Is this true?

[aphisiglovessae]

I heard the platinum scratches are really just displacements and you aren''t actually losing any metal. I also heard that when you get platinum polished, you will still have the same amount of metal as if it were brand new because of this. Is that true? I''m not very knowledgeable about platinum and my recent e-ring is platinum. Any other information about this metal would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

 

[diamondsbylauren]

Hi aphisiglovessae
Someone is telling stories to you- fairy tales, it sounds like....hehehe

Seriously- when you polish platinum some of it gets polished off- you are actually grinding the metal when you polish.
Concievably you could gouge the platinum and simply "move it" a little bit with none falling off the ring- but you''d still have a gouged ring.

Platinum, like gold, will show wear over time. Small scratches give platinum it''s own look. It may not be totally glossy after a period of time, but it does have a lovely appearance, even after wear.

 

[Capitol Bill]

It''s correct that platinum scratches are simply displacements, and that there is no metal loss. But as far as re-polishing goes -- when platinum is re-polished there will be a loss of metal, albeit very minimal. But the extent of the metal loss also would depend on how much "elbow grease" is applied by the person doing the re-polishing.
Bill

 

[Michael_E]

One of the best methods for "polishing" platinum that has developed a patina is to burnish it. This means that instead of grinding it below the level of the micro-dents that make up the patina, you actuall reform the surface with a very hard, polished piece of steel. This presses the high spots down and into the low spots leaving a very even, nearly polished surface. It can take longer than grinding, but the end result is usually much better. I this case you will lose almost none of the original material.

 

[PhillipSchmidt]

Well said people.

plannishing and burnishing will also condense the outer layer and make it harder too. Platinum polished this way will keep it''s polish for longer as it will be more resistent to scratches (dissplacements)

Phillip

 

[aphisiglovessae]

Hmmmmmm.... Interesting...

Thanks for the replies! Is there any other information that you can give me about platinum?