Joining the white gold vs. platinum debate

[elsie]

Hi Everyone!

Longtime lurker, here. Love this site!

I wanted to get some more opinions on the "platinum vs. white gold" debate. My engagement ring is white gold, and I''m strongly considering getting a wedding band that is either platinum or palladium.

I''ve read several warnings about (a) the two metals "eating" into each other, and (b) the hardness difference between the metals causing wear. However, from some digging on the internet:

(a) It''s unlikely that there would be a chemical reaction between the two, since platinum/palladium are inert metals.

(b) It''s really difficult to compare the hardness of two metals if you don''t know how the ring was made (i.e., die-struck, cast, handmade, annealed) and what specific kinds of alloys were put into the metal -- all of these factors contribute to the final hardness of the ring. (I think StrmRdr struck on the same idea in a recent post.) So, no hard and fast rule of thumb for different metals there.

I also found a link where an "expert" answers a similar question, and his answers make a lot of sense to me.

My question -- does anyone have specific examples of "bad things happening" when wearing rings of different metals together? I really do think I want to get a purer metal for my wedding band since it''s likely to last longer (gold wears away instead of gets displaced), is hypoallergenic, doesn''t require rhodium plating, doesn''t react with chlorine, etc...

I was going to go ahead and order a palladium band on the internet, but just visited a jeweler recently who strongly warned me about "mixing metals" so now I am even more confused...

Thanks!

 

[Cehrabehra]

Date: 9/28/2006 12:18:33 PM
Author:elsie
Hi Everyone!

doesn't react with chlorine, etc...

I just want to sorta threadjack on this one - I would really like a definitive answer on plat/gold and CHLORINE.

i've worn my yellow gold rings in the pool for years with no ill effects... it did eat the rhodium finish off another ring... but if that's the only concern then who cares? LOL

what about salt water??


As for your questions, I think they're just different and you have to think of your lifestyle. I bang my hands a LOT on things so I want gold. yes, plat will bend and gold will break but plat will bend BEFORE gold will break. there are NO major scratches on any of my gold rings, including rings 've worn for 15 years. Ditto my husband's. My friend with plat rings has had major issues with the prongs bending on her ring and cannot keep a shine at all. What it boils down to though for me is appearance. I prefer a warmer yellowish white and she prefers a cooler greyish white. I have a J and she has an F. Our choices in metals and our choices in diamonds correspond LOL

 

[Mara]

I don''t think that you can get a ''definitive answer'' on something like metals and chlorine. It seems like in the past there are a bunch of opinions put out and not even the experts agree with each other. I have only heard one or two experts say no plat and chlorine, yet I wear my ring in chlorinated pools all the time. We also have people who have worn gold with chlorine for years like you Cehra, or plat in chlorine with no problems. But then you might have the person who has a problem that someone could attribute to chlorine. Who''s to say it''s *definitive*? It really seems more like case by case basis much of the time.

 

[MustangGal]

I''ve been wearing a platinum e-ring with an 18kt white gold wedding band for 4 months now, and see no issues. I think as long as the sides that touch are smooth, and not engraved or studded with diamonds, I don''t see how they could wear eachother down.

 

[Girlrocks]

I think it''s just a matter of personal taste. Platinum tends to have a patina look as it wears as well as a grayish look. White gold has more of a brightness to it and it looks icy-er (is that a word?). I have white gold rings and the only place that the rhodium has worn off is wear the 2 rings rub together and on the bottom of the shank. I wear them in the pool probably 3 times a week and since the only place the rhodium has worn off is the bottom, I don''''t think the chlorine is having any effect on them. I just had the engagement resized, polished and plated for a total of $18.00 so I imagine the plating alone is very inexpensive. It doesn''t even bother me though because it''s only on the bottom of the shank and no one ever sees that. I am hard on rings as I do home day care so my hands are in water, chlorine, bleach, sunscreen all of the time. My white gold has held up very well.

 

[Diamond*Dana]

I wear a platinum e-ring with a 14K WG wedding ring and have had no problems at all.

 

[Stone Hunter]

Elsie,

I''m with you on this one. I don''t know what metal to get for my ering upgrade. I have worn WG for 15 years and had no problems with it.

