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platinum vs. white gold

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elmo65

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Still working on my dream ring research and need opinions on whether platinum is the better choice over white gold and why? Had a jeweler tell me that platinum is just a trend and is not worth the extra cost. He said labor on platinum will always be higher. I am not crazy about the patina platinum gets, in silver it would be called tarnish! However, I think I read on a thread that white gold could eventually cast a yellow sheen. Need some expert opinions!
 

wonka27

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I can't give expert testimony.

Jeweler also told me to go w/ WG. Suprised me because I figured they could make more on the Plat.
 

moremoremore

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My old jeweler also said go with white gold. I have to say that I am happy with my white gold. I've only had my band for only a year (had it changed from plat) but it looks great. The plat became dull...but I don't know how the gold will look in several years. I'm not too worried.

I have white gold for my ering also. I didn't want to spend more than 200 bucks on a setting. I wanted to put every penny towards the stone. As long as the setting isn't cheap and is substantial, I'm good with white gold. That's not to say I won't go back to plat one day...If budget is a big concern, I'd put it towards the stone which she/you may not want to upgrade later...the setting isn't that big of a deal to upgrade!
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NDIrishdogg

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White gold really isn't white. Strange to those of us (including myself) who know very little about jewelry, but its true. White gold looks white because its treated (with Rhodium if I remember correctly, but don't quote me). Anyways, the treatment will wear off, particularly on something that will get daily wear, like an ering. As I understand it, you could usually have the ring recoated (unless it was two tone or something), but the question remains whether you would want to have to take it in once every year or two and have that done. Personally, I decided against white gold despite being on a very tight budget because I didn't want my SO to have to deal with it starting to yellow and not looking as good as when I gave it to her. With platinum, you just have to polish to bring back that shine. Just thoughts from someone who still knows very, very little about jewelry, so take my thoughts for what they're worth.
 

JC

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My personal opinion is to go with white gold if the ring is not going to be a permanant keepsake. Meaning you will trade up or get something different in a few years. However, if you are going to stay with the same design forever than I would select platinum. Although, that's just my opinion. Good luck....

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coreyzat

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Here is my opinion from what I have gathered around.

1) White gold is yellowish, but usually has rhodium plating, which may need to be redone every few years or the ring will get a yellowish hue.

2) The patina that platinum gets is a result of lots of tiny nicks and scratches. It may need to be professionally polished every once in a while to return it to optimum shine.

3) When platinum scratches, the metal just shifts a little. When white gold scratches, you actually lose some material ove time.

4) The head should be platinum if you want the most security for the stone (not sure, someone correct me if I'm wrong)

With these things in mind, I'd say that you should go with platinum if this is going to be permament, but white gold if you are looking a temp or plan on upgrading soon.
Corey
 

chialea

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I'm sticking with platinum, myself, for a few reasons:

1. I'm planning on passing my engagement ring down to my children or grandchildren. I want them to inherit something intact, and pass it on in their turn. (the jewlery in my family that has survived well is platinum -- I'm wearing a ~100 year old diamond ring every day, and it doesn't have fragility issues or wear issues)

2. I like engraving. my SO may well engrave something silly and loving on the inside of my ring, as well as the extensive engraving on the outside. I want it to stay there, and gold wears, so platinum's a better option for this.

3. I have heard that stones are more stable in platinum, as gold is more "springy" and the prongs are harder to get to stay in just the right place. platinum is supposedly more "squishy", so once they put it there, it stays. (this I'm not positive about, but it's what I've heard)

4. most white gold in the US is made with nickel. nickel allergies are very annoying. I don't see any reason to find out if I have one in quite such an emotional way.
 

Jennifer5973

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Platinum is stronger but beyond that, it is another one of these personal taste/style preference things.

I personally prefer the weight of platinum, and I love the patina it gets. I also was sucked in by the 'forever metal" marketing which is probably all bs.
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There have been numerous platinum vs. gold threads--look some up and read as much as you can, then decide what is best for YOU.
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People have already named some important decision factors in this brief thread, such as whether you plan to change your setting often, in which case, it may be wasteful to keep paying for platinum. Platinum is also more difficult to work with but an experienced jeweler/goldsmith should have no problem.
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liminal

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Out of curiousity, why don't people mention 19k white gold (with palladium instead of nickel) when the white gold vs. platinum debate comes up?

I thought if you used 19k and the palladium alloy, you didn't need the Rhodium (or whatever, I forget the spelling offhand) coating to make it 'white'?
 

Rowan

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Another point about white gold is that if you have it sized it will have to be re-rhodiumed and some places charge extra for that.
 

headlight

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I like the "heft" of platinum, as well as that it always stays "white" -- I don't like the tinge of "yellow" that white gold gets.
 

randyred

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I have chosen platinum for my E-ring because of my experience with white gold. I have an 18kt white gold ring which I wear daily and it gets tarnished and yellow very quickly. I have it rhodium plated every year which is a pain in the butt and costs money and it's always a worry when I have to leave it with a jeweler.

