Platinum v. White Gold

[littlelysser]

What are ya''lls thought on this issue?

I''ve heard that platinum scratches and generally looks kind of funky after a year or two...I know you can get it buffed out...but still.

I have a platinum Tiffany''s heart necklace that looks great after 3 years...but it is on my neck, not my finger.

I''m leaning towards white gold...but I do like the way platinum looks.

Also, is one more hypoallergenic than the other?

Thanks!
Lyss

 

[pebbles]

There are a lot of threads on this.

In general, platinum is more hypo-allergenic than white gold.

White gold will have to be replated every so often because it takes on a yellowish cast after a while. How soon or how often you need to have it replated depends on several factors - alloys used in the gold, skin chemistry, etc. It does not however, have that patina that platinum will develop over time.

Platinum is more dense, so there is more heft to the ring.

Personally, I would go platinum all the way, at least for my wedding set.

 

[skphotoimages]

I prefer white gold. I have both, and I wouldn''t say my platinum looks funky. It is very old to (somewhere around 100 years) It is scratchy like you said, but it just makes it a little "whiter".. I prefer yellow gold because I think it is "warmer" generally I don''t rhodium plate my white gold. Well, I shouldn''t say that, because my wedding set is rhodium plated. But I never feel the need to re-rhodium it. When it does "wear off" it is very gradual, and not noticable to anyone other than yourself. If you prefer the natural color you can leave it that way. Platinum is more Hypo-Allergenic, and it is stronger. My wg wedding set does "wear away". It''s very minimal, but you can tell it''s not quite the shape it used to be. I don''t know if paltinum does this, but I doubt it. But like I said, platinum is just to cold for me, and I''ll stick with white gold.

 

[JCJD]

Try them on and see what you like best. If you go to a jeweler that carries a lot of platinum settings, I''d bet some of the salespeople/jewelers will have plat rings of their own so you can see what the patina actually looks like. I like the color of plat better than wg, and I really like the patina too. It''s sort of a warmer, softer looking gray instead of the shiny gray when I first got it. Gives it character.

I chose plat because of its hypoallergenic qualities (nickel allergy). In fact, my sister is finally able to wear earrings again because she bought some plat cz studs; She has severe exzema (sp??) reactions to nickel and was not able to wear jewelry (including the sensitive skin stuff) until she bought the plat studs.

 

[skphotoimages]

I forgot to mention that there are different qualities of white gold, I have a few things that never show any yelloe, and then some that show a little more. Here is a picture for you to compare. Sorry, I am going right to left. The big ring on top is my husbands white gold. He is in construction, which is why it is beat to heck. His shows more yellow than anything else we have. The next is a FRESHLY rhodium plated white gold (I had it sized, and jewelers tend to rhodium plate things by default) next is a white gold band that no longer has rhodium on it, it shows no yellow, and the last ring is the antique platinum. I have this picture in different light to if you need it.

 

[woobug02]

WOOO, i have both and although my platinum ring is only a few months old, I LOVE IT! The wieght is awesome and the white color is fab. All of my white gold rings have gotten a yellow tone to them after a few months. I would say go for the platinum

 

[gailrmv]

My experience is similar to woobug''s.
I do wonder how much it costs to have the plat repolished. It it starts to get scratched up I will probably have it done often. i love that new shine that my plat set has now!
My WG bands turned yellow pretty quickly on me and also I had problems with them bending and stones loosening. It was 14K.

 

[AndyRosse]

Platinum does scratch and over time develops a patina. Some people really like the patina, while others aren''t so fond of it

.

You can always bring it to your jeweler to have it polished every so often. It doesn''t cost much, if anything at all (my local jeweler offers whenever I go for my 6 month checks to polish it up, but then I just have to start all over with scratches until the patina develops again).

Some people do develop allergies to the nickel in some WG (not all WG mixes have nickel). Also, depending on various factors (including skin chemistry), the rhodium plating might need to be redone every so often to keep the metal looking white and bright (I''ve been quoted about $20 or so for this, but I can''t say if that is an average price). Some people need the plating done every couple months, while others have worn their rings for years without any problems. It all depends on the WG mix, skin chemistry, wear, etc.

