To anyone wearing either white gold or platinum - trying to decide!- LOTS OF QUESTIONS

[cammy85]

I have desperately been trying to determing the ''better metal'' for me. I have searched for platinum vs white gold, and have found out some good information on PS (but couldn''t find a recent post to attach this to - so pardon if this is in the wrong place). I love the look of silvery metals, but am trying to figure out if platinum is really worth the higher cost.

Most of the stuff i''ve learned is the basic cookie cutter info:

Platinum:
Over 2k per ounce currently
More dense than gold
No plating
scratch or ''patina''
Can be repolished

White Gold:
Loses weight over time
Replated every once in a while (I hear 12-18 months)
Cheaper than platinum

I guess my big question has to do with the real life experiences of daily wearers.

For those with platinum:
What do you think of the patina?
Do you get it repolished?
If so, how often?
Does it restore it to ''like new'' condition?
Typical cost/time to repolish?

For those with white gold:
What karat of white gold?
Do you notice the ''yellowing'' of your jewelry with wear?
How soon did you first notice it?
Do you get your ring regularly replated?
If so, how often?
Time/cost to re-rhodium plate?


Pictures are also welcome!

Sorry this is so long, I just have so many questions, and I wanted real opinions - not just the jewelers ''average'' answers.

 

[Diamond*Dana]

My ring is 14K X1 white gold (http://www.stuller.com/apps/images/kbpdfs/x1.pdf). It has never needed to be replated (I have worn it everyday for almost a year). It is still as white as the day I got it.

My sister has 18K WG and she has had to have her rings replated a few times over the past 2 years. Her rings yellow much faster than mine, and I really do think that it has a lot to do with the skin from person to person.

I have heard that 18K yellows faster (I am not 100% sure of this, though), and the X1 WG that I have is not supposed to require plating...I have other WG pieces that are not X1, though, and they have not needed much plating at all.

As for platinum...I do have a platinum band, and while I love the weight of it, I do not really care for the patina that comes with wear.

 

[shimmer]

Hi! Here are some answers based on my experience with a platinum ering and a white gold RHR.


For those with platinum:

What do you think of the patina?

The patina bugs me a little, I like metal to be shiny. That said, I don''t really notice it until I get it re-polished, then I notice the big difference

Do you get it repolished?

Yes.

If so, how often?

I''ve only had my ring 8 mos or so, and I''ve gotten it done once, I would say every 4-6 months.

Does it restore it to ''like new'' condition?

Yes, looks brand new to me after polishing!

Typical cost/time to repolish?

I had to return my ring to an internet vendor for other reasons, they did it for free! Time, I would guess same day/visit.


For those with white gold:

What karat of white gold?

My RHR is 14k, rhodium plated.

Do you notice the ''yellowing'' of your jewelry with wear?

Most definitely.

How soon did you first notice it?

About 6 mos-1 year. Can''t remember exactly when.

Do you get your ring regularly replated?

Nope. I didn''t wear it very often after getting engaged, I am going to do it though.

If so, how often?

6mos-1 year?

Time/cost to re-rhodium plate?

I think one day/same visit, about $50? Haven''t actually done it so not 100% sure.

Hope this helps! I will let you know that I am resetting my ering and choosing white gold over plat this time! I don''t like the heaviness of plat and I want to eventually get lots of stacking bands and may wear them with my ering and most of the bands I love are in WG. Right now, I don''t think the price of plat is worth it (for me).

 

[lisa1.01fvs1]

I have platinum and love it.

You can have it repolished as many times as you want as its a very tuff you won''t lose much material at all.

SA suggest polishing it every 6 mos. but I would do it whenever.

 

[Diamond*Dana]

The price that I have paid to rhodium plate my WG in the past was around $20. There are times when my jeweler has done it for free as well. I know that I have never paid more than $20, though.

 

[grapegravity]

For those with white gold:
What karat of white gold?

18kt shank with platinum prongs

Do you notice the ''yellowing'' of your jewelry with wear?

I do notice they get yellower time to time (maybe it depends on the lighting too)

How soon did you first notice it?

I noticed it after wearing it for one year

Do you get your ring regularly replated?

Not really, just whenever the jeweller notice my ring has become more yellow..

If so, how often?

The last time it was plated was before Xmas

Time/cost to re-rhodium plate

For me, the replating is free for the whole life time... and I get the ring back to same day.. (Drop off in the morning, and prick up in ther afternoon)



Several of my friends have plat for their e-ring and they kept on saying how my shank is way shinnier and does not look dull... Personally, I prefer 19kt, which does not turn yellow....

