Why did platinum become more popular than gold?

Imdanny · Jun 8, 2012

I meant to say "platinum and white gold" i.e. white metals but it wouldn't let me type that much.

I grew up in the '80's and all I remember is gold. The only white gold rings I ever saw belonged to my great-aunt and I didn't see platinum in real life until about seven years ago.

My question is why did a favoritism toward white metals happen? Was it a platinum trade group that started an advertising campaign? Could it be as simple as that? If not, what are some other reasons that this could have happened?

BTW, my personal thoughts on the matter are: I take the long view. Gold has been popular for millennia. I never thought it would be out of style forever. I'm not sure what percentage of brides and grooms choose platinum (that would be interesting) but I'm willing to bet many people have never actually thought of it as not being in style.

AGBF · Jun 8, 2012

Imdanny|1339157150|3211719 said:
I grew up in the '80's and all I remember is gold. The only white gold rings I ever saw belonged to my great-aunt and I didn't see platinum in real life until about seven years ago.

I am really glad you started this thread, Danny. I started "collecting" threads about fine white metals versus yellow gold a few years ago. By "collecting" I mean that I kept linking them to each each other so that readers of one could see the others and see the thoughts that others had already expressed. Already you have added something to the discussion which I do not recall anyone bringing up in a previous thread on Pricescope: the notion that there might be some group (perhaps the interest of one metal) behind this trend towards white metals.

As I think you know (for you know me quite well from the The Gold Thread and Royal Jewels thread as well as Hangout), I love high karat gold, which is very yellow indeed! I was exposed to jewelry made of platinum from the earliest age, however. My mother got an eternity band, about which I have posted on Pricescope, in lieu of the engagement ring she had never had, when I was born. It was made of platinum and set with very, very tiny diamonds. Platinum was used in fine jewelry back in the days of which I am speaking (post World War II).

If you like, I can try to give you some links to previous discussions on white versus yellow gold, but you you were probably here for all of them anyway!

Hugs,
Deb

Asscherhalo_lover · Jun 8, 2012

I'm not sure why but I can say that yellow anything does not look good on my skin tone at all. I have never even owned a piece of yellow clothing so I surely don't want any yellow in my jewelry. Even with rose gold I have to see it in person to make sure it is more pink than yellow. The only way I would wear any yellow is if it were a yellow diamond with a yellow bezel, even then I would prefer a brown modifier to tone down the yellow and I would probably have it set in rose gold. Or brown rhodium, I love that look!

Imdanny · Jun 8, 2012

Hi Deb,

Thanks!

Do you like 24kt and 22kt gold more than 18kt? I guess you do! When did you first develop an interest in this and what is it about it that's attractive to you vs. 18kt?

I've looked at as many of the yellow gold vs. platinum threads as I could find. Doing that made me realize that I should choose gold because I could never live with patina.

How loose or tight do you like your rings to be? I've never worn one before and I'm finding that the size I chose is the right one for me but I wanted it to be loose and I wouldn't 100% trust not losing it if I wore it 24 hrs a day. It fits on my middle finger securely enough that I'd never worry about it but it feels too tight. I guess it's not an exact science.

Hugs,
Danny

zoebartlett · Jun 8, 2012

My take on it is that yellow gold became seen as outdated. For some reason, when I think of yellow gold rings, I automatically picture really chunky, lesser quality pieces, and outdated designs from the '80s. I'm not sure why that's the image I get because I happen to really like YG, and I own YG earrings and a couple rings. (I don't wear them though because I feel funny about mixing metals.)

My engagement ring and wedding band are platinum and I chose it because I didn't want to lose metal. The YG bands I have are super thin, just from metal wearing away, and I didn't want that to happen to my wedding set.

marcy · Jun 8, 2012

I (as often) am an oddball in that I like yellow gold the best, then white gold and I actually have no desire to have platinum jewelry. I actually don't like the feel and appearance of it but to be honest since I am not interested in it I have not even tried on a ring that is platinum. I think a big plus I hear people say is they prefer platinum over white gold because they don't have to worrying about having their jewelry coated again when it starts to yellow.

Imdanny · Jun 8, 2012

Zoe|1339161944|3211754 said:
The YG bands I have are super thin, just from metal wearing away, and I didn't want that to happen to my wedding set.

