's really a personal preference, except in the case of some ring styles, where one metal may be preferable to another for some reason.

liz

 

[dianabarbara]

Hi rook!

I agree that it is really a matter of personal preference.
if you can, try to see settings in both metals in a jewelry, have a feel, and also confront the color in the natural light with your skin tone

If you intend to pick a micropavé setting and you are sometimes a bit rough with your jewelry, it might be a good idea to stick with platinum, as platinum prongs are a bit more reliable.

best of luck!!

 

[Enerchi]

Hi Rook, there are a few threads on this topic - comparing metals. Check out the RockyTalk main page or just do a search in the top corner. Several will pop up. It will be interesting reading for you and may help you narrow down what is best in your situation.

 

[missy]

It does depend on your preference but I prefer platinum for a ring. It doesn't need to be replated and I like the patina it develops. I really hate when white gold tarnishes/changes color because of my skin oxidizing it. And I do not like the maintenance of having to replate. For this reason if I can afford platinum I always choose it. My ER and WB are both platinum.

 

[justginger]

Another vote for platinum here. I like the heft and I work with various chemicals so I love not having to worry about strange reactions like I would with white gold. My skin chemistry also wears away rhodium very quickly, so my white gold jewelry ends up looking manky after a couple of months.

As Enerchi said, this has definitely be discussed time and time again. A quick search will bring up heaps of results with lots of different opinions and reasoning.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

My preference is also platinum, and if you get the harder platinum alloys, you'll have minimal patina unless she is very hard on her rings. And fine jewelry should be taken care of and not worn when doing housework, yardwork, etc. Gold wears away over time and platinum does not. I would always choose platinum over white gold for a ring. The two best alloys are 90% platinum/10% iridium and 95% platinum/5% ruthenium. The more common alloy that is softer and scratches more is the 95plt/5iridium. I'd only accept that one for earrings since they don't rub on anything.

http://www.victorcanera.com/platinum-vs-gold

 

[TC1987]

Platinum can darken and end up looking looking gray, but it takes many, many years. I bought a '40s ring in the '90s and it definitely looked more like freshly-cast iron that the polished white metal that people expect, lol.

I have both white gold and platinum rings. If a diamond is very white, especially a D-E, it will contrast against most unplated white gold. If it's a J/K or lower color, unplated white gold might be more flattering to it that platinum would be.

Palladium made a comeback a few years ago, but I think it's faded out again because it was harder to work with and didn't hold up to resizings as well.

Stuller has a white gold alloy that's supposed to be whiter and supposed to remain white without replating.

 

[distracts]

I much prefer platinum, unless you get WG that isn't plated. It's hard for me to reconcile "fine jewelry" and "plating."

 

[Gypsy]

If the setting you want has pave: Platinum is superior, period. If it doesn't get a WG alloy like Stuller's X alloys that do not need plating.

Platinum doesn't get dark. It is softer but stronger than gold. It doesn't chip, and it polishes very well. Also it wears better over time.

Gold is harder but weaker than platinum. If you are looking for a good allow I would recommend 18 kt for white gold, and one of the Stuller X alloys as they do not need plating.

Again, for pave platinum is best.

 

[yssie]

It's hard for me to reconcile "fine jewelry" and "plating."

Ditto.

 

[kevin329]

Gold is harder but weaker than platinum.

Hardness can be a misleading term, and in fact gold is not harder than platinum. Pure platinum is harder than pure gold, and platinum will actually scratch gold (Mohs hardness scale). Platinum is harder for the most common scientific hardness scales, Mohs, Brinell, and Vickers. Also platinum has a higher shear modulus and tensile strength. Platinum is more dense and naturally greyish-white in appearance which gives it a natural advantage over white gold alloys. Once gold is alloyed, it can be made harder than platinum.

However, this does not mean that platinum will not show marks (furrows), but platinum will not lose it's weight as easily as gold. This is why platinum is often referred to as "softer" but more durable than gold.

If you want to look at it from an investment point of view, you will lose more of your investment over time with gold than with platinum, and you will have repeated expenses of having white gold refinished.

Alloys can completely change the properties of a ring depending on percentage and type of alloy used, some desirable some not so desirable.

My vote is platinum.

 

[yssie]

Gold is harder but weaker than platinum.

Hardness can be a misleading term, and in fact gold is not harder than platinum. Pure platinum is harder than pure gold, and platinum will actually scratch gold (Mohs hardness scale). Platinum is harder for the most common scientific hardness scales, Mohs, Brinell, and Vickers. Also platinum has a higher shear modulus and tensile strength. Platinum is more dense and naturally greyish-white in appearance which gives it a natural advantage over white gold alloys. Once gold is alloyed, it can be made harder than platinum.

However, this does not mean that platinum will not show marks (furrows), but platinum will not lose it's weight as easily as gold. This is why platinum is often referred to as "softer" but more durable than gold.

If you want to look at it from an investment point of view, you will lose more of your investment over time with gold than with platinum, and you will have repeated expenses of having white gold refinished.

Alloys can completely change the properties of a ring depending on percentage and type of alloy used, some desirable some not so desirable.

My vote is platinum.

According to this chart common cast alloys of 18k wg gold are harder than alloyed plat if we're going by Vickers - presumably brinell too - got a lot more leeway to prod at it until you hit that elastic stress/strain limit vs plastic deformation w/ plat... good for teeny tiny prongs holding teeny tiny melee, not so good if you want a delicate shank to stay round and in-plane. But 18k wg is more brittle than plat.

http://www.hooverandstrong.com/category/Casting+Grain+Specifications/