 

[Venice]

After having platinum, I would never go back to white gold. I LOVE platinum! After a year and a half my ring still looks shiny and new (I keep waiting for that "patina" I keep hearing about). I wear it every day from the moment I wake up until I go to bed at night.

My white gold pieces have all turned a yellowish tone, and I had to have them replated. The diamonds set in the platinum look brighter next to the diamonds set in white gold. Of course, this has been my personal experience with the metals.

Good luck with your decision. As I write this, the price of platinum has gone down to $2,147! Big Whoopie!

 

[cammy85]

I am really appreciating all the advice and experiences from the responses. It impresses me how different people can have such different experiences - but I think that goes with almost anything in life!

Woohoo to the platinum price drop! Only a few more days and maybe it''ll be equivalent to gold!

To those with the white gold rings - do you have white gold or platinum prongs?




man, I ask a ton of questions...

 

[choro72]

A jeweler I have talked to have mentioned that re-plating WG is about $50. She also told me not to worry too much about losing material; it won''t happen in my lifetime, unless I want a paper-thin ring.
Just as another issue to add to your list, Platinum will dull VERY easily. Re-Polishing will be needed quite often, unless you go for the matte finish. Good thing is, you don''t have to worry about losing material...
I vote for X1 or Precise White Gold.

 

[Love Street]

Hi! I have a platinum e-ring with sidestones (so not as much plat as you''d see with a solitaire setting). I''ve had me e-ring for 5 years and my platinum shared prong w-band (also not much metal showing!) for 3.5.

What do you think of the patina?
- I don''t mind the patina, and actually I think it''s something that is "unmistakeably platinum", which is cool. I have noticed some little dents/dings on the bottom of the ring but again, no onebut me ever sees this and I don''t mind it.

I should say I''m VERY into low maintenance jewelry, and I don''t ever take my rings off - not for playing with the dogs, not swimming in the ocean, not camping in the desert or scrambling on boulders, never!! So, I''m probably what you''d call hard on jewelry, and the platinum has stood up well. I''ve lost only one diamond in my shared prong the entire time I''ve abused it.

Do you get it repolished? If so, how often?

I get my ring steam cleaned fairly often, but actually have only gotten it polished/buffed twice!

Does it restore it to ''like new'' condition?
Yes!! I couldn''t believe how shiny it was after the buffing!! It actually got my obsessed with diamonds again after a hiatus!

Typical cost/time to repolish?
I take it to T & Co since I bought it there, and of course they do it for free in less than 30 mins. Gives me time to play with whatever diamonds they have behind the counters

 

[Fly Girl]

I have had my platinum ring for 8 years now. I''ve had it rebuffed every 2 years, or so. The patina is so gradual that I really don''t notice it. I love the shiny, high gloss finish of platinum, and the substantial, heavy feel.

I recommend platinum for your most important daily wear jewelry, and white gold for occasional wear, fashion type of jewelry.

However, given current prices, and the frequency that some folks change settings, I can understand going with white gold for your wedding set.

 

[coda72]

I like platinum a lot. I love the heaviness of it, and I don''t seem to get much of a patina on my rings. White gold does of course need to be replated, but I have been very lucky. My white gold pieces have been staying white, and I''ve had most of them for 2+ years. Of course they aren''t worn daily like my wedding set is. For your e-ring and w-ring I would probably go for platinum, but for any other pieces it''s probably not worth it.

I''m looking into getting a custom made right hand ring right now, and I just can''t justify the extra cost for platinum. I may go with palladium as the jeweler suggested since that also stays white. Palladium doesn''t have the heaviness of platinum though, and not as many jewelers work with it. But eventually it may be more widely used as platinum continues to rise in price. It is also considerably cheaper than platinum (at least right now). So, there''s one more option for you other than platinum or white gold.

 

[zoebartlett]

My engagement ring and wedding band are platinum and I love them. I planning on wearing both every day (or at least most days), and I know there will be scratches. My engagement ring has a few scratches but they don't bother me too much. I'd like to get it polished at some point but I haven't done it yet (the ring(s) are just about a year old). I don't really notice the weight of my ring -- it doesn't feel any heavier than my yellow gold rings.

I don't have any white gold rings, so I can't comment on white gold.