I had a non PS jeweler/salesclerk tell me that it''s OK to wear Plat with WG. But what do they really know, they''re just a salesperson. And they disagree with your jeweler. SO WHO IS RIGHT?

So Plat will bend under Medium pressure and WG will break under Large pressure. Does this mean I want WG for my pave ring?

Please let a wild debate begin!!! WE NEED ANSWERS!!!!!!!!!

 

[Cehrabehra]

Date: 9/28/2006 10:18:24 PM
Author: Stone Hunter
Elsie,

So Plat will bend under Medium pressure and WG will break under Large pressure. Does this mean I want WG for my pave ring?

Please let a wild debate begin!!! WE NEED ANSWERS!!!!!!!!!

hehehe en garde! I''m doing white gold for my ring and it will have pave.

 

[Stone Hunter]

Cehra,

En garde to you too!!

To join the fight you MUST have strong feelings and state your reasons for chosing WG.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Well, after hearing my jeweler tell all the problems they see with the platinum Tacori, etc., I went with 18k white gold, too. My old rings are 14k gold and I have never had a problem with prongs breaking, and the rings are perfectly round and shiny after 29 years. He said the 90% platinum is what used to be used, and it held up much better because it was harder. But it''s harder to find now, too! So I just decided I didn''t want to pay for a very high priced metal that would show more scratches and dings, turn gray, and possibly become misshapen. Of course, I have no experience with WG rings, so I''ll have to see how well they do on me. But I won''t lose much if I have a problem or change my mind, because those settings are not exorbitantly expensive.

 

[Cehrabehra]

Date: 9/28/2006 11:17:36 PM
Author: Stone Hunter
Cehra,

En garde to you too!!

To join the fight you MUST have strong feelings and state your reasons for chosing WG.

bahahaha the #1 reason I''m choosing white gold is color. I want it white but warm. #2 reason I''m choosing white gold is because I am accustomed to gold and have faith in its reliability and performance. #3 reason I''m choosing white gold (okay so it''s not a reason but it''s bonus enough to mention lol) is that it is a heck of a lot cheaper - this week LOL Once the gold catches on again, watch out!!

 

[Cehrabehra]

Date: 9/28/2006 11:18:46 PM
Author: diamondseeker2006
Well, after hearing my jeweler tell all the problems they see with the platinum Tacori, etc., I went with 18k white gold, too. My old rings are 14k gold and I have never had a problem with prongs breaking, and the rings are perfectly round and shiny after 29 years. He said the 90% platinum is what used to be used, and it held up much better because it was harder. But it''s harder to find now, too! So I just decided I didn''t want to pay for a very high priced metal that would show more scratches and dings, turn gray, and possibly become misshapen. Of course, I have no experience with WG rings, so I''ll have to see how well they do on me. But I won''t lose much if I have a problem or change my mind, because those settings are not exorbitantly expensive.

so you have been using yellow gold all these years? Yeah I figure I''ve *loved* my yellow gold rings for all these years, a little yellowish to the white gold isn''t going to offend me now!! lol I think it''s more flattering to MY skin color anyway, as is the yellower diamond. The plat and D colored diamonds make my skin look more sickly. I''m very fair - natural light blonde. The J diamond almost looks like nude on me and the white gold matches the stone *perfectly*

 

[Christa]

Personally I wouldn''t pay the price difference for platinum, but then I''m cheap.

People on PS often assume that rhodium plating WG frequently is a given, but I think that''s ridiculous--a plated piece is not a quality piece of jewelry! Would anyone accept a gold-plated wedding ring? The problem, I think is low-quality alloys that yellow quickly. I wear a 70-year-old 14k WG wedding set that as far as I know has never been plated and is perfectly the color of a shiny new nickel.

I''ve asked this before but never got an answer--it seems to me as a non-expert that because gold is naturally yellow, 18k WG, which has a higher percentage of gold in it, would be more prone to yellowing than 14k or even 10k, which have less gold and more of the white-metal alloy. Am I completely nuts?

