Scratches on my platinum band

[Porridge]

I don''t know if this is the right forum for this question, but it''s not about diamonds so it can''t go in RockyTalky.

I wore a silver ring 24/7 for the first 5-6 months of our engagement, I never took it off. I got my e-ring a month ago, set in platinum from a very reputable place, but the underside is really scratched up! I''m really careful with it, I take it off for any activities, and at night. I honestly can''t think of anything I could have done to have caused so much scratching! It''s much more scratched up than my silver ring is, and I didn''t take nearly as much care of that one. Maybe because the silver band was a little thinner it was better protected in the fold of my finger, I don''t know. The scratching is quite deep and obvious - for example if it were a plain platinum wedding band it would be quite obvious. It''s making me sad, and I''m worried about it.

Is this normal? I thought platinum was really tough and durable

 

[musey]

I don't know how much you've read around here, but platinum is actually quite soft. In a good way.

The reason it's preferred (or mistakenly/confusingly referred to as "durable") is that because it's more malleable than gold, the metal can be polished an almost infinite number of times without losing any mass. More brittle gold, on the other hand, will lose a bit of metal every time it's scratched (it'll slough off) and polished (which removes a very thin layer each time).

Platinum prongs are also more likely to bend when hit, rather than snap like gold tends to do. Bent prongs = diamond still held in head, snapped prongs = diamond goes flying.


My platinum engagement ring got a nice patina on the palm side within a couple of months or so. I had it polished right before our wedding last October, and it's been shiny since then... maybe the wedding band keeps it from getting scratched. I'm also not wearing it as much (most of the time it's just the wedding band).

It's a common misconception... people seem to picture platinum as being more along the lines of tungsten. Industrial-strength. I've gotten more than one horrified look when I mention that I've had to have my prongs tightened ("Are you SURE that's platinum, I thought it was supposed to be the strongest metal?!

").

It's just a little misunderstood is all!

 

[Circe]

Platinum *is* really tough and durable ... but not quite in the way one might expect. Platinum scratches quite easily: but unlike gold or silver, the metal that is scratched only displaces, it doesn't flake away. So, a quick re-polish and your ring should be just fine. Some people actually appreciate the "patina" that platinum builds up: some re-polish frequently. Either way, don't worry! This sounds totally normal.

ETA: Looks like we cross-posted - heh, sorry about that!

 

[:)]

great advice above - platinum displaces, hence the scratches you see (gold actually scratches less) - a good polishing by the jeweler should restore it to bright and shiny new status.

 

[Porridge]

Phew! Thanks everyone