ETA: I haven't noticed the patina either. I just held up my wedding band to my enagement ring and I couldn't see a difference. They both look brand new. I'm not sure how long it usually takes for a patina to develop but I don't think it would bother me if it does happen.

 

[cutes814]

my ering and wband are in platinum and i love it.

the two reasons i chose platinum were

1. i love the heavy feel of platinum
2. i don''t like how wg turns yellowish after use


i have a couple other rings in wg and everytime i use lotion, i take them off so i don''t speed up the process of the yellowing, since anything alcohol based will rub off the plating faster.

i don''t mind that platinum is not as shiny as wg. i kinda prefer the look of the greyish white metal you get with plat instead of the bright shiny white metal you get with wg.

it''s really a preference. for my everyday rings (wedding set) i like the plat, but in occasional jewelry, i prefer wg for the price.

 

[gemgirl]

The most important difference between platinum and white gold is that gold IS lost when a piece is polished. It may be a scant bit lost, but still it''s lost. Over the course of 5, 10 or 20 years, shanks will thin out. Platinum however, is so much denser than gold that no metal is lost when the surface is polished. The molecular structure is so much tighter in platinum, that the only thing that happens with polishing is that the molecules get redistributed. No metal lost ever.

Venice is also right. Depending on what white gold is alloyed with and by who, white gold can turn a slightly funny yellow-ish color. Platinum will never change colors. It may dull with daily wear (my Mom''s engagement ring and my BF''s Lieberfarb wedding band certainly have) but they can always be repolished and replated with rhodium.

 

[gemgirl]

One last thing......... LOL! Stones set in platinum are considered to be "dead set", meaning set for a lifetime. That''s not the case with gold. Prongs can bend or weaken with the wear and tear of daily life, and I''ve even seen women break their prongs off if a ring is hit just the right way.

If you''re creating something of real value or a "once in a lifetime" piece, I''d go with platinum. If you''re creating something you may change again in the future? Then go with gold.

 

[Ellen]

I've had my WG upgrade for almost 2 years. It's been dipped once, and it's not really ready for another. But I take my rings off to do a lot of things, so that may be part of the reason. My body chemistry doesn't seem to be affecting it too much. I paid $35 for that dip. And I prefer WG because it isn't heavy, I actually don't really like "feeling" my rings on.


ETA Forgot to say, this rings prongs are also WG. However, I'm in the process of having an Aqua reset, and that is WG with Plat prongs, which was more for the malleable property with the softer stone.

 

[talen316]

Date: 2/28/2008 5:02:38 PM
Author: gemgirl
One last thing......... LOL! Stones set in platinum are considered to be ''dead set'', meaning set for a lifetime. That''s not the case with gold. Prongs can bend or weaken with the wear and tear of daily life, and I''ve even seen women break their prongs off if a ring is hit just the right way.

If you''re creating something of real value or a ''once in a lifetime'' piece, I''d go with platinum. If you''re creating something you may change again in the future? Then go with gold.

Aside from having a strong affinity for the characteristics of one vs the other, I think that is a great point, especially considering the cost of Plat right now.

I''m having a custom bezel setting made for my wife with a wide, flat edge band. The result being this ring will require a lot of metal to build. I would have preferred to go with Plat mainly for the increased durability and my life likes the patina look anyway. However the cost for the Plat in this design was ~$4500 vs. ~$2k for the X1 WG. In part, I couldn''t justify the cost difference, especially with the benefit of not having to re-rhodium the X1. But the other part of what factored into the decision is that there is a distinct possibility my wife will want to either re-set the stone or upgrade within the next 5-10 yrs, so the longevity factor of Plat was further marginalized in our case.

If prong breakage is a concern, I think in some cases you can get a Platinum head put on a WG band, but I didn''t look into that in my case.

 

[angel777]

I have 18K white gold from Whiteflash (their eternity setting). I have had it for about a year and a half. I do not take it off ever. Sleep with it on, etc.
It has not yellowed in any way.
I love how shiny white gold is and will continue to go with this metal over platinum, when I get my wedding ring.

 

[heather318]

For those with platinum:
What do you think of the patina? - It doesn''t really bother me, but it might when I get a wedding band and it will be all around the ring..

Do you get it repolished? - never done it and don''t plan on doing it.. at one time I thought I might do it, but I read somewhere about someone saying that looking at the scratches it reminds them of how long they had been with their DH and how much they had been through and I think that definitely changed my mind!

Personally, I can''t stand how yellow white gold turns. I have a ring I wear on my right hand that is WG and you can definitely tell the difference!