Really it needs to be plated more often. because it was last plated in December last year and it is already looking dull and yellow...

Friends who have platinum just don't seem to have the same problem.
 

WinkHPD

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----------------
On 8/10/2004 1:25:36 PM NDIrishdogg wrote:

White gold really isn't white. Strange to those of us (including myself) who know very little about jewelry, but its true. White gold looks white because its treated (with Rhodium if I remember correctly, but don't quote me). Anyways, the treatment will wear off, particularly on something that will get daily wear, like an ering. As I understand it, you could usually have the ring recoated (unless it was two tone or something), but the question remains whether you would want to have to take it in once every year or two and have that done. Personally, I decided against white gold despite being on a very tight budget because I didn't want my SO to have to deal with it starting to yellow and not looking as good as when I gave it to her. With platinum, you just have to polish to bring back that shine. Just thoughts from someone who still knows very, very little about jewelry, so take my thoughts for what they're worth.----------------
Okay, I am going to give you my perspective as a jeweler. White gold is not white because it is treated with Rhodium. White gold is a yellowish white because it is yellow metal alloyed with white metals, nickel and silver. It seems white in comparrison to yellow gold, but it is definately a yellowish color of white. Some jewelers will alloy their gold, like Mark Morrell so that it is much whiter than the white gold that we buy from houses like Stuller or Ingwer. It costs more to do that, so the big houses don't like to do it, since most of their clients only want the best price, not necessarily the best product.

Rhodium is a plating that many people use to cover up the yellowishness of the white gold that they have, and as stated, it will wear off.

Platinum is also much heavier than gold. For example, if two identically sized items are made, one in 14kt and the other in platinum, the platinum item will weigh 60% more than the gold item. Add to that the fact that platinum is at least 90% pure platinum and may be 95% pure platinm and that 14kt gold is only 58.3333% pure and you can see that the platinum for any job is going to cost much more than the gold for the same job.

Platinum will take longer to bring to a high polish also and require more labor from the craftsman. This also adds to the cost.

However. I always think (rightly or wrongly) that a gold ring is meant to last twenty to thirty years, and that a platinum ring is meant to last for generations. True, one can always replace heads that wear out and gold shanks that grow thin, but such maintenence is much lower with platinum.

Many do not like the patina that platinum takes on from the miriads of tiny scratches obtained by wearing the jewelry. but many love that dull shine too.

Me, I love platinum, especially in 18kt yellow gold and platinum rings. The rich warmth of the 18kt gold and the stark whiteness of the platinum make an incredible mix, whether the mix is only the head or whether the jewelry itself is a two tone mix. In my opinion it is an elegant metal, well and truly suited for the creation of exquisite jewelry.

Wink
 

Hest88

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There's a white gold thread in the FAQs.

Simply, if you can get white gold that's alloyed with palladium instead of the the usual nickel, then you can go with white gold. It should never have to be rhodium plated. However, be warned that it will still be more chemically sensitive than platinum and you shouldn't wear it in the pool or jacuzzi.

If you can't get palladium white gold, then go with platinum.

19K white gold is not widely available in the U.S., though it's easier to obtain in Canada. From what I've read, it seems like a great alternative to palladium white gold, but the same white gold caveats apply.
 

Shopgirlk

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I don't have any type of GIA initials after my name, but here is my input. Platinum IS the most durable of metals. It will get that patina, but going with it avoids the yellowing that white gold in fact, does do. As for what the jeweler said to you....made me laugh. The price difference,according to my jeweler is not that significant...As far as the labor for the setting or even future work that may need to be done. With white gold, when it starts to yellow, it can be "DIPPED" in a rhodium-plating fashion to restore it's original color. I would totally go for the platinum unless you really hate the patina. My guys said I can bring them the ring any time and they will polish it up for me
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alexah

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I went with a platinum head & white gold band... it kept costs down & i feel more secure w the platinum prongs holding my diamond
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elmo65

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Thanks for all of your input, I will probably end up with a platinum setting....
 

Diamondsbybree

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I had originally started out with platinum, but after almost 3 years, my white gold still looks fabulous~!
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Rowan

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Wink,
Is platinum routinely rhodium plated as well? The reason I ask is that my platinum ring is very shiny and scratch resistent. Admittedly, I have only had it for two months and I am pretty gentle with my jewelry.
Thanks!
 

Hest88

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I've heard that platinum is often rhodium plated as well, since unplated platinum is greyish instead of chrome-like the way many people prefer.
 

Jean

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Hello,
Just adding my opinion, I have always had white gold because I like the shine of it. I have had a plenty of white gold stuff and as long as it was 14k it stayed beautiful.
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MelissaSue

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I am going with white gold as well..
As much as platinum is more durable, to me, it is not worth the extra cost.. and it DOES get scratched up..