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Yes, I had almost all yellow gold jewelry in the past. I got wg studs, a tennis bracelet, and a tanzanite ring about 5 years ago, but I don''t wear them often. I wore a two tone watch for a few years just to be able to wear both. But now I have an all silver (stainless steel) watch, and I am wearing all silver or wg jewelry. I have dark hair and fair skin, and white metals just look better on me. I am hoping I really love the wg, because it is vastly more affordable! I''d rather spend the big bucks on the diamonds and less on the settings! And as far as durability goes, I figure if my current rings have lasted almost 30 years and are still just fine, the next set should last longer than me!

 

[Cehrabehra]

Date: 9/28/2006 11:45:36 PM
Author: diamondseeker2006
Yes, I had almost all yellow gold jewelry in the past. I got wg studs, a tennis bracelet, and a tanzanite ring about 5 years ago, but I don''t wear them often. I wore a two tone watch for a few years just to be able to wear both. But now I have an all silver (stainless steel) watch, and I am wearing all silver or wg jewelry. I have dark hair and fair skin, and white metals just look better on me. I am hoping I really love the wg, because it is vastly more affordable! I''d rather spend the big bucks on the diamonds and less on the settings! And as far as durability goes, I figure if my current rings have lasted almost 30 years and are still just fine, the next set should last longer than me!

lol! don''t you just feel a certain peace of mind to be getting gold again? I just know if I got plat I''d destroy it. My gold rings are *hard* hard hard... I''ve never even remotely taken care of them, whacking them on everything, constantly and they haven''t even been polished for 13 years (we had a renewal at 2 years) and they''re shinnier than my friend''s platinum she had shinned 2 years ago. And *way* less scratched for big dings. Mine have no big dings. She doesn''t even wear her solitaire anymore because the diamond has gotten loose so many times. She still loves platinum but she''s planning on having it reset with wg gold prongs ROFL!!! How''s that for a backflip!

 

[Cehrabehra]

Date: 9/28/2006 11:40:26 PM
Author: Christa
Personally I wouldn''t pay the price difference for platinum, but then I''m cheap.

People on PS often assume that rhodium plating WG frequently is a given, but I think that''s ridiculous--a plated piece is not a quality piece of jewelry! Would anyone accept a gold-plated wedding ring? The problem, I think is low-quality alloys that yellow quickly. I wear a 70-year-old 14k WG wedding set that as far as I know has never been plated and is perfectly the color of a shiny new nickel.

I''ve asked this before but never got an answer--it seems to me as a non-expert that because gold is naturally yellow, 18k WG, which has a higher percentage of gold in it, would be more prone to yellowing than 14k or even 10k, which have less gold and more of the white-metal alloy. Am I completely nuts?

I''d pay for it if I had a D colored stone with blue flour LOL it''s funny... I really didn''t care what color my stone was other than that I liked them warmer more and more... I love Mara''s pics and how the pinks really play up. But when it comes to the metal the color is the breaking factor. I want them to match! I haven''t seen a *round* J in plat that I didn''t think looked great, but my funky chunky J just doesn''t lol

I''ve thought the same thing but I''ve heard it really just boils down to *what* alloy they use... some are better than others... some are fairly yellow and some are very white.

 

[reader]

A bit off topic, but I have my grandmother''s nearly 70 year old 18K WG band. It looks like gunmetal!
I also have a 90 year old 18K WG ring that needs reshanked, but the color is still lovely white. What is the difference in the alloy that makes one go so dark, and the other, brilliant white? Any ideas on how to brighten up the band without polishing out all of the details?

 

[elsie]

Date: 9/28/2006 10:18:24 PM
Author: Stone Hunter
Elsie,


I''m with you on this one. I don''t know what metal to get for my ering upgrade. I have worn WG for 15 years and had no problems with it.


I had a non PS jeweler/salesclerk tell me that it''s OK to wear Plat with WG. But what do they really know, they''re just a salesperson. And they disagree with your jeweler. SO WHO IS RIGHT?


So Plat will bend under Medium pressure and WG will break under Large pressure. Does this mean I want WG for my pave ring?


Please let a wild debate begin!!! WE NEED ANSWERS!!!!!!!!!

Yeah, Stone Hunter!! Thanks for helping me stir up this debate!

