why scuffs & chip on Platinum after 3 weeks of normal wear??

[ozzy11]

My fiance bought me the loveliest ring from since1910.com and gave it to me for Christmas. It's perfect and am totally in love with it.

The problem is that the platinum band is already getting scuffed up and has a chip in it! I haven't done anything rough with it - not bumped it or anything. I have worn it of course but I work at a computer and the most friction it's seen was when I was kneading dough or taking a shower.

I would really like to know if this is normal. Shouldn't platinum stay shiny and smooth?

I can't really take a photo of the scuff marks but I have attached one of the chip.

Any insight on why this is happening would be greatly appreciated!!!!

 

[aviastar]

Re: why scuffs & chip on Platinum after 3 weeks of normal we

Hi, congratulations on your engagement!

I, also, have been wearing a platinum ring since Christmas and it is the same. Platinum is softer, but denser than gold, so it will scuff up until it reaches it's 'comfort zone' and then hang out there, but you haven't lost any of the metal. Gold has more alloy in it than platinum so it will retain it's finish longer, but if you do ding it, you have lost that metal. Platinum does develop it's own patina over time and this can be fixed with a polish. It just depends on what your tolerence for the patina is and how often you wish to re-polish.

Personally, I don't mind the patina so I don't worry about it but, but platinum won't stay as shiny as unplated white gold and certainly not anything like the rhodium plated white gold.

Hope that helps!

 

[distracts]

Re: why scuffs & chip on Platinum after 3 weeks of normal we

Platinum is a soft metal and develops a patina of scuffs and scratches fairly quickly. It's completely normal. If you let it go on a little longer, the metal will start looking satiny, which many people quite like (and many also hate). There's not a metal used in jewelry that I know of that stays shiny and smooth forever - it's a matter of the length of time it stays shiny and smooth. From there, it's a matter of what your tolerance is for the little scratches and how often you want to get it repolished. For me, with my platinum rings, I plan on polishing them every year (I've had my e-ring 10 months, and while the patina on the shank doesn't bother me, it does on the prongs, and they've juuuust started getting it, while the band has had it since fairly early on). However I know there are people on PS who take their platinum rings to get repolished every 4 to 6 months, and people who avoid platinum because they prefer the way white gold wears over time.

Here is a thread with a picture:
[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/platinum-vs-white-gold.147732/page-2']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/platinum-vs-white-gold.147732/page-2[/URL]

The only time I've seen something like that chip on my platinum ring was when I whacked my hand into a cast-iron table. I was attempting to move the extraordinarily heavy chair closer to the table and my hand slipped. It's likely you did something similar, if less extreme - put your hand down too hard or gripped too hard on something metal or otherwise unforgiving, like a doorknob, shower rail or knob, car door, etc. I would imagine it can be polished out.

I think that most on PS would find kneading dough or taking a shower in your ring to be "being rough on it." I would not do either of those things in my ring!

If you search for platinum patina or platinum vs white gold here on the forum, you'll find a TON of information.

p.s. Can we have a picture of the whole ring, pretty please? I looked through your past posts and saw that you haven't posted one. I'd love to see it!

 

[Octavia]

Re: why scuffs & chip on Platinum after 3 weeks of normal we

Platinum doesn't stay shiny -- over time, it develops a patina, which means that thousands of tiny scratches cover the surface and make the metal look somewhat dull. Some people like this look and others don't. The advantage to platinum is that it can be worn and polished with very little metal loss, as compared to gold which will thin over time. The disadvantage is, if you don't like the patina, there really isn't any way to avoid it. I think plat looks its worst during the couple weeks after polishing, before it has time to develop a patina and just looks scratched. As for the chip, you probably hit it against something without realizing it -- I remember right after I got engaged, I noticed a huge, deep scratch in my ring and couldn't for the life of me figure out where it came from. When I had my ring polished before the wedding, it buffed right out.

ETA: I like patina, so I don't get my rings polished. I only did before the wedding so it would match my shiny new wedding band and then they would age together. Also, I'm a "bad" PSer and only take my rings off to clean them. So mine have lots of wear marks!

 

[MrsDrP]

Re: why scuffs & chip on Platinum after 3 weeks of normal we

What type of platinum is it...as in which alloy is mixed with it?

I had a platinum ring that was 95plat/5 ruthenium and it always had tiny scratches on it. I would have it professionally polished about once a month and literally the next day after a polishing it would start showing new scratches. Drove me utterly insane!!!

Unfortunately, that is one of the cons of platinum in my opinion. It is softer than white gold so it dents and scratches easily. I don't think there is anything you can do about it except have it polished often. The good thing about platinum is that is only displaces and doesn't chip!

Platinum alone is a soft metal, so the hardness of a piece of jewelry is determined by the alloy mixed with it and the %. There are several platinum alloy mixtures available for jewelry making, and some are more scratch resistant than others. I think the one that scratches the most is 95plat/5iridium, but I'm not 100% certain. I'm sure someone else can clarify that for you.

