Can't decide - platinum or white gold?

[sherpagirl]

Would be for a five-stone diamond band. CTTW about 1.50 from BGD in either trellis or u prong setting. I am low maintenance, would wear the ring everyday, use my hands everyday at the office and also playing my instrument (musician). I would love something that is easier to take care of, but would also "keep" it's long as long as possible. I have been reading about rhodium plating (?) and don't know if the BGD settings in WG are? also, if WG, would you suggest 14K or 18K?

Considering that it is for a five-stone band, not sure what to do!

Thanks!

 

[mrs taylor]

it's a personal choice, but for what you're describing I'd go 18k white. Very little maintenance, night strong metal, absolutely beautiful. As a disclaimer, I don't wear white metal, but for me (in the serious minority here!) I just don't love platinum, and 14k white needs replating frequently. Unless you like the "whellow" tone when it wears off. Good luck!

 

[farmer gal]

I think everyone has a different opinion on this. I personally like 14k gold. I have had both 14 and 18 and the 18 was too soft for me. Yes you will have to get it replated from time to time. I get it done once a year but that is different for everyone. I am not a platinum lover, it scraches to easily and that bothers me. Either way you go you are going to have to do maintenance. Platinum has to be polished, gold has to be plated.

 

[Dancing Fire]

depends on the price difference. how much more for the PT setting?

 

[mrs taylor]

I find that 18k white gold is really hard! And the color is such that it doesn't need as much maintenance to stay white as 14k (in my experience.)

There is a new white gold with a different alloy. I think Stuller uses it? Claim to fame is that it stays white and never needs rhodium touch ups.

 

[Gypsy]

Stuller has X1 in 14 and 18k. Needs no plating. Ask BGD is they will use it for you.

 

[mjertl]

18k WG has more "gold" in it, and therefore will be more yellowish than 14k WG when the rhodium wears off. Personal preference. Personally, I like the look of unplated WG, but to each their own. You probably can't go wrong regardless, I'm sure it will be beautiful.

 

[cookies]

It depends on your preference. Personally, I like the creamy look of the unplated 18k white gold, and don't care for rhodium plated white gold.

 

[jstarfireb]

I would not recommend 18k white gold unless you actually like the look of unplated white gold (I don't...too yellow for me). As mjertl said, it will be more yellowish than 14k because of the higher gold content. It's also softer and more expensive. All negatives in my book compared to 14k. So for me the choice was between 14k WG and platinum, and I chose platinum because I didn't want to deal with replating my rings. I also get my hands dirty at work, and I was concerned that all the handwashing and chemicals would wreak havoc on the rhodium plating.

 

[Laila619]

I prefer 14k white. 18k is too yellowish for me. And I don't like the patina of platinum.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

I don't really want to spend the time looking for the quote, but one of the appraisers here said that while it is true that 18k YELLOW gold is softer than 14k yellow gold, that is not necessarily true for white gold. Depending on the alloy, 18k white gold can be harder than 14k wg. So I absolutely would either get 18k white gold or platinum. I prefer platinum because it stays white (either 95plat/5ruthenium or 90plat/10iridium only). Well, you can consider Stuller X1 white gold because it supposedly does not have to be plated.

 

[mrs taylor]

I don't really want to spend the time looking for the quote, but one of the appraisers here said that while it is true that 18k YELLOW gold is softer than 14k yellow gold, that is not necessarily true for white gold. Depending on the alloy, 18k white gold can be harder than 14k wg.

I have been told this by many different jewelers now.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

I don't really want to spend the time looking for the quote, but one of the appraisers here said that while it is true that 18k YELLOW gold is softer than 14k yellow gold, that is not necessarily true for white gold. Depending on the alloy, 18k white gold can be harder than 14k wg.

I have been told this by many different jewelers now.

Yes, I think people just assume white gold is like yellow, but it isn't actually true!

 

[Laila619]

18k has more gold content, and gold is a soft metal. So I don't see how it can be harder than 14k? I have read that 14k is more brittle than 18k though.

 

[Dreamer_D]

Stuller has X1 in 14 and 18k. Needs no plating. Ask BGD is they will use it for you.

