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Disappointed with platinum!

MissStepcut

MissStepcut

Brilliant_Rock
Premium
Joined
Jun 29, 2011
Messages
1,723
I got my first platinum ring last week and my worst fears were confirmed. After about 12 total hours of actually wearing the ring, it immediately began to show signs of wear at the bottom of the shank (I assume from touching against doors and countertops). It was perfectly polished and smooth when it came back from the jeweler after being resized (it's an heirloom that was recently given to me) and now it looks SIGNIFICANTLY worse than the unplated antique white gold ring I've been wearing for years, or the modern rhodium plated white gold ring I've been wearing a few months.

If you're on the fence between white gold and platinum, I highly recommend buying a couple inexpensive bands in both materials and wearing them a couple weeks so you know what you're getting into!
 
Yea- I think the way that platinum wears jut isn't for me...
 
Amys Bling|1314736846|3005674 said:
Yea- I think the way that platinum wears jut isn't for me...
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I get the sense platinum the presumptive metal of choice "if you can afford it," but I am not impressed. I would pay significantly more for white gold if I had to.
 
When ERing discussions came up about two years ago I was set on the idea of platinum the "metal of choi ce" but once I compared tint white gold I decided I liked the whitegold better. All my friends have white gold as well,
 
I'm not a big fan of platinum either. It's more expensive so people often regard it as the "higher end" or "more precious" than gold. I have necklaces in both metals and I like white gold significantly more because of the shine. Platinum turns dull. All my rings are in 14kt or 18kt gold and I've only had to re-rhodium plate one of the them in the past 10 years. I have about 10 rings in white gold. But I know the plating frequency varies by person but so far it works well for me.
 
Platinum - any alloy of it - is what it is. The fact that it patinas is an unavoidable part of owning and wearing the metal... sounds like you have found out that you don't like it. Expensive way to learn, but not un-fixable - I went through the same discovery myself.
 
The patina of platinum drives me nuts, so I much prefer white gold too.
 
Yssie|1314739339|3005709 said:
Platinum - any alloy of it - is what it is. The fact that it patinas is an unavoidable part of owning and wearing the metal... sounds like you have found out that you don't like it. Expensive way to learn, but not un-fixable - I went through the same discovery myself.
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Since it is an heirloom, I guess it is a free lesson, but "patina" is a pretty euphemistic way to say "looks all banged to hell after a few hours of wear."
 
MissStepcut|1314740189|3005722 said:
Yssie|1314739339|3005709 said:
Platinum - any alloy of it - is what it is. The fact that it patinas is an unavoidable part of owning and wearing the metal... sounds like you have found out that you don't like it. Expensive way to learn, but not un-fixable - I went through the same discovery myself.
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Since it is an heirloom, I guess it is a free lesson, but "patina" is a pretty euphemistic way to say "looks all banged to hell after a few hours of wear."
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LOL!
 
This is the reason I plan on specifically requesting 900/100 Plat/Iridium for my future FI's engagement ring. According to what I've read that puts it at the same scratch resistance level as white gold. The more typical 950/50 Plat/Irid mix seems notorious for scratching.
 
Not that I can put gold near my skin, but gold rings did that for my mom and sister. First wear my sister already had a set of scratches on her white gold ring just from holding a soda can.

Platinum is very easily polished back, I have mine polished every few months even if it's not needed. They don't get totally dull that fast.
 
ame|1314745688|3005802 said:
Not that I can put gold near my skin, but gold rings did that for my mom and sister. First wear my sister already had a set of scratches on her white gold ring just from holding a soda can.

Platinum is very easily polished back, I have mine polished every few months even if it's not needed. They don't get totally dull that fast.
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Maybe it is the alloy, but it's not looking "dull," it looks WRETCHED! I feel bad about how ugly it looks since I was JUST given it by my future in-laws. But it is only on the palm side of the shank.
 
I bet the ring is 950 plat iridium alloy...that's a very soft alloy.
 
Laila619|1314748303|3005834 said:
I bet the ring is 950 plat iridium alloy...that's a very soft alloy.
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Certainly possible. It was handmade in India at least 40 years ago.
 
Yes, Platinum does get banged up. WG has it's drawbacks ... it's all preferences.
 
Unfortunately, I'm allergic to the nickel in white gold or I could've saved a lot of money. I haven't noticed any excessive wear or tear on my setting though.
 
makhro82|1314765979|3006053 said:
Unfortunately, I'm allergic to the nickel in white gold or I could've saved a lot of money. I haven't noticed any excessive wear or tear on my setting though.
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Just so you know, for future jewelry purchases, there are nickel-free white gold alloys.
 