On the other hand, platinum is hypoallegenic.

 

[littlelysser]

Thanks for the advice. I did some research as well and it does look like platinum is hypoallergenic, which is probably a good thing for me...considering that I''ve had reactions to white gold and yellow gold in the past...nothing too severe...

Hmmmm....

 

[Jr22]

Platinum will get a patina over time and will scratch as will gold. With platinum it also depends on which alloy it is mixed with. Some platinums are softer due to the alloy that is used in the mix. The harder the mix the less it will look scratched. I finally bought an e-ring for my GF and I specified Paltinum HTA which is MUCH harder than most so it won''t get that worn scratched look as easily.

FYI if you get Plat/IR that is one of the softest so it will easily show scratches soon after you wear it.

 

[jennalyns]

I used to think white gold was better- when they are new, they look exactly the same to me, and white gold is much more affordable. However, we ended up getting my white gold ring redone in platinum because my white gold ring turned yellow after about 3 1/2 months of wear. The yellowish color was bothering me, partly because the rhodium didn't wear away evenly and it looked splotchy, if that makes sense. My white gold also got scratched up really fast. However, I had concerns about platinum when we had my ring remade. I was worried about the patina of platinum because I had never really seen it, and it doesn't show up very well in pictures.

I've had my platinum ring for about 6 months now, and it looks great. It is not blindingly shiny like when i first got it, but it has sort of a glow instead of a shine to it, it looks really cool. It doesn't look grey or dull at all, like I was concerned it might. I will try to take a picture of it next to my wedding band (which hasn't been worn yet) to show the difference between a worn and new platinum ring. I like the weight of the platinum and I think the patina makes it look more elegant. I am extremely rough on my rings- I'm a band director and am constantly repairing instruments and moving equipment- but none of the individual scratches on my ring are really noticeable.

Bottom line is nothing looks new forever, and you have to decide if you like the warmth of white gold of the patina of platinum better. Or you could just get them replated/polished often, and you wouldn't see a difference!

 

[Kaleigh]

My rings are in platinum, yes there are scratches, but you''ll get those with WG too. Honestly I love the look of platinum. They don''t have that dull look either. I am not hard on my rings and that could be part of the reason. But if you don''t care for the patina as others have stated, it can be polished off. No biggie. To me WG yellows after time and you have to have it rhodium plated which to me is more of a PITA. Just my 0.2.

 

[jennalyns]

Here are some pictures, hopefully you can see the difference, it''s pretty subtle.

 

[littlelysser]

THanks for all the advice everyone...we''ve decided to go with platinum. I''ve like the whiteness of it, and considering that I''m going to have diamonds covering most of the visible part of the ring, any scratches won''t be a problem. Plus the hypoallergenic part also helps.

I am super excited...

Lyss

 

[ame]

Date: 12/9/2005 9:13:23 AM
Author:littlelysser
What are ya''lls thought on this issue?


I''ve heard that platinum scratches and generally looks kind of funky after a year or two...I know you can get it buffed out...but still.


I have a platinum Tiffany''s heart necklace that looks great after 3 years...but it is on my neck, not my finger.


I''m leaning towards white gold...but I do like the way platinum looks.


Also, is one more hypoallergenic than the other?


Thanks!

Lyss

Platinum is definitely hypoallergenic. I have never once had a problem and I am allergic to everything. I had nasty experiences with white gold and have found that it''s WAY more expensive than Platinum when you add it up. Platinum is pricey up front, white gold is pricey with upkeep since there isn''t any with platinum. Platinum stays white, white gold doesn''t. Platinum can be buffed back to perfection. Whitegold can''t without being replated.

I will never own a white gold ring again...maybe not a white gold anything.

 

[Van Graff]

Not all the white gold is the same, if you have a white gold alloyed with nickel this alloy not only is yellowish and needs to be rhodium plated it also causes from slight to severe skin allergic reactions to 15% of the population, that''s why this alloy is prohibited in Europe and many other countries.
The best quality white gold is alloyed with palladium that is also a precious metal of the family of the platinum and the wahitening acttion of the palladium is five times more powerful than the nickel and this white gold is as white as the platinum and it never needs to be re plated with rhodium.
I make settings with platinum and also with my own alloy of white gold alloyed with palladium and you can''t tell the difference if you don''t compare the weight.

If you can afford a seting in platinum go for platinum that is the finest but if you want to save some money and have a very nice white gold ask for a palladium alloy white gold that don''t cause any allergy and is as white as platinum.

 

[RockDoc]

There is a new metal developed by several casting companies. This new metal doesn''t require rhodium plating and maintains the white color at a far lower cost

The styles at the moment are limited as they just announced this metal.

It is 14 k white gold but the alloys used in it solve the problematic issues of not being as white and never needing rhodium plating.

Most jewelers have this information and this should be available in their stores soon.

Rockdoc

 

[ForteKitty]

Wow! if that''s the case, I''m never gonna buy platinum again. I hate how scratched up and dull looking they get!

 

[cflutist]

Date: 12/11/2005 1:28:05 AM
Author: RockDoc

There is a new metal developed by several casting companies. This new metal doesn't require rhodium plating and maintains the white color at a far lower cost

The styles at the moment are limited as they just announced this metal.

It is 14 k white gold but the alloys used in it solve the problematic issues of not being as white and never needing rhodium plating.

Most jewelers have this information and this should be available in their stores soon.

Rockdoc

RockDoc, I have been following this with interest because it sounds like an affordable alternative to platinum.

A little background info here:

Much of today's white gold jewelry is a yellowish or off-white karat gold alloy that has been rhodium plated to provide a bright-white finish. Unfortunately, when the Rhodium plating wears off, it becomes obvious that the gold is not very white at all. Because of this issue, the Manufacturing Jewelers and Suppliers of America (MSJA) and the World Gold Council created the White Gold Task Force whose purpose was to create guidelines and a grading system for determining the color of white gold alloys, and to define how white an alloy must be to be classified as "white gold". As a result of this classification system, the levels or grades of whiteness for which rhodium plating is considered necessary, optional, or not needed were developed.

In March of this year at the MJSA Expo in New York, the White Gold Task Force released its guidelines and recommendations for grading the color of white gold alloys. The grading system is based on the YID1925 (yellowness index) of each white gold alloy. Test results for the various white alloys were established using a color spectrophotometer and specific lighting conditions. The guildelines for white color are as follows:

Grade 1: Good White (Premium White Color) - Rhodium Plating is not required to achieve a good white finish. YID is less than 19

Grade 2: Reasonable White (Modereate White Color) - Rhodium Plating is optional. YYID rating is between 19 and 24.5

Grade 3: Poor White (Off-White Color) - Rhodium Plating is required to achieve an acceptable white color. YID rating is between 24.5 and 32.

Gold alloys with a YID rating greater than 32 are not considered to be "white gold".

There is a major jewelry manufacturing company located in Lafayette LA which has developed a new X-1 white gold available in 14K, 18K, 10K, and 19K (for our Canadians up north) of which all have received the Grade 1 Color rating. They also meet or exceed current EN1811 nickel release requirments.

Looking at a bar chart of products with YID less than 19 from whitest on down:
Rhodium Plate (whitest)
.900 Platinum/Iridium
Nickel Plate
14K X-1 White
18K X-1 White
10K X-1 White
14K Super Palladium White (13% Pd)
18K White (10% Ni) just barely made the grade
All of the above are Grade 1 (Premium White Color)

RockDoc is correct that styles are limited at this time. However a representative of that company answered a post
I made on their community boards that more styles will be released in Jan 2006. Casting grain is already available in 14K, 18K, 10K, 19K X-1 white gold. Sheet, wire and stock are availabe in 14K, and solders are availabe in 14K and 18K at this time.

