Platinum soft?

[twinklebelle]

Hi all,

I''m a long time browser. And a newish owner of an engagement ring. Now I have a question. Is it normal for the platinum band on my engagement ring to get dinged up (tiny dings, feels rough when you run your finger over it, looks like scratches)? I''ve only had it a few months and don''t even wear it all the time.(put it on in the morning before I go to work and take it off when I get home, etc). How''s this going to last me for a lifetime? Anyone else with similar issues? Thought platinum was supposed to be really strong, no?

Thanks in advance.

Twinklebelle

 

[neatfreak]

Platinum is durable, but yes it''s soft. The beauty of platinum is that it''s malleable, so you don''t lose any metal when it scratches. So it''s great because you can continuously polish it without losing any metal like you would with gold. But it does scratch easier than other metals.

 

[Love in Bloom]

Hi and welcomeTwinklebelle! Congrats on your engagement!

Yup, platinum is soft, but it is very dense. If the nicks and dings bother you, I have heard you can take it to a jeweler and have your ring burnished (moving the metal from the dings back into place) and polished (ooohh shiny!).

HTH,
LinB

 

[twinklebelle]

Thanks for the replies Neat and Love.

I had no idea platinum was so soft. Thought it was stronger than gold and therefore more expensive... My gold and silver rings have held up better!

Bummed to think I have to get it polished for the rest of my life. Talk about high maintenance! Was thinking of a simple matching platinum wedding band. Should I go for white gold instead?

Thanks,

twinkle

 

[Love in Bloom]

If you plan to wear your wedding band next to your engagement ring, the platinum will probably grind against / beat up on a gold wedding band

. If you wear them separately, I do not think this should be a problem. Do you have pics of your engagement ring? We love pics here!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

No, don''t put a white gold band with platinum. They will look different. Another idea is to get a platinum wedding band with small diamonds at least across the top. Then you don''t have to worry so much about the scratches.

 

[twinklebelle]

Thanks. Who knew? I always wanted a plain band but not if it''ll be all scratched and dinged up. I didn''t think I was wearing my ring that hard. Will have to take it in for a check up I guess.

Still puzzled. Is platinum stronger or weaker than gold and silver?

Here is my ring. Came out looking ginormous but its not. Must be the angle of the camera. Oval with tapered baguettes from a NYC jeweler.

 

[neatfreak]

Platinum is just different as I said before. It does hold up very well over time, and usually better than gold because the nicks don''t make it lose any metal. It''s better for diamonds because it''s a bit malleable, so if the stone/setting takes a hit, it can absorb it better. That''s why prongs on most rings are platinum because it''s stronger/better.

 

[ladyciel]

The funny thing with metals is that "strong", "hard", and "wear-resistant" are NOT synonymous. Gold is a soft metal, and instead of scratching, things hitting it tend to rub away the metal. So, over time, a gold ring will get thinner and thinner as metal is lost to everything around it. Eventually the band can get so thin that it has to be fixed by adding new gold. And, in the case of white gold, the plating that makes it look silver colored wears away and it will look more and more like yellow gold. On the other hand, platinum absorbs shocks better, but it wears differently. When it's scratched, the metal isn't removed - it just gets pushed to the side, which can actually make the digs and lines stand out more. Think of making a line in the dirt with a stick VS a shovel. Use the stick and you get mountains beside a valley and all the dirt is still there (platinum). You can pat it back in place (burnishing it) and smooth it over to look nice again (polishing) Use a shovel, and the dirt moves elsewhere (gold), which means bring it back to "new" requires new dirt/gold.

Sorry if that's too wordy!

 

[Maisie]

You might find this helpful:

http://journal.pricescope.com/Articles/47/1/An-Overview-Of-Common-Alloys-Used-In-Jewelry.aspx

Congratulations on a beautiful ring!!

 

[weegem]

I don''t have anything helpful to say, but OMG your ring is freaking GORGEOUS!!!! You MUST expand on details!!! And LOTS and LOTS of pics!!!

 

[twinklebelle]

Thanks so much for the info. You guys are so knowledgeable! I feel better.

 

[Miranda]

Date: 6/9/2007 2:11:44 PM
Author: twinklebelle
Thanks. Who knew? I always wanted a plain band but not if it''ll be all scratched and dinged up. I didn''t think I was wearing my ring that hard. Will have to take it in for a check up I guess.

Still puzzled. Is platinum stronger or weaker than gold and silver?

Here is my ring. Came out looking ginormous but its not. Must be the angle of the camera. Oval with tapered baguettes from a NYC jeweler.

Woooo Hoooooo!!!! Hello beautiful!!! Is your NYC jeweler Harry Winston???? Oh my, your ring is just gorgeous! PLEASE, more pics and stone specs too if you''re not shy! That oval is fantastic!

And to answer your question, platinum is stronger than gold, I believe. I had a platinum wedding set, but, changed it for gold because the dings drove me nuts. I am considering platinum again when I upgrade. I think all metal is high maintenance. White gold needs to be plated and platinum needs to be polished.

 

[twinklebelle]

Thanks Wee, I''m a little internet shy but here''s a side view.

 

[twinklebelle]

Thanks Miranda. Yes a bit shy. I think your oval is great too!

 

[Miranda]

Date: 6/9/2007 4:03:23 PM
Author: twinklebelle
Thanks Miranda. Yes a bit shy. I think your oval is great too!

Hehe! I saw that when we were posting at the same time. You are really making me consider a new setting! I just adore yours, it really makes the shape of the oval pop. The prongs are amazing!

 

[weegem]

Yours is really a classy and elegant looking ring! Please don''t be shy, post lots more pics! You know, only if ya wanna

 

[Love in Bloom]

Oooh twinkBelle, I really like your prongs and your ring is just gorgeous! Just want to echo...pls don''t be shy, especially with the pics

.

 

[Jenn5504]

I don''t know how gold fares, as I''ve only had a platinum ring, but I can assure you that the platinum will polish up just beautifully! My last ring was 5 years old and ever time I thought "it''s just too beat up........." but I''d go let them buff/polish it and it would look almost new again.

PLEASE more info, pics of that gorgeous ring of yours! WOW. What size is that stone?????

 

[monarch64]

Twinklebell, gorgeous ring! I''ve worn my plat. rings for almost 4 years now and I''ve noticed a few minor scratches and dings but nothing major that makes me want to switch to a WG setting for either...in fact, I like that they are getting some wear and don''t have that brand new look to them anymore. One thing I''ve noticed that''s great about the substantiality of platinum is that with gold rings, you have to be careful about them losing their round ring shape if you happen to accidentally slam your hand down on a hard surface, they will end up bending and becoming misshapen, whereas with platinum this doesn''t happen or would require a lot more force. I had several gold rings as a teenager and 20-something I had that happen to and I used to have to bring them in to my jeweler often to have them reshaped. I''ve never had to do that with my wedding set and I''ve worn it day in, day out regardless of what activity. I wouldn''t mind having them polished, but knowing that they''ll just acquire "patina" again I won''t do it until I feel like it''s totally necessary.