Zoe, this is a good point. I remember many of my grandmother's rings had worn away like this and so did the yellow gold and diamond ring my mother gave me as a high school graduation present that she and my grandmother bought at a pawn shop. I'm not sure that I would give someone a ring from a pawn shop but they did and they never trusted with me with that ring. My grandmother wanted to keep it when I went off to college and I left it with my mother after my grandmother died for safe keeping. LOL. I'm going to ask my mother if she still has that ring and can sell it. I'm going to flat out tell her I don't want the responsibility of it and maybe she can get something for it. It's not doing any good sitting in a jewelry box.

Dancing Fire · Jun 8, 2012

like many things in life they go in cycles.yes,i remember during the 80's all i saw was YG in the jewelry stores then by the mid 90's WG and PT became popular. IMO,within the next 10 yrs YG will make a come back.

Imdanny · Jun 8, 2012

Dancing Fire|1339163297|3211778 said:
like many things in life they go in cycles.yes,i remember during the 80's all i saw was YG in the jewelry stores then by the mid 90's WG and PT became popular. IMO,within the next 10 yrs YG will make a come back.

DF, it's cyclical. Actually, I think this might be the best explanation we're going to find.

Dancing Fire · Jun 8, 2012

marcy|1339162425|3211763 said:
I (as often) am an oddball in that I like yellow gold the best, then white gold and I actually have no desire to have platinum jewelry. I actually don't like the feel and appearance of it but to be honest since I am not interested in it I have not even tried on a ring that is platinum. I think a big plus I hear people say is they prefer platinum over white gold because they don't have to worrying about having their jewelry coated again when it starts to yellow.

my wife's 7 yrs old WG ring is starting to turn yellow,but instead of replating the ring i'll probably have it reset into a PT ring since she do prefer PT.

Polished · Jun 8, 2012

It's also probably what you are used to. I grew up with yellow gold so wouldn't have even thought about using another coloured metal for my e ring and wedding ring. I have a ring now with a small diamond and three diamonds to the side set in platinum, but with the rest of the band yellow gold. I love the brightness of it and also that it still goes with my narrow yellow gold wedding ring.

Dancing Fire · Jun 8, 2012

Imdanny|1339163983|3211789 said:
Dancing Fire|1339163297|3211778 said:

like many things in life they go in cycles.yes,i remember during the 80's all i saw was YG in the jewelry stores then by the mid 90's WG and PT became popular. IMO,within the next 10 yrs YG will make a come back.

Click to expand...

DF, it's cyclical. Actually, I think this might be the best explanation we're going to find.

these days i prefer RG watches,but back in the 90's i bought two 18K YG watches,as for necklaces i will only wear 24K,but i'd prefer a PT ring,so i'm all over the map...

MakingTheGrade · Jun 8, 2012

I know nothing about jewelry, but I've heard that working in platinum can allow for more delicate work that is more durable since I'm assuming that platinum is harder than gold which is a rather soft substance? For example, I wonder how two van craeynest rings might compare after being worn for a few decades if one were carved in plat and one in gold?

I actually choose metal color mostly based on the stone I'm setting. I'm primarily a colored gem nut, and some colors just look richer in yellow gold. For example, my sapphire and tsavorite are set in yellow gold, my violet star is set in rose, and my mint garnet is set in white. I would love to reset my red spinel and rubellite into yellow gold one of these days. I also own several 24k pieces that I've bought in China.

Octavia · Jun 8, 2012

I don't know about the larger context, but for me yellow gold always seemed "cheap." There was so much awful gold-plated jewelry around when I was growing up that it made me shy away from it. I grew up in an area where the nicest jeweler around was the Kay's in the mall and it was all downhill from there, so it didn't occur to me that there was really nice gold jewelry out there. I'm sure there must have been terrible white-plated jewelry around, too, but for some reason I don't remember seeing much of it at all. And I can't wear most WG due to the nickel content, so I think I just developed this sense that platinum meant high-quality whereas gold was likely to be a ripoff. I know better now, of course, and at some point I do plan to get some YG and especially RG pieces.

Skippy123 · Jun 8, 2012

Imdanny, I went to Cartier in American when I was in SF. Most of the items on display were in Platinum so I think the wealthy wanted platinum but then I was reading platinum was crazy expensive so people switched to yellow gold in the 80s. I could be wrong but I think that is what I remember. So my guess is when platinum became affordable again people bought platinum and white gold. I am guessing white gold because it looks similar to platinum.