I actually would have gone with WG for my wedding band, if not for a bunch of things that *might* go wrong. I have really sensitive skin, and it''s possible I could develop an allergy to nickel-alloyed WG (I found out from *another* jeweler that nickel allergies may take time to develop, even years -- true?). I really don''t want to have to replace my wedding ring in the future (now, a new setting for the e-ring, maybe...

) so I figured I wouldn''t risk it.

And Christa, I''m with you that I also don''t want to pay the high price for Plat. Palladium seems to be a good balance between platinum and WG-like properties (plus, e-weddingbands seems to have good deals on pall bands!).

I also read somewhere that it costs more to create the palladium-WG alloy than to create a 95% palladium band (which is more pure anyway), so maybe the price difference between the two will be minimal when demand stabilizes.

If only the US had the European standards of using minimal nickel in WG, I''d feel more comfortable with it...

 

[Cehrabehra]

Date: 9/29/2006 3:52:13 AM
Author: reader
A bit off topic, but I have my grandmother''s nearly 70 year old 18K WG band. It looks like gunmetal!
I also have a 90 year old 18K WG ring that needs reshanked, but the color is still lovely white. What is the difference in the alloy that makes one go so dark, and the other, brilliant white? Any ideas on how to brighten up the band without polishing out all of the details?

I don''t know... but I''ll tell you that I got married with my great grandmother''s gold band and it is the strangest color... impossible to match. it''s *closest* to yellow gold, but it has a hint of pink and a whiter sheen to it than my husband''s yellow gold ring.

I don''t think that they had particular standards back then.

 

[Cehrabehra]

Date: 9/29/2006 9:26:24 AM
Author: elsie

Date: 9/28/2006 10:18:24 PM
Author: Stone Hunter
Elsie,


I''m with you on this one. I don''t know what metal to get for my ering upgrade. I have worn WG for 15 years and had no problems with it.


I had a non PS jeweler/salesclerk tell me that it''s OK to wear Plat with WG. But what do they really know, they''re just a salesperson. And they disagree with your jeweler. SO WHO IS RIGHT?


So Plat will bend under Medium pressure and WG will break under Large pressure. Does this mean I want WG for my pave ring?


Please let a wild debate begin!!! WE NEED ANSWERS!!!!!!!!!

Yeah, Stone Hunter!! Thanks for helping me stir up this debate!

I actually would have gone with WG for my wedding band, if not for a bunch of things that *might* go wrong. I have really sensitive skin, and it''s possible I could develop an allergy to nickel-alloyed WG (I found out from *another* jeweler that nickel allergies may take time to develop, even years -- true?). I really don''t want to have to replace my wedding ring in the future (now, a new setting for the e-ring, maybe...

) so I figured I wouldn''t risk it.

And Christa, I''m with you that I also don''t want to pay the high price for Plat. Palladium seems to be a good balance between platinum and WG-like properties (plus, e-weddingbands seems to have good deals on pall bands!).

I also read somewhere that it costs more to create the palladium-WG alloy than to create a 95% palladium band (which is more pure anyway), so maybe the price difference between the two will be minimal when demand stabilizes.

If only the US had the European standards of using minimal nickel in WG, I''d feel more comfortable with it...

you can definitely find WG makers who do not use nickel. I''ve read that palladium is even maleable than platinum but for a solid band I really don''t think you need to worry about any of the metals unless the band is thin.

 

[mrssalvo]

I wore my plat. e-ring and wedding band in chlorine for years w/out problems. i used to be and aquatics director at a YMCA and was in chemicals all the time. They were just plain plat. no pave etc. I bought a WG wedding band to wear also and it has yellowed which is one of the big reasons I don''t like WG and I just don''t want to deal with having it dipped every so often. I''m guessing it just reacts with my skin. I do have WG earrings and a necklace that are fine but I don''t wear them every day. Both my sister and sister in law have WG rings and by sister in law has to have hers plated every 6 months or so. my sister has been married almost 2 years and after a recent bath in an ultrasonic the plating came off the bottoms and now her''s needs a dip too. Both metals have pros and cons and any ring is subject to wear and tear issues.

 

[elsie]

Date: 9/29/2006 10:02:40 AM
Author: Cehrabehra

you can definitely find WG makers who do not use nickel. I've read that palladium is even maleable than platinum but for a solid band I really don't think you need to worry about any of the metals unless the band is thin.

