Deciding on 18k white gold or platinum

[rockafella]

I am getting close to selecting the rock. I made a post in another thread, asking people for their advice on these 4 diamonds I have down selected to.

Now for the ring. Anyone can help with platinum or 18k white gold?

1) How often does white gold have to be plated before it turns yellow with normal wear? i.e once a year?
2) How much does it cost to replate it, as opposed to cleaning it?
3) Is platinum easier to maintain and does not require replating at all?

Im trying to see what people think. She has no allergies against white gold. Platinum just looks more dull but white gold needs replating.

 

[UberClaire]

I am getting close to selecting the rock. I made a post in another thread, asking people for their advice on these 4 diamonds I have down selected to.

Now for the ring. Anyone can help with platinum or 18k white gold?

1) How often does white gold have to be plated before it turns yellow with normal wear? i.e once a year?
2) How much does it cost to replate it, as opposed to cleaning it?
3) Is platinum easier to maintain and does not require replating at all?

Im trying to see what people think. She has no allergies against white gold. Platinum just looks more dull but white gold needs replating.

1. It totally depends from person to person based on wear and personal body chemistry. The average that I've read seems to be once a year, but some people can go longer or will need replating sooner.

2. This one I'm not as sure of, but some places will replate for free if you buy the ring through them. Definitely look into that.

3. Platinum is not plated, so it does not need to be replated. However, certain alloys scratch more easily, and scratches form a "patina" on the platinum, which makes it less shiny. Some people love it, some hate it. To get rid of this patina, platinum can be repolished (again, some places do this for free if you buy from them).

My brand-new platinum engagement ring (from Vatche) is gorgeous -- it looks like molten metal, shiny and beautiful. I don't know what it will look like over time, but I know we can always get it repolished. Also, with platinum you don't lose metal when the ring is scratched or polished. From what I've heard, white gold rings wear down over time and may need to be eventually reset.

 

[sonnyjane]

I don't have any platinum pieces, but as far as re-plating gold goes... it really varies based on the individual. Some might think it's "mumbo jumbo", but each person has a special body chemistry and it reacts differently with the rhodium plating. For example, I have a friend with WG rings that has had them for 2.5 years now and still hasn't had to have it re-plated. I, however, had to get my ring re-plated after just 2 months! For me the only part that gets yellow is the underside that nobody sees, so I'm not too concerned about being on top of the plating. It's actually been a few years since I had it done (I don't wear my ring as often now because of work), but I recall it was about $30 to have it re-plated. If you buy from a store that has a service policy, re-plating is usually included for free, HOWEVER, that in itself is not enough reason to go with a jewelry store over an online vendor, who can usually offer better quality for less.

 

[warheadwl]

This isn't quite related to your question, but one thing to keep in mind is that platinum is heavier than WG. My fiance liked the heft, so we went w/ the platinum.

 

[LibbyLA]

Ditto to what warheadwl said. I like the heavier feel of platinum pieces, but some people may prefer the lighter weight of gold.

liz

 

[UberClaire]

I have a thin shank (2mm) and don't really notice the weight difference between platinum and white gold, but I'm sure it becomes more apparent with more intricate rings.

 

[missy]

I'm one of those people whose body chemistry turns white gold (14K and 18K) yellow after a few months so I usually buy platinum now if I am able to afford it and have the option. Replating every few months is a hassle and I just stop wearing the piece until I have the chance so for me platinum is worth the extra cost. Plus I like the weight (for rings) and color of platinum best.

 

[Diamond*Dana]

I prefer gold over platinum because I cannot stand the dullness platinum once it patinas. My set is yellow gold, which I think has a nice, rich look to it. My wedding band is 18K yellow gold with platinum on top where the diamonds are set. It is a very heavy ring...I like the heft, but the platinum is definitely more dull than the gold.

I am one who can go a very long time without replaying white gold, so it really doesn't bother me at all.

 

[justginger]

It is a very personal choice, everyone has their preferences for whatever reason. Like Missy, I turn white gold yellow in the matter of a few weeks. Annoying. Platinum wins for me, hands down, every time. The heft, the patina, the lack of maintenance, the color. Perhaps you could go to a jewelry store and try on a few bands to see what appeals to her.

 

[Enerchi]

IMO, if you can afford it, I'd suggest platinum. Maintenance is minimal compared to WG, if your fiance is one who's skin is higher in acidity and she turns WG yellow after a short time. (and this you won't know until after you've made the decision... unless she already has a WG ring and if so, are there any issues??)

It will also depend on what the alloy is in the WG - nickel vs palladium - may also make a difference. I had (well, I thought I had but it all got muddy so I can't be sure) palladium in my previous 18K WG ring and it went a horrid stormy sky gray repeatedly and I only owned it for 7 months before having it all redone by BGD in their 95/5 plat/ruthenium mix.

The thing with platinum, in terms of maintenance, will be a buff and polish if you/she does not like the patina it will eventually get.

 

[distracts]

I don't find the patina on my platinum at all bad. Here is a picture of my ring after a year of wear - it is the one in the middle. The one on the bottom is a new sterling silver ring, and the one on the top is brand new rhodium-plated. In terms of maintenance, polishing is something that can be done while you wait and just takes a minute, which I like.

 

[rockafella]

So it sounds like platinum scratches easier and is more dull looking compared to white gold. It weights more too. White gold requires more replating so often, which can get annoying, but shines better and is lighter.

I've heard of palladium as the middle ground, but not sure how that shines and is maintained. Anyone have palladium can comment?

 

[warheadwl]

My then-gf and I were comparing palladium vs platinum (we weren't considering WG), and we did choose the platinum because of the heft. Visually, we couldn't tell a diff between the two (EDIT: while new in the jewelry store).

Can't really speak to you about the long term maintenance differences, but to give you an idea of the cost diff, our jeweler charged $600 for palladium, and $1000 for platinum for the identical setting.

 

[Maisie]

This is our Palladium rings after about 4 weeks of wear. Mine is the thin one. His is way more scratched up than mine but we both wear them every day. He works in an office so no heavy wear. The e-ring is Platinum which I have worn for about 7 weeks. If you look at the camera reflection in the two wedding bands you can see how much more scratched his is compared to mine. From a distance my rings still look nice and shiny but his is definitely dull.

 

[0-0-0]

Another thing to keep in mind is that much of the wear for platinum rings only occur on the bottom third of the shank.

Some pictures of BGD 95/5 plat/ruth cast rings. Roughly 14 months wear on the engagement ring and 1 week wear on the wedding band at the time of the shoot.

Worn for 14 months, mainly outside the house, office work, not worn for gym or yard work.


Worn 24/7 for 1 week.


The wear on the top 2/3 of the engagement ring after 14 months still look similar to the wear on the bottom third of the wedding band after 1 week.


The pictures were taken about 3 months ago and I still don't find it necessary to polish the rings.

 

[distracts]

Another thing to keep in mind is that much of the wear for platinum rings only occur on the bottom third of the shank.

Yep, the top of mine doesn't have a noticeable patina anywhere except the main prongs, which I intentionally roughed up. It's also pave though, so there's not a lot of visible metal.