Sha · Jun 8, 2012

I think that although gold was the 'standard' for years, somewhere along the line people realized that white metals looked better on white/fairer-skinned folk, and so white metals surged in popularity among the 'majority'. As more and more consumers chose white gold, including celebrities, it then became the new 'standard'.

I'm a brown-skinned black woman and my ring is gold - it looks better on me than platinum or white gold would.

Maisie · Jun 8, 2012

I don't know anyone in my family/friends who has platinum. Its mostly yellow gold with occasional white gold. I started off with YG but since coming to PS I started wanting platinum.

I think (for me) its the idea of it being such a precious (and expensive) metal. It makes me think its rather exclusive and valuable and therefore the right metal for a special ring.

I do still like yellow gold and would wear it, especially for earrings as I won't pay the extra for platinum and white gold hurts my ears.

AGBF · Jun 8, 2012

Sha|1339176767|3211935 said:
I think that although gold was the 'standard' for years, somewhere along the line people realized that white metals looked better on white/fairer-skinned folk, and so white metals surged in popularity among the 'majority'. As more and more consumers chose white gold, including celebrities, it then became the new 'standard'.

I'm a brown-skinned black woman and my ring is gold - it looks better on me than platinum or white gold would.

Hi, Sha!

I will try to post my "collection" of threads on white versus yellow metals, because there is a lot of discussion on what skin tones are complemented by which metals in those (many) threads. Like you, I look better in yellow gold. I am extremely fair skinned. The undertones of my skin are pink/blue, not yellow/green, however.

As I said, I'll have to post those threads!

Hugs,
Deb/AGBF

Laila619 · Jun 8, 2012

I think white gold and platinum look more 'modern' to a lot of women and fit the trendy e-ring styles better. When I think of yellow gold, it is more classic and traditional IMO. I myself love yellow gold, but I think white metals look more modern. When I got engaged in 2008, DH said about 95% of the rings in the store were white metals. He said the yellow gold section had like 3 rings. There really doesn't seem to be much of a selection in yellow.

AGBF · Jun 8, 2012

Previous Threads About Yellow and White Gold (or Platinum):

[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/yellow-gold-setting.132012/#post-2335521#p2335521']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/yellow-gold-setting.132012/#post-2335521#p2335521[/URL]
[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/does-yellow-gold-band-change-diamond-color.175482/#post-3196720#p3196720']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/does-yellow-gold-band-change-diamond-color.175482/#post-3196720#p3196720[/URL]

(I am trying to find as many old threads on the topic as I can before my time to post them here runs out!)

Deb/AGBF

AGBF · Jun 8, 2012

decodelighted · Jun 8, 2012

I've always preferred white metals w/my pale, pinky w/blueish undertones skin --- but did flirt w/some yellow gold in my late teens/twenties (80's BABY!) - back when I wanted to fit in! Now, I just can't even buy a handbag if it has yellow, yellow hardware. (Distressed brass or whatnot, like jeans hardware, is fine.) I think I was influenced by my maternal grandmother who was a jewelry NUT. She told me that her many vintage rings were white gold because it looked like platinum but was less expensive. PT was the *desired* metal of *her* time ... but white gold was more affordable. So, of course, I grew up aspiring to PLATINUM!

But I also think that generally I shy way from polished metal surfaces & prefer more distressed, patina'd or engraved or textured, or organicy raw matte finish type deals. Platinum plays into that aesthetic.

I *do* really love some rose gold though. It *blends* into my skin tone and I enjoy that subtlety sometimes. Where I want jewelry to stand out -- white metal .... where I want just a hint of bling ... rose gold. Yellow gold: NEVER!

However I *love love love* how yellow gold looks on some skintones .. and against some haircolors. One of my sisters looks amazing in yellow gold even though we have similar skin tones -- I think it's her golden blonde hair & blue eyes.

ETA: Silly sidenote but it really IRKS me when certain brands don't do white metal options. Like KATE FRIGGIN SPADE and all her "light gold" nonsense. WE NEED OPTIONS PEOPLE.

missy · Jun 8, 2012

Yes, I agree we need options. For my pale skin (pink undertones) I look best in white metal and prefer platinum because my skin oxidizes wg so fast.
My mom's ER (and my grandmother's ER) is platinum so I think they also went with the color that looked best on them vs. any trend at the time. I have a few pieces in yg just because I like to occasionally mix it up but most of my jewelry (and all my major pieces) is in white metal be it gold or platinum. Trends won't change that preference for me.

