Is white gold that fragile?

[Kim N]

I didn''t think that white gold was that fragile until I dropped my brand new ring onto the sidewalk today and later found a nick/dent in the milgraining that I''d never seen before. The ring is 18K palladium white gold. Is the metal really that fragile? Would the same thing have happened to platinum if I''d had a platinum ring instead? Any help on this topic would be appreciated.

 

[RockDoc]

Date: 5/28/2006 2:29:45 AM
Author:Kim N
I didn''t think that white gold was that fragile until I dropped my brand new ring onto the sidewalk today and later found a nick/dent in the milgraining that I''d never seen before. The ring is 18K palladium white gold. Is the metal really that fragile? Would the same thing have happened to platinum if I''d had a platinum ring instead? Any help on this topic would be appreciated.

Platinum wears better than gold, but it too is maleable. 18 karat is "softer" than the lower carat gold, such as 14 or lower.

It is hard to comment on the nick or dent, as it is difficult to ascertain, how hard the surface was that it was dropped on, the angle that it hit in, the thinnest of the detail of the milgrain, or the force with which it hit the sidewalk. All these have some affect.

Hopefully, your jeweler can look at it to see if it can be polished out, or re-milgrained etc.

Rockdoc

 

[Kim N]

Thanks for the insight, RockDoc and SDL. I never realized that the 18K was that soft, or that even platinum is somewhat soft. RockDoc, I do hope it''s something my jeweler can fix, so I plan on bringing it in as soon as I can (he''s local but it''s a long drive). The nick/dent is very small, but I can see it with the naked eye, and it bothers me knowing that it''s there and that I caused it.

 

[RockDoc]

Hope it is just a minor fix that he can do for you.

Good luck

Rockdoc

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

There are different white gold alloys for diff purposes.
If it is millgrained then it will be a metal for setting gems - it must be maleable and easily oushed about - otherwise prongs and grain beads will not stay put. Harder to bend and dent white golds that are used for bands only are much tougher to dent and bend - but spring back and setting diamonds is impossible because they can be brittle and the force required can smash gems.

Platinum is also maleable and dents easily