Post by blundell » April 12th, 2006, 5:19 am
Hi--

I have a couple questions regarding gold.

1) 14K vs 18K yellow gold: We have been told that 14K is stronger and thus more advisable to get as the ring material. Are we losing anything significant with not getting 18K (beyond the ability to impress with "oh yes, that''s 18K gold")?

2) white gold vs platinum for the prongs to hold the stone: We have been given differing opinions on this matter. Some jewelers say that "platinum is stronger than white gold and thus better", but another jeweler says that while white gold is more breakable than platinum, platinum is more malleable than white gold; thus you are more likely to bend back one of the prongs if they are platinum than white gold. Opinions? Also, does anyone have opinions on the respective beauty? I have been told that platinum fades to gray while white gold fades to yellow, but that either can be kept at bay by washing periodically in rhodium. Is this an issue to be concerned about when choosing between the two?

Thank you very much for your help,

Colin