My thoughts exactly.

 

[GreenBling]

I wear my 18k WG ring daily with no problem at all.

 

[CaprineSun]

Here is my trusty chart of Vickers Hardness for almost any metal:

http://www.hooverandstrong.com/category/Casting+Grain+Specifications/

14K Regular WG: 162 VH
18K Regular WG: 225 VH

 

[sherpagirl]

depends on the price difference. how much more for the PT setting?

Hi Dancing Fire, the platinum setting is about $400 more ....

 

[sherpagirl]

Thanks so much for everyone's responses! I'm so sorry that this is probably another stupid question --- what exactly is rhodium plating? I will ask BGD if their 18K white gold setting is plated or not (14K WG not an option on their site...) --- but if it is, what exactly are the pros and cons? I"m guessing that the plating helps "keep" the white gold looking "white" for longer?

Considering that the setting would be to hold 5 stones, is there considerable pros in having platinum because I've read it bends rather breaks (worrying about prongs)?

 

[sherpagirl]

I don't really want to spend the time looking for the quote, but one of the appraisers here said that while it is true that 18k YELLOW gold is softer than 14k yellow gold, that is not necessarily true for white gold. Depending on the alloy, 18k white gold can be harder than 14k wg. So I absolutely would either get 18k white gold or platinum. I prefer platinum because it stays white (either 95plat/5ruthenium or 90plat/10iridium only). Well, you can consider Stuller X1 white gold because it supposedly does not have to be plated.

Thank you! I have never heard of Stuller XI white gold ? IS that something that any jeweler (i.e. BGD) would be able to use? Any cons to it?

 

[sherpagirl]

It depends on your preference. Personally, I like the creamy look of the unplated 18k white gold, and don't care for rhodium plated white gold.

Hi Cookie, thanks for your comment! I have never known that there was a visible difference in plated or unplated 18K white gold.. I just thought it was all one and the same. Can you further describe what you mean by "creamy"? CUrious!

 

[Sundial]

I own both 18 kt. white gold rings and platinum rings and really like them both. My new five stone ring is platinum though and I do like the way the metal gives the design some "heft" and it would make your decision easier than deciding which kind of white gold is right for you.

 

[mrs taylor]

different karatage has different colors. 10, 14, 18, 22 and 24k gold all tends to look different because of the different ratios of gold to alloy, and even then...different alloys will give different color to the metal. The metal I and other posters recommended from stuller simply has a different alloy in it that keeps the white gold much whiter without additional plating.

of course 22 and 24k will both be quite yellow. My 18k yellow band is and much deeper in color than my 14k, but not as deep as my 22k band. It takes a trained eye for sure but you can often guess at the karatage by seeing the color if you're really looking for it. So long as it's unplated, that is! You can't get white gold in high karat because gold IS yellow and there is too much gold in higher karats for any alloy to turn it white. I think the highest I've seen for white gold is 19k.

I find (personally) that 18k unplated looks more grey to my eyes than 14k unplated-but apparently I'm in the minority! Yes, there is a higher gold content, but it's more white to me than 14k.

I think it's worth trying on both (the metals feel different too) and looking at photos of rings after some wear. If you like the patina that platinum is famous for then that's a slam dunk. If you don't, that's something to consider.

 

[Gypsy]

I don't really want to spend the time looking for the quote, but one of the appraisers here said that while it is true that 18k YELLOW gold is softer than 14k yellow gold, that is not necessarily true for white gold. Depending on the alloy, 18k white gold can be harder than 14k wg. So I absolutely would either get 18k white gold or platinum. I prefer platinum because it stays white (either 95plat/5ruthenium or 90plat/10iridium only). Well, you can consider Stuller X1 white gold because it supposedly does not have to be plated.

Thank you! I have never heard of Stuller XI white gold ? IS that something that any jeweler (i.e. BGD) would be able to use? Any cons to it?

Go to the Stuller site and read up on it. Then ask BGD if they can/will use it.

 

[cookies]

It depends on your preference. Personally, I like the creamy look of the unplated 18k white gold, and don't care for rhodium plated white gold.

