Platinum quality?

[IceExplorer]

I''ve been doing some research regarding the quality of Platinum going into rings.

I''ve read that it is of less quality if it''s alloyed with Iridium.
Is that true?

If so, what other metals should it be alloyed with to provide the highest integrity and/or best quality?

Thanks in advance for your help!

 

[stone-cold11]

Depends on what you criteria is for quality and compare to what?

Each alloy mixture has it''s own property and treatment to get there, so depends on what kind of design it is use for and how skilled is the jeweler with that mixture.

 

[IceExplorer]

Date: 2/1/2010 3:21:49 AM
Author: Stone-cold11
Depends on what you criteria is for quality and compare to what?


Each alloy mixture has it''s own property and treatment to get there, so depends on what kind of design it is use for and how skilled is the jeweler with that mixture.

Thanks for the info Stone-Cold!

I was aware that each offer different properties. That information was what prompted me to consider further research. Throughout my investigation I found a site claiming that Platinum alloyed with iridium doesn''t wear as well as Platinum with Cobalt and Ruthenium. I wasn''t aware that each are different to work with for design and the skill level of the jeweller.

The site had pictures of how each look after a typical year of wearing it.

See the next 2 posts...

Are there any platinum smiths on the board?

 

[IceExplorer]

Attached is a picture of Platinum with iridium after 1 year of use.
As you can see it shows dullness and ''use''.

They claim:

Iridium: The most commonly used Platinum alloy is Iridium. While Iridium is fine for use in .90 Platinum, it is not suitable for manufactured .95 Pure Platinum. Platinum overnight rings are never produced using Iridium as an alloy.
The resulting jewelry has a dull, greyish look (like pewter), and the metal is relatively soft.

When Platinum is fused with Iridium, the surface quality is more pitted (porosity) and displays more minute cracks.

With wear, rings bend and scratch, and stones can come loose, Many jewelers choose to work with Iridium because it is less expensive, more malleable, and easier to fuse with platinum.

Can someone confirm or challenge this?

 

[IceExplorer]

They Claim


Ruthenium: For most of our traditional milled wedding bands and diamond bands, Ruthenium in the alloy of choice. It renders well into rings that are machined with a fluid and precisely balanced surface. When used as an alloy for .95 Platinum, Ruthenium results in a ring that has the superior hardness to be polished into an exquisite mirror-like finish, and remain free of scratches during years of wear. Ruthenium imparts a very slightly darker color to platinum which results in a deep mysterious glow that is distinctively different from that of white gold.


Cobalt: A metal in the “superalloy”
class, Cobalt is not appropriate for use in ordinary construction jobs, for buildings like birmingham hotels and skyscrapers, but it is used in the production of jet turbines and spacecraft because it adds strength under ultra high heat conditions. When used as an alloy for .95 Platinum, the result is nearly twice the strength of other alloys. The stronger metal is free from minute surface cracks and pitting. The addition of Cobalt creates a super-hard Platinum surface, which allows a brighter, more durable polished finish, and holds finer detail than any other Platinum alloy. Cobalt alloy is used in our designs manufactured using the lost wax casting process. These styles include: Designer Woven, Designer Sleek and Designer Carved Styles. In a recent study, The Platinum Guild International stated “Platinum 950/Cobalt is the undisputedly best alloy for platinum casting”. Fusing Platinum with Cobalt is an advanced process, which requires expensive vacuum-induction equipment that is beyond the reach of most jewelry manufacturers.

THIS VENDOR

Claims this is the resulting product by using the above materials. Does anyone know if this is true?

 

[elle_chris]

Just looked at my rings.

I have 3 platinum rings, all different combos. Iridium, Ruth and Tungsten. The differences between the 3 are minute. But I do like the way my iridium looks best. The plat/iridium is 90% plat. The other two are 95plat/ruth and 95plat/tungsten.
The tungsten dents easier but is much also much heavier than the other two. The alloy isn''t really used in the states but is common in germany for handmade (cold forged). My iridium also wasn''t cast and I think looks best out of the three. The iridium ring is shinier and the color just slightly lighter than the ruth.

As far as dents and scratches, i looked under a a loupe and the Iridium has a little less scratches than the Ruth. While I''ve had Ruth ring for a year longer than the Iridium one, I''ve worn the Iridium one more in less time so I have to disagree with Ruth showing less scratches.

In the end, I think how you wear your rings makes much more of a difference than what metal it''s alloyed with.

 

[IceExplorer]

Date: 2/1/2010 9:18:18 AM
Author: elle_chris
Just looked at my rings.


I have 3 platinum rings, all different combos. Iridium, Ruth and Tungsten. The differences between the 3 are minute. But I do like the way my iridium looks best. The plat/iridium is 90% plat. The other two are 95plat/ruth and 95plat/tungsten.

The tungsten dents easier but is much also much heavier than the other two. The alloy isn''t really used in the states but is common in germany for handmade (cold forged). My iridium also wasn''t cast and I think looks best out of the three. The iridium ring is shinier and the color just slightly lighter than the ruth.


As far as dents and scratches, i looked under a a loupe and the Iridium has a little less scratches than the Ruth. While I''ve had Ruth ring for a year longer than the Iridium one, I''ve worn the Iridium one more in less time so I have to disagree with Ruth showing less scratches.


In the end, I think how you wear your rings makes much more of a difference than what metal it''s alloyed with.

elle_chris,

Thanks so much. It''s great you can offer a real life case to present. I was suspicious of whether the different combos explained above was done so out of a sales pitch. The comment that struck me the most was that the majority of jewellers use iridium because it is the cheaper of the alloys to mix with. I am concerned if this poses a real life performance issue.
My soon to be fiance

works in an office. Based on her employment and social activities I suspