The ol'''' 14k/18k/19k White Gold vs. Platinum debate

[firebirdgold]

Maybe I'm not fussy enough. Sapphires sometimes look lighter in profile than they do face up. Of course that's a bit like saying that most sapphires are heat-treated. True but not always desirable.

I know this isn't what you're looking for, or the budget. But it's pretty so I'll just toss it in.

Edited: Oh, and I think the earring idea is very clever.
Edited again: WAIT! Don't go look at that one! please? While my bf might start twitching at the idea of a 4 digit gem, and is too busy right now to look... If no one buys it I can at least fantasize.

*whimper*

 

[JCJD]

As a gal with a mild nickel allergy (earring reaction), a mother with a severe metal allergy (rings don''t give her problems but metal anywhere else causes hives), a sister with a severe nickel allergy and associated eczema (allergist tested her with a patch test, her entire upper back was red, itchy, swollen, and oozing - sorry, gross), and a brother with a mild metal allergy (rivets on jeans give him eczema rashes), I will tell you that my platinum rings (ering: 900 plat, wband: 950 plat) have never given me problems, and my sister who can''t wear the "nickel-free" earrings without breaking out bought platinum plated earrings on ebay and has worn them daily since August. Nickel is absolutely no good for people with jewelry allergies, so I would avoid 19k wg like the plague if I were you.

If you''re looking into laminating her ring, you could save money and just use clear nail polish on the inside of the ring. Not sure what this would do to the metal, but the nail polish will chip off over time. Not sure about other coatings, haven''t heard of this.

If she "corrodes jewelry" AND "abhors yellow gold" then I would avoid wg for her too, especially nickel-alloyed wg''s!! My plat ring has a wg basket (nickel free) that has noticeably (to me) yellowed in the year+ that I''ve worn it.

And I like my ring''s patina. It''s not dull, it''s just a softer color, and more glowy than shiny I think.

Hope my $0.02 helped some!

 

[phoenix5807]

Date: 1/19/2006 6:46:25 PM
Author: firebirdgold
Oh, and I think the earring idea is very clever.

Hmm, I thought I was the best at finding things online, but I can''t seem to find some simple palladium earrings. I suppose I just want some studs - I''d rather not sink a bunch of money into a metal I''m not even sure she can wear. Can anyone suggest some websites?

 

[JCJD]

Date: 1/20/2006 10:20:28 AM
Author: phoenix5807

Date: 1/19/2006 6:46:25 PM

Author: firebirdgold

Oh, and I think the earring idea is very clever.

Hmm, I thought I was the best at finding things online, but I can''t seem to find some simple palladium earrings. I suppose I just want some studs - I''d rather not sink a bunch of money into a metal I''m not even sure she can wear. Can anyone suggest some websites?

QVC apparently...
http://www.qvc.com/navigationapp/QVCNavigate.aspx?class=C104&type=rightnav&tmp=ddsn&cont=classC104&cm_re=PAGE-_-SHOPBYMATERIAL-_-PALLADIUM&

This guy has some unique work.
http://www.giedesign.com/palladium/earrings.html

 

[phoenix5807]

Date: 1/20/2006 3:57:07 PM
Author: JCJD

Date: 1/20/2006 10:20:28 AM
Author: phoenix5807
Hmm, I thought I was the best at finding things online, but I can''t seem to find some simple palladium earrings. I suppose I just want some studs - I''d rather not sink a bunch of money into a metal I''m not even sure she can wear. Can anyone suggest some websites?

QVC apparently...
http://www.qvc.com/navigationapp/QVCNavigate.aspx?class=C104&type=rightnav&tmp=ddsn&cont=classC104&cm_re=PAGE-_-SHOPBYMATERIAL-_-PALLADIUM&

This guy has some unique work.
http://www.giedesign.com/palladium/earrings.html

Yeah, those were the same couple sites I found. I submitted an info request to the second one, but he called my cell phone rather than e-mailing me, and I couldn''t take the call since I was at work.

As for the ring, I can''t find anything on whiteflash''s site to indicate they work in 950 palladium. Does anyone know anything to the contrary?

I''m excited to learn that Bijoux Extraordinaire ( http://www.jewelryexpert.com ) works in platinum. I''ve admired their rings for YEARS! I hope I can afford to go through them, but I hear the price of palladium keeps going up.

 

[firebirdgold]

Date: 1/20/2006 4:48:23 PM
Author: phoenix5807


I''m excited to learn that Bijoux Extraordinaire ( http://www.jewelryexpert.com ) works in platinum. I''ve admired their rings for YEARS! I hope I can afford to go through them, but I hear the price of palladium keeps going up.