Oh wow. My wedding set from BGD is plat. It is a Ru mix. I love it! Yes there are scraches, but there are scratches on my brand new WG 5 stone ring as well. I can't stand the yellowing of WG. But everyone has their opinion. For me I love that Plat moves around as it's worn rather than erodes. I don't want to lose metal after all. Sorry you don't like it. But really I think the mix is very key here.
 
hoofbeats95|1314796153|3006220 said:
Oh wow. My wedding set from BGD is plat. It is a Ru mix. I love it! Yes there are scraches, but there are scratches on my brand new WG 5 stone ring as well. I can't stand the yellowing of WG. But everyone has their opinion. For me I love that Plat moves around as it's worn rather than erodes. I don't want to lose metal after all. Sorry you don't like it. But really I think the mix is very key here.
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I should definitely try to see what this alloy is, but for my e-ring, I am going to try to get it done in Stuller X1 or another extremely white alloy. If that works out, I don't think I'd ever give platinum a second thought.
 
I read that platinum won't "wear away" like WG if the ring is often in swimming pool which is why I got it.

I don't mind the patina and scratches as I think I'll change my setting every few years as my taste change from solitaire to halo to bezel.
 
I only just learned that in the UK, Australia and parts of the EU there are laws against selling nickel alloy jewelry. I wonder whether the US trade find these laws overly prescriptive? Is the US behind the curve in standards for metal alloys?

For internet buyers purchasing from jewelry from the US (Australians), the sensitivity to nickel may be evident for the first time, even when the wearer has other white gold pieces!
 
At the moment gold and platinum actually cost around the same, gold has risen so high. this should hit jewellers prices soon, if not already. so you can buy based on what you prefer.
I'm not a white gold fan, I don't like that rhodium look at all. I love platinum, I even love the way it feels, so heavy and solid. I don't have scratches on my platinum rings and I've had one three years, bought one used and the third is a 90 year old filigree antique.
My white gold ring looks like a mess though. Its 18k and has really gone yellowISH and is also scratched. I don't want to rhodium dip because, as I said before, I don't like the look.
On the other hand, my WG earrings and necklaces are fine. I don't own any platinum earrings or necklaces.
Preference seems to vary.
I have to say though, plat is great for the allergic. I have very very sensitive skin and I don't wear my wedding ring all the time because it gold (yellow) and I start itching and rashing under it. But I COULD wear plat all the time if I wanted to, doesn't bother me at all.
 
I love my platinum. But I don't let it build up a patina. My engagement ring gets repolished every 6 months or so. With my other rings, that are half eternity so you can only see the wear on the bottom of the shank... I take them in once a year.

I think you either have a platinum personality or you don't. Either you like the patina, or you are okay with frequent polishings. If you don't have the patience with either of those-- pass on platinum.

I like white gold with rhodium for necklaces and earings. But for rings, if it's in the budget, I will spring for platinum.
 
Hmm, that's a good idea to buy some "test" rings first.
 
I guess it depends on who the manufacturer is. For our 30th wedding anniversary, I purchased an A Jaffee Signature Wedding Band in Platinum for my husband. Between work, the gym, and outside chores, it is holding up really well. It has a few scratches but not that gun metal look that some platinum pieces can take on.
 
Another huge plus for platinum is how well it manufactures- particularly if compared to 18kt white gold.
There's far less chance for porosity, and other manufacturing defects are more common with gold.

It's clear not everyone loves it, but platinum is thought of as the superior metal by manufacturing jewelers for a lot of reasons.
 
MissStepcut|1314766092|3006055 said:
makhro82|1314765979|3006053 said:
Unfortunately, I'm allergic to the nickel in white gold or I could've saved a lot of money. I haven't noticed any excessive wear or tear on my setting though.
Click to expand...
Just so you know, for future jewelry purchases, there are nickel-free white gold alloys.
Click to expand...

I tried getting one before and I still ended up with an itchy, flaky red ring around my finger. Any other ideas about what may be contributing? I can wear rose gold and yellow gold with no problem.
 
I have had platinum and white gold rings, both from Whiteflash. I didn't notice a lot of scratches on the plat at all. I think it was plat/iridium. The white gold stayed pretty good too and didn't go yellow for the year or so that I wore it. It could be the way I wear my jewelry .... although I doubt I take more care than the average person. I suppose its just down to personal preference and your body chemistry. What works for one person won't necessarily work for another.

I hope you find something that works for you :))
 
I love the look and feel of plat, but I can certainly appreciate that others don't.
 
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