That's true. However, I heard that there is still -some- nickel in palladium-alloy WGs, so maybe it would just be better to get something like Pall or Plat that doesn't use it.

I don't know... sometimes I want to go one way and sometimes the other. Sound familiar, Cehra?

BTW, love the setting you chose. The matte finish makes it look soooo gorgeous!

BTW, thanks to all for sharing your WG/plat experiences. It's much appreciated.

 

[Cehrabehra]

Date: 9/29/2006 10:26:13 AM
Author: elsie

Date: 9/29/2006 10:02:40 AM
Author: Cehrabehra

you can definitely find WG makers who do not use nickel. I''ve read that palladium is even maleable than platinum but for a solid band I really don''t think you need to worry about any of the metals unless the band is thin.

That''s true. However, I heard that there is still -some- nickel in palladium-alloy WGs, so maybe it would just be better to get something like Pall or Plat that doesn''t use it.

I don''t know... sometimes I want to go one way and sometimes the other. Sound familiar, Cehra?

BTW, love the setting you chose. The matte finish makes it look soooo gorgeous!

BTW, thanks to all for sharing your WG/plat experiences. It''s much appreciated.

bahaha yes it sounds familiar - though I never wavered about the metal - for the record And thank you It doesn''t look that yellow in person, but considering how grey plat can look in pics and how almost orange yellow gold can look in pics, I think you can get the idea lol

I would ask about the nickel alloys because it seems to me if they''re gonna do a non-nickle alloy it would mostly be because of allergies... because the nickel itself is supposed to be the best for mixing, right?

 

[anchor31]

My setting is in 14k palladium WG, rodium plated, and it''s as white and shiny as it can be. I''ve been wearing it everyday for about 6 weeks and I haven''t had any problems with it. My body chemistry is horrible with metals, but my ring shows no signs of yellowing, tarnishing, scratching or bending.

 

[Stone Hunter]

I wear both yellow gold and white gold and when I wear a watch, like DiamondSeeker it is 2 tone.

I am fair and a natural blond just like Cehra. We live parallel lives on different coasts.

Wait maybe Cehra isn''t fair. I think WG/Sterling looks best on me.

After reading about the pave problems possibly being better with WG I may go with it.

I''m having a terrible time deciding. I don''t want to change my wedding band which is WG so perhaps WG it is.

 

[Cehrabehra]

Date: 9/29/2006 10:56:45 PM
Author: Stone Hunter
I wear both yellow gold and white gold and when I wear a watch, like DiamondSeeker it is 2 tone.

I am fair and a natural blond just like Cehra. We live parallel lives on different coasts.

Wait maybe Cehra isn''t fair. I think WG/Sterling looks best on me.

After reading about the pave problems possibly being better with WG I may go with it.

I''m having a terrible time deciding. I don''t want to change my wedding band which is WG so perhaps WG it is.

I''m very fair but gold looks better on me... I just want to do something different and not have the metal be the attraction... though the matte white gold is yummy. It still looks better on me than plat. Plat makes me look ruddy or something.

 

[koko]

Date: 9/29/2006 10:10:56 AM
Author: mrssalvo
I wore my plat. e-ring and wedding band in chlorine for years w/out problems. i used to be and aquatics director at a YMCA and was in chemicals all the time. They were just plain plat. no pave etc. I bought a WG wedding band to wear also and it has yellowed which is one of the big reasons I don''t like WG and I just don''t want to deal with having it dipped every so often. I''m guessing it just reacts with my skin. I do have WG earrings and a necklace that are fine but I don''t wear them every day. Both my sister and sister in law have WG rings and by sister in law has to have hers plated every 6 months or so. my sister has been married almost 2 years and after a recent bath in an ultrasonic the plating came off the bottoms and now her''s needs a dip too. Both metals have pros and cons and any ring is subject to wear and tear issues.

I think the "expert" in the link stated that white gold is affected by chlorine in that it becomes brittle eventually (probably because of the alloys). He didn''t mention platinum or yellow gold being affected by chlorine, or rhodium being "eaten off" by chlorine as someone else mentioned.....