 

[Sparkles22]

For those with platinum:
What do you think of the patina? ~ It doesn''t bother me, I would rather it grey a little and still look "white" vs yellow and it is very gradual, I really didn''t notice until I had it repolished
Do you get it repolished?~ I have once
If so, how often?~ once in 2 years
Does it restore it to ''like new'' condition?~ absolutely, no scratches, bright white, super shinny and doesn''t need to be plated
Typical cost/time to repolish?~ Free at the place I bought it and I leave it there for 12-24 hours

~I love the weight of the platinum and I feel like it''s such a lifetime piece, it''s expensive but I am sooooooooo glad I got platinum for my wedding set

. I think for other rings I could deal with the slight yellowing over time (especially if there aren''t diamonds in it). I think the platinum makes the diamonds look super bright. White gold does when it''s new or newly redipped.
For those with white gold:
What karat of white gold? ~ 14k
Do you notice the ''yellowing'' of your jewelry with wear?~ Yes and it drives me NUTS!! I don''t notice it on necklaces, but rings definately

How soon did you first notice it?~ after 1 month (on the bottom of the shank)
Do you get your ring regularly replated?~ yes

If so, how often?~ If I wear them full time then every 3-4 months, sometimes I let it go longer if I don''t wear them that often and I try to let it go until it really starts bugging me, on my 1st wedding set this was about every 2 months, since I wore it all the time. I got so sick of it I was considering buying a YG one so that it wasn''t a weird inbetween color, but I do really like white metals better on myself.
Time/cost to re-rhodium plate? ~ Depends where you go mine have to be sent out for 10 business days, it doesn''t cost me anything since I paid extra for the lifetime guarantee upfront

I can''t speak for the other white gold alloys out there. I don''t know what mine was/is they are from a B&M store. People''s skin chemistry can contribute to it. If you don''t have any WG pieces maybe find a cheap band to see what your skin does to it. I would recommend this for platinum too, but I think it would be hard to find a cheap piece. I would try one on somewhere though, that was one of the things that sold me. The first time I felt it.... There are some threads on here with pictures of a patina... I wondered also prior to purchase and when people posted them I was like... so what? I don''t even see what the big deal is... I would much rather have that then yellowing of the WG.

 

[geo-dale]

As long as you are okay with a less dense metal, palladium might interest you?!? It has a similar density and cost to gold, but is in the platinum family. It is 12% harder than platinum too so a little more scratch resistant and is actually whiter than platinum. I believe that its popularity will grow 10-fold in the next few years as more and more jewelers are casting with it and with the ridiculous cost per oz. increase in platinum (and to a lesser extent gold) these days. Up until 2001 palladium actually cost more than platinum and palladium is 30 times more rare than gold.

Just another option you can consider.

Good luck on your quest.

 

[arjunajane]

Hi Cammy, I will tell you my experience with my e-ring:

For those with white gold:
What karat of white gold?

18k
Do you notice the ''yellowing'' of your jewelry with wear?

Yes, but it has only started on the underside of my ring where it gets the most wear. The top side is still finel, and I wear it every day

How soon did you first notice it?

Mine''s a lil diff to most ppl it seems..my ring didn''t start yellowing until this year I;d say, and I''ve had it for almost 3yrs now.
Do you get your ring regularly replated?
If so, how often?
Time/cost to re-rhodium plate?

Haven''t got it done yet, sorry. But I know there a few decent threads on this one. Also I''m in Australia, so its probably gonna cost more here than for u.

Good luck with your decision

 

[angel777]

http://goodoldgold.com/SettingSearch/Platinum_WhiteGold/

quick comparison.

 

[cammy85]

I have looked into palladium, but I worry about it''s long term use - as well as the fact a lot of modern jewelers aren''t necessarily comfortable using it. Palladium interests me because of it''s properties as well as cost, but I am am just leery of how it would hold up in the long run(I''m a pretty active person, and I don''t think I''m the kind that would take my jewelry off to do dishes or anything like that).

Talking to the jeweler, he said if it is for something you are going to wear everyday for the rest of your life, get the platinum. Anything else, white gold shouldn''t be a problem. I think I''m starting to agree..

 

[geo-dale]

There are enough good jewelers working with palladium now that if you are interested you can find one. If your jeweler is telling you that platinum will hold up any better than palladium he is lying. Palladium is harder than platinum and like platinum does not loose metal when scratch like gold does. As for long term worries, both palladium and platinum are used in catalytic converters...if they metal can withstand that environment, it will certainly be fine when you do the dishes.