Bijoux Extraordinare works in palladium? I''ve also admired their rings for years, but their prices have always seems rather high. I''m curious as to how much of that is the amount of work that goes into their handmade pieces. In other words, if by getting the gems elsewhere perhaps bijoux could actually be affordable by those of us with tight budgets?

 

[koko]

Hello, Phoenix.....I found a company that makes white gold in 10k, 14k, or 18k gold, doesn''t need rhodium plating, & doesn''t cause a reaction (like nickel does)....the website is www.precisewhitegold.com

 

[firebirdgold]

Date: 1/20/2006 8:34:38 PM
Author: koko
Hello, Phoenix.....I found a company that makes white gold in 10k, 14k, or 18k gold, doesn''t need rhodium plating, & doesn''t cause a reaction (like nickel does)....the website is www.precisewhitegold.com

I saw them at Tucson last year. It looked intriguing. Except while it may not need plating, their stock settings aren''t terribly attractive.

The cobb precise white does contain nickel, they''ve just somehow come up with a way to prevent the reaction and yellowing. Interestingly I never could find any details on what the other components of the alloy are and why it doesn''t react like nickel. But that is the point of a trademark I guess.

Cobb does have a white gold with palladium alloy available that is nickel free however. So I wonder what makes this precise white so much better than that alloy? Anyone who does custom work should be able to get their waxes cast in at least the palladium white gold.

 

[SquareCut]

What is the metal on the earings that she wears for days at a time? How can she wear them for days at a time if she is allergic?

 

[phoenix5807]

Date: 1/22/2006 7:22:46 PM
Author: SquareCut
What is the metal on the earings that she wears for days at a time? How can she wear them for days at a time if she is allergic?

She wears surgical steel, which causes no reaction, or silver, which she deteriorates over time.

 

[TheDoctor]

Date: 1/23/2006 7:51:27 AM
Author: phoenix5807

Date: 1/22/2006 7:22:46 PM
Author: SquareCut
What is the metal on the earings that she wears for days at a time? How can she wear them for days at a time if she is allergic?

She wears surgical steel, which causes no reaction, or silver, which she deteriorates over time.

Surgical stainless steel is a variation of steel consisting of an alloy of chromium (12-20%), molybdenum (0.2-3%), and sometimes nickel (8-12%).

Time to clear something up. Nickel gets blamed for yellowing gold, which is a load of donkey-dust. In low concentrations, say under 20 %, it it seldom a problem to even the most sensitive of those who are allergic to it. The fact that people can wear surgical steel is testimony to the fact that nickel can be tolerated in low concentrations.

 

[phoenix5807]

UPDATE: thank you all for your help! I am a long way from the finish line, but I am making progress.

I have been speaking with Robert Giede Designs (http://www.giedesign.com) about getting that ring done in palladium with a 5mm tsavorite center stone and 4mm white sapphire side stones. He even said he''d be interested in making the band and then sending it to us so my girlfriend can wear it around for a month or so to see how it looks, wears, reacts, etc. and then we can switch to another metal if we like. How great is that?!?!

For the time being, he''s putting together a quote for a test run: tsavorite studs set in palladium as a Valentines gift.

 

[phoenix5807]

Date: 1/23/2006 1:22:58 PM
Author: phoenix5807
UPDATE: thank you all for your help! I am a long way from the finish line, but I am making progress.

I have been speaking with Robert Giede Designs (http://www.giedesign.com) about getting that ring done in palladium with a 5mm tsavorite center stone and 4mm white sapphire side stones. He even said he''d be interested in making the band and then sending it to us so my girlfriend can wear it around for a month or so to see how it looks, wears, reacts, etc. and then we can switch to another metal if we like. How great is that?!?!

For the time being, he''s putting together a quote for a test run: tsavorite studs set in palladium as a Valentines gift.

ps - he said it''s too early to say for sure, but it''s starting to look like palladium scratches as much & as easily as platinum, and it is just as difficult to buff out.

 

[SquareCut]

Have you thought about titanium? This will appeal to her practical side. It''s lightweight but very strong and very affordable. And non-allergenic -they use it for implants. Of course it''s not as white as platinum but with a 3 stone ring you won''t see alot of metal.

 

[phoenix5807]

Date: 1/23/2006 7:45:51 PM
Author: SquareCut
Have you thought about titanium? This will appeal to her practical side. It''s lightweight but very strong and very affordable. And non-allergenic -they use it for implants. Of course it''s not as white as platinum but with a 3 stone ring you won''t see alot of metal.

I was considering titanium for my wedding band, but hadn''t given it any thought for the e-ring. Do any jewelers really work with it? I know that a decent amount of mass-produced men''s rings are available in titanium, but I haven''t seen any women''s.

 

[SquareCut]

I did a google search and found this:
http://www.titaniumera.com/stonesettings.html