I quick check of mountings I am personally interested in (3 stone ring for myself) show that pricing for 14K X-1 to be about the same as 14K yellow gold.

 

[Van Graff]

The most important about this new white gold alloy is to be sure that it don''t cause any allergic reaction to the skin and thi will be known with the time.

If this new alloy is cheaper than palladium, can be cast as well has laminated, rolled and forged and don''t cause any allergic reaction to the skin it will be wonderful!!

 

[snuga]

This is always an interesting subject, and I think the best advice is to way out your options and the qualities of each metal which are important to you. I prefer WG for various reasons, and have nothing truly against platinum, just do not want it for my wedding set... mainly because I do not like the patina it develops and want a solitaire and plain band, with a lot of metal showing, so I would personally go crazy looking at it. If I was getting something with sidestones, pave, etc, I might opt for platinum because not as much metal is seen. It is a personal decision. If you are sensitive to metals and need something hypoallergenic, go for the platinum.

 

[Leila]

Thanks Cflutist for all the info. This is certainly good news.

 

[Kim N]

Date: 12/10/2005 10:57:09 PM
Author: Van Graff

The best quality white gold is alloyed with palladium that is also a precious metal of the family of the platinum and the wahitening acttion of the palladium is five times more powerful than the nickel and this white gold is as white as the platinum and it never needs to be re plated with rhodium.
I make settings with platinum and also with my own alloy of white gold alloyed with palladium and you can''t tell the difference if you don''t compare the weight.

Juan, what percentage of palladium do you use in the alloy? Is this 14K white gold?

 

[soulsis]

I honestly believe it has more to do with a chemical reaction or something. Maybe that is just me, but I have had everything form 10K white gold to 18K WG and none of them have yellowed at all. They still look the same as my platinum brooch that is at least 20 years old. My sister''s ering (she just got in September) has already started turning and it was made at the same jeweller''s that mine was made at, using 18K WG. It is noticeably more yellow.

 

[lmurden]

My jeweler recommended that I go with platinum because of the long term durability. Also you can always get your ring polished when you take you ring to be checked by your jeweler. I have noticed that I wear platinum rings much better than gold especially when water gets under my ring. Lastly, I can say that I have some wear on the bottom of my ring but it doesn''t bother me because my ring looks so white and bright. I love my platinum engagement.

 

[Serenity]

I''ve been thinking about this a lot and I''ve decided to go with 19K white gold. The funny thing is, I hadn''t even heard about 19K until just a few weeks ago - a few jewlers here in Vancouver offer it. It''s supposed to be the purest white yet and it doesn''t have a rodiium coating, like 18K or 14K, so it doesn''t need to be re-plated. And it''s much cheaper than platinum and apparently, more shinier. So it seems like the perfect choice for me.

Dan

 

[cflutist]

Here is a picture showing Stuller''s new 14-X1 White Gold which is NOT Rhodium Plated (and the Nickel is encapsulated to prevent allergies)

From Left to Right:

1 - Platinum band

2 - Back side of a RHR made in 14-X1 White Gold

3 - 18K White Gold band, you can definitely see a tint in it

 

[Janis]

Well, this is very interesting. I don''t think I can wear regular white gold because one of my diamond earring backs causes irritation to the back of my ear lobe. So I''ll have to have those reset, or at least try other backs. I would hate having rings that had to be plated to stay white. That is crazy to have to plate over gold, I think.

My mother''s platinum rings are very gray and very unattractive most of the time. My original rings are YG and I was planning to get a new diamond and white setting for our anniversary. But I can see I am possibly going to have to wait to see how this new white gold-X turns out. Incidentally, I got our two older kids'' high school rings in palladium. It was much cheaper than gold and I knew they''d only wear them a year. It looked fine, too.

Does anyone besides Stuller sell settings in the new WG? Thanks so much for showing us the great pictures!

 

[sylvesterii]

how does nickel get "encapsulated" and how would it then have any effect on the color of the end alloy. hrm.