Hi Cookie, thanks for your comment! I have never known that there was a visible difference in plated or unplated 18K white gold.. I just thought it was all one and the same. Can you further describe what you mean by "creamy"? CUrious!

I attached a comparison picture between 18k unplated white gold and 14k plated white gold. As you can see, 18k unplated looks creamy, not as harsh as 14k plated. Hope it helps!

I don't have 18k plated, but I imagine it would be somewhere in between, probably closer to 14k plated, since what you see in plated rings is the rhodium plating.

Note: The ring in the center doesn't get worn often, so it is still bright & shiny. The other two get worn every day. They were once very shiny and bright as well. Please excuse the dirt on them.

 

[Upgradable]

If you're still looking for opinions, I have different preferences for different pieces.

I like 14k for pieces that I want to have a long lasting, smooth surface, and those without stones. This is because it is a hard alloy that will keep its surface for a long time. However, its hardness also makes it brittle. That's why I don't like it for prong held stones. It breaks with a good hit, and a broken prong can lead to a lost stone.

18k gives a beautiful creamy finish that I like. It stays relatively scratch resistant. I also feel it is most appropriate for thin mounts too. Less bending and disformation, and this is what I chose for my Beverley K halo engagement ring. It has pave and I feel the 18k is strong enough to keep them in place. So far, so good.

Platinum is my choice for heavy settings and those with valued, prong set stones. Platinum is more malleable than white gold. What this means for me is a blow to the prongs is more likely to bend it than break it off. A bent prong is a pain, but at least my stone did not slip out of the mount! Yes, it scratches easier and gains a characteristic patina because of it. But a good polish restores that without loosing any of the metal.

So, my suggestion is to decide based on your chosen setting. My 2 cents. You get what you pay for!!

 

[CharmyPoo]

For me, platinum all the way for almost all my pieces.

 

[sherpagirl]

It depends on your preference. Personally, I like the creamy look of the unplated 18k white gold, and don't care for rhodium plated white gold.

Hi Cookie, thanks for your comment! I have never known that there was a visible difference in plated or unplated 18K white gold.. I just thought it was all one and the same. Can you further describe what you mean by "creamy"? CUrious!

I attached a comparison picture between 18k unplated white gold and 14k plated white gold. As you can see, 18k unplated looks creamy, not as harsh as 14k plated. Hope it helps!

I don't have 18k plated, but I imagine it would be somewhere in between, probably closer to 14k plated, since what you see in plated rings is the rhodium plating.

Note: The ring in the center doesn't get worn often, so it is still bright & shiny. The other two get worn every day. They were once very shiny and bright as well. Please excuse the dirt on them.

Thank you!!! This helps tremendously and I now I can see what you're referring too....

 

[sherpagirl]

If you're still looking for opinions, I have different preferences for different pieces.

I like 14k for pieces that I want to have a long lasting, smooth surface, and those without stones. This is because it is a hard alloy that will keep its surface for a long time. However, its hardness also makes it brittle. That's why I don't like it for prong held stones. It breaks with a good hit, and a broken prong can lead to a lost stone.

18k gives a beautiful creamy finish that I like. It stays relatively scratch resistant. I also feel it is most appropriate for thin mounts too. Less bending and disformation, and this is what I chose for my Beverley K halo engagement ring. It has pave and I feel the 18k is strong enough to keep them in place. So far, so good.

Platinum is my choice for heavy settings and those with valued, prong set stones. Platinum is more malleable than white gold. What this means for me is a blow to the prongs is more likely to bend it than break it off. A bent prong is a pain, but at least my stone did not slip out of the mount! Yes, it scratches easier and gains a characteristic patina because of it. But a good polish restores that without loosing any of the metal.

So, my suggestion is to decide based on your chosen setting. My 2 cents. You get what you pay for!!

Thank you! I am thinking that since there are more prongs on a five stone, and they are smaller, I should probably go with platinum for safety ... how often would one get their platinum bands rebuffed? And does it restore it to looking like it did originally, or is there still obvious patina, just because of it "greying" over time?

 

[Upgradable]

Polishing will return the ring to its original condition.