As far as acidity, nitric acid is needed to break down palladium. But I assure you, your hand will never be in that acidic of an environment or you will have more to worry about than your ring.

Neither is better...one is just heavier than the other. Of course, marketing may lead you believe platinum is more prestigious.

Good luck!

 

[Diamond*Dana]

Date: 2/29/2008 8:41:36 AM
Author: cammy85
I have looked into palladium, but I worry about it''s long term use - as well as the fact a lot of modern jewelers aren''t necessarily comfortable using it. Palladium interests me because of it''s properties as well as cost, but I am am just leery of how it would hold up in the long run(I''m a pretty active person, and I don''t think I''m the kind that would take my jewelry off to do dishes or anything like that).

Talking to the jeweler, he said if it is for something you are going to wear everyday for the rest of your life, get the platinum. Anything else, white gold shouldn''t be a problem. I think I''m starting to agree..

I think that it will become more widely used, but I did change my palladium setting for the simple fact that I could not find a jeweler to work on it, and I don''t live in a rural area or anything like that. It was an ok metal, but I prefer the gold to it.

 

[tberube]

What karat of white gold?
I wear 14K white gold.

Do you notice the 'yellowing' of your jewelry with wear?
not particularly, especially if it's not up against another metal that's "less yellow". Also, I actually prefer the "warmer" look of white gold over the "steel gray" look of platinum.

How soon did you first notice it?
I've had my ring for 10 months and it still looks fresh to me. And, amazingly, it's still just as "silvery" as my wedding band, which I haven't worn yet.

Do you get your ring regularly replated?
I'm still debating over whether I'll get my ring replated, because like I said I kinda prefer that slightly warmer tone. Also, my ring has an antique look to it so it works even more so.

If so, how often?
if I did decide to replate, it probably would only be once every few years.

Time/cost to re-rhodium plate?
Haven't done it, but from what I hear, it's only like $20 and if they have the equipment in-house, a jeweler can do it while you wait.

Personally, I'm not totally convinced that platinum is all that much better than white gold, overall. It still smells of marketing schemes to me. Gold has always been around, and has always been a widely used metal for jewelry...whereas platinum kinda comes and goes. I dunno. Totally a preference thing, though...I guess.

 

[krisvrn]

Date: 2/28/2008 1:46:01 PM
Author:cammy85
I have desperately been trying to determing the ''better metal'' for me. I have searched for platinum vs white gold, and have found out some good information on PS (but couldn''t find a recent post to attach this to - so pardon if this is in the wrong place). I love the look of silvery metals, but am trying to figure out if platinum is really worth the higher cost.

Most of the stuff i''ve learned is the basic cookie cutter info:

Platinum:
Over 2k per ounce currently
More dense than gold
No plating
scratch or ''patina''
Can be repolished

White Gold:
Loses weight over time
Replated every once in a while (I hear 12-18 months)
Cheaper than platinum

I guess my big question has to do with the real life experiences of daily wearers.

For those with platinum:
What do you think of the patina?
Do you get it repolished?
If so, how often?
Does it restore it to ''like new'' condition?
Typical cost/time to repolish?

For those with white gold:
What karat of white gold?
Do you notice the ''yellowing'' of your jewelry with wear?
How soon did you first notice it?
Do you get your ring regularly replated?
If so, how often?
Time/cost to re-rhodium plate?


Pictures are also welcome!

Sorry this is so long, I just have so many questions, and I wanted real opinions - not just the jewelers ''average'' answers.

I have 14K W-gold. Yes I notice the yellowing (after ~ 6 months of everyday wear) . Replating for me has been done free but I have called around and it is around $23-40 in my area.
I wished I would have gone w/ platinum but @ the time I was liked my setting and just went for it.

 

[vespergirl]

My rings from my first marriage were white gold, and I have platinum now, and I really prefer the platinum. I feel that after only a couple of months the gold started looking yellowish, and it was a pain to bring them in for replating. The "patina" on the platinum is not noticeable, and you can get them polished at the jeweler for free, which makes them look shiny and new in just a few minutes. I really prefer the plat, and would never get white gold for an everyday piece again.

However, if it''s between a setting that she loves in white gold, and a simpler one in plat that she''s not at crazy about, get her the setting that she loves - then she won''t mind having to get them plated, probably.