 

[Laila619]

Re: why scuffs & chip on Platinum after 3 weeks of normal we

Platinum is very soft. Maybe you could exchange it for white gold? Or you can try to get the scratches and chip polished out. Good luck!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Re: why scuffs & chip on Platinum after 3 weeks of normal we

I would have it polished. But really, I do not wear my platinum rings when cooking, showering, sleeping, etc. so they really are not scratched very much at all and are still shiny. I really put mine on before I leave the house and take them off before doing any kind of housework and that keeps them nice! Any fine jewelry is going to last longer and look better if you baby it a little!

 

[Lula]

Re: why scuffs & chip on Platinum after 3 weeks of normal we

What type of platinum is it...as in which alloy is mixed with it?

I had a platinum ring that was 95plat/5 ruthenium and it always had tiny scratches on it. I would have it professionally polished about once a month and literally the next day after a polishing it would start showing new scratches. Drove me utterly insane!!!

Unfortunately, that is one of the cons of platinum in my opinion. It is softer than white gold so it dents and scratches easily. I don't think there is anything you can do about it except have it polished often. The good thing about platinum is that is only displaces and doesn't chip!

Platinum alone is a soft metal, so the hardness of a piece of jewelry is determined by the alloy mixed with it and the %. There are several platinum alloy mixtures available for jewelry making, and some are more scratch resistant than others. I think the one that scratches the most is 95plat/5iridium, but I'm not 100% certain. I'm sure someone else can clarify that for you.

Yes, I think the alloy and the amount of alloy makes a huge difference on how it wears. There have been some threads on this in the past. I think the vintage platinum uses 10% iridium and is supposed to be the best, but perhaps harder to work with or more expensive (?)

 

[ozzy11]

Re: why scuffs & chip on Platinum after 3 weeks of normal we

Thank you all for the replies!

All of that makes perfect sense - I'm ok with how it looks (it's lovely really) - I just wanted to be sure there wasn't something wrong with the ring - it's good to know that it's a normal part of the process so to speak.

I really think the "scuffing" and chip are 2 separate issues. The first being what you all have explained about how platinum works - the second I can't say at all where the chip would come from. I really have been babying it - been completely self conscious of every move I make. I certainly would have remembered bumping it. I haven't used cast iron pans or steel knives... nothing rough at all.

I read in another post that

"sometimes when metal is cast (formed) a small pocket of air can occur, known as porosity. If this is the case the area can break out. Porosity occurs to some degree in all cast metals. "

And here is the ring:

I love it so!

 

[ozzy11]

Re: why scuffs & chip on Platinum after 3 weeks of normal we

Oh and I don't know the alloy. I had to have platinum due to a nickle allergy and it seemed quite difficult to find white gold with palladium in a simple setting like this. I really like how heavy the ring is - very solid.

The pic above doesn't do the stone justice - it's very sparkly

Since1910.com said I can send it in to be fixed. I hate to let it go though! The chip is tiny and not structural but the warranty of them fixing it might run out at some point...

Anyway - you all have been very very helpful!

 

[ame]

Re: why scuffs & chip on Platinum after 3 weeks of normal we

Id get it fixed. It might have gotten nicked by a key. I've done that a few times.

 

[Ravinmad]

Re: why scuffs & chip on Platinum after 3 weeks of normal we

Id get it fixed. It might have gotten nicked by a key. I've done that a few times.

Ever get tossed a set of keys by someone, or some other hard metal object? That is likely a culprit. I agree with ame a key was my suspect

 

[swingirl]

Re: why scuffs & chip on Platinum after 3 weeks of normal we

Just an FYI. I totally bent and ruined my ering kneading cookie dough. I bent the head and had to stop wearing in for fear of loosing the stone. The pressure you can exert with your hands can damage a ring.

Opening doors, pulling on knobs and handles, pushing shopping carts, holding a key ring---any time your hand comes in contact with metal can cause a scratch. Gripping things can cause damage, too, like gripping a steering wheel or emergency brake handle. 3 weeks of normal wear will leave scratches behind. But that's living life.

 

[luv2sparkle]

Re: why scuffs & chip on Platinum after 3 weeks of normal we

I only had my ring a couple of weeks when I noticed a dink or dent in the band as well. It was a little rough at the spot but it has smoothed out now. My philosophy with jewelry is that I can't make myself crazy over it (and I could!). If you love something and wear it, it is somehow going to show it. Your other alternative is to put a piece in a drawer or box and only open the lid to look at it.

 

[distracts]

Re: why scuffs & chip on Platinum after 3 weeks of normal we

Your ring is beautiful!

 

[Laila619]

Re: why scuffs & chip on Platinum after 3 weeks of normal we

I would ask Since1910 what alloy they use. 95 Plat/5 Ruthenium will be the hardest and strongest. The ring is gorgeous!