My parents have white gold wedding bands, as well as mom's e-ring.. that they have had for 28 years.. and they've not yellowed at all, and they can't even get them off thier fingers to clean them, let alone re-plate them or whatever.. My sister told me that initially her jeweler did not rhodium plate her white gold ring at all, so it yellowed, but she hat it plated and now she is thrilled with it. She's only had it for a couple years though, as it is her second e-ring.

I had a jeweler (one that I will never go back to) tell me, when I said I wanted a white gold e-ring "Okay, but just so you know, it will start to turn yellow in 3 months." I was like.. How stupid do you think I am, really? That pretty much lead me to believe that any jeweler who tries that hard to convince me to buy platinum is a liar.. because.. every other jeweler i've gone to has told me white gold is an excellent choice, as has my entire family.

Buy platinum if you have the extra cash.. but its not worth it to me..
Melissa
 

Dadof4

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Jun 16, 2004
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As for the price differnce b/t plat and white gold, it seems to depend on the name on the setting. E.g., when I was considering a Hearts on Fire diamond ring, the same ring in platinum was about $1,000 more. When I decided to get a Jubilee diamond from GOG in a Vatche setting, the difference was only a few hundred dollars. Go figure.
 

ame

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I will never own white gold for a ring again. Its fine for a necklace or earrings as long as its 14 or 10K where its already whiter. Its too much upkeep, and that upkeep gets way expensive. Ive had to had rings replated 6 times a year, minimum. I think that even though its softer, Platinum is stronger and more secure.

They don't do white gold like they used to. White gold today loses its white glow so damn fast.
 

Rowan

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Hmm...I have a white gold right hand ring and I've had it for about six months and it's still very white and shiny. I wear it daily and it looks almost exactly like my plat ring.
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MrsFrk

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I personally do not like the patina platinum acquires. Platinum partisans always bring up the ever so time consuming rhodium issue, while to keep platinum shiny you have to polish it anyway. I have a white gold ring, that is over 100 years old, it is in fine shape. So I don't really buy the 'platinum for heirlooms' argument. White gold does have to be re-rhodium-ed, but it's really not that expensive, and doesn't take long. I only need to have my ring re-plated every other year. I have a platinum band that I wear solo, it is lovely too. But boy is is scuffed and matte looking. Platinum is very hard, I do believe it is a good idea to have platinum prongs holding your diamond. Ask your friends and acquaintances what metal their rings are- and go with what looks pretty to you!
 

chialea

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----------------
On 8/11/2004 12:54:19 PM MrsFrk wrote:

I have a white gold ring, that is over 100 years old, it is in fine shape. ----------------


I'm very curious how you could have a white gold ring that is that old... according to what I've read, white gold wasn't developed until World War I.

But I certainly agree that you should go with what looks and feels good to you. I like the look of platinum, possibly because I'm used to a good bit of heirloom jewlery, and I like the heft of it.
 

MrsFrk

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Hmmmm. You're right. My husband's great-grantmother was married in 1901, and it is her ring. I 've seen pictures of her with it on, but now that I think about it, the pictures are all circa WWI. She must've had it reset. So I'll revise my previous statement- I have a ring that is 80+ years old, well worn and loved, and it has held up well. I'm wearing my platinum ring right now, it's awfully pretty, but I'm a sucker for shiny!
 

mm

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These are just my 0.02, based on my own research i undertook before making the same decision.

The white gold vs platinum thread in the FAQ section doesn't give the whole story as far as I'm concerned. It basically says white gold won't scratch as easily as platinum, but platinum is more durable.

The assumption that white gold scratches less seems to be based on nickel white gold (which is now less popular, and basically illegal in the EU) vs 5% iridium alloy of platinum (common for cast rings over recent years(vatche etc), but very soft).

The reccomended palladium white golds are less hard than the nickel white golds, and are often less hard than the common platinum alloys being used (10% iridium, 5% cobalt, 5% copper (in Australia), 5% ruthium (sp?)). So i think it's fair to say that in general, platinum will not scratch any more easily than a white gold ring.

The big difference could be that a white gold ring self-burnishes (slef polishes, through the act of wearing it), so by wearing it you rub the scratches out by wearing away the surrounding metal. Paltinum is too durable to self-burnish, and maybe that's why the scratches stay put (but that's also why a platinum ring lasts for generations, whereas a white gold ring gets thinner over time)

The big thing to remember too, is that your ring is more likely to be scratched on the palm side than on the top, so the patina is more likely to be in a spot that no-one will see!


So, I went for platinum.
 

WinkHPD

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----------------
On 8/10/2004 6:57:49 PM Rowan wrote:

Wink,
Is platinum routinely rhodium plated as well? The reason I ask is that my platinum ring is very shiny and scratch resistent. Admittedly, I have only had it for two months and I am pretty gentle with my jewelry.
Thanks!----------------
I have never plated platinum, but other people may.

Wink
 
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