Haven · Jun 8, 2012

I think the best explanation must be that style is cyclical, and right now we just perceive white metals to be more modern.

When I chose my original engagement ring I just went with platinum without even considering a different metal. Then I inherited my grandmother's YG diamond and pearl ring and started wearing that on my right hand every day. And wouldn't you know it? I kept on thinking, "Why does Helga's ring look so much better on me than my e-ring????" I'm a pasty white girl, but I learned the hard way that white metals do not look the best on me.

For my upgrade I chose rose gold because I liked the way it looked with both my stone and my skin, and honestly, I think the RG is the most flattering metal on me. Platinum and white gold just make my hands look all flushed and yucky. Yellow good looks good on my skin, too, but oh that rose gold! My new metal of choice. For now.

The other thing I love about the RG is that it sort of blends in with my skin and so my stone just looks like it's floating on my hand.

I actually feel like RG has become much more popular over the last several months. When I was designing my upgrade I could not find many RG rings, and now are knuckle-deep in them!

decodelighted · Jun 8, 2012

Haven|1339189602|3212063 said:
I actually feel like RG has become much more popular over the last several months. When I was designing my upgrade I could not find many RG rings, and now are knuckle-deep in them!

Your ring was a gamechanger for sure. There was no rush of rose gold earring purchases after I got mine in 2008! (Humblebrag

)

Haven · Jun 8, 2012

decodelighted|1339190640|3212077 said:
Haven|1339189602|3212063 said:

I actually feel like RG has become much more popular over the last several months. When I was designing my upgrade I could not find many RG rings, and now are knuckle-deep in them!

Click to expand...

Your ring was a gamechanger for sure. There was no rush of rose gold earring purchases after I got mine in 2008! (Humblebrag )

You are such a trendsetter, Deco! So ahead of the game!

kenny · Jun 8, 2012

Styles are subject to what I call the YoYo effect.
They make more money that way.

Clothes, kitchens, cars, diamond settings, and the color of the plates in your cupboards . . . how else are businesses going to get you to buy new stuff before the old stuff wears out?

Pssssst ... You don't have to play.

Lotus99 · Jun 8, 2012

I'm another YG lover. It just looks better on me. I love the richness of it. White metals just look dead on me. What's really odd is that I wore a lot more silver in the 1980s. I thought it looked right on me. Either my perception changed or my skin tone did (which is possible, because I now live in the sun, not the gray and drizzle).

I adore 18K YG, even though it's soft and gets a little dinged up if I'm hard on it. Just ask the 18K bracelet I stretched out.

I love many of the white metal pieces I see on PS, but I know many just wouldn't look right on me.

The same way I won't wear a clothing style that doesn't flatter me, just because it's what's in style.

decodelighted · Jun 9, 2012

Haven|1339191708|3212096 said:
decodelighted|1339190640|3212077 said:

Haven|1339189602|3212063 said:

I actually feel like RG has become much more popular over the last several months. When I was designing my upgrade I could not find many RG rings, and now are knuckle-deep in them!

Click to expand...

Your ring was a gamechanger for sure. There was no rush of rose gold earring purchases after I got mine in 2008! (Humblebrag )

Click to expand...

You are such a trendsetter, Deco! So ahead of the game!

LOL. I was really kidding. Maybe this wave of rose gold adoration was helped along by the resurgence in interest in the Cartier tri-color rolling rings? But no single item around here was as powerful a motivator toward Rose Gold Road as your ring, Haven. FOR SURE!

VRBeauty · Jun 9, 2012

I think it's a cyclical thing too.

I'm fortunate because I can wear either yellow gold or white metals - so in theory, at least, I could pick up any beauty that catches my eye! In reality it means I can also wear silver - which is fortunate because it means I can afford larger pieces, and because I have a particular fondness for vintage Mexican silver jewelry.

BTW back in the day my Asian aunties wouldn't be caught dead wearing anything but yellow gold - and the higher carat weight, the better. It was a deeply held prejudice- LOL. I'm sure a lot of it had to do with status, but I suspect there's a historical root that had to do with the ability to visually identify yellow gold and distinguish it from silver and other pretenders - and thus to ensure you were getting what you were paying for. Whatever the reason, when my brothers and I finally got to meet our grandmother, her gifts to us were jewelry pieces made of 24K yellow gold!

Why did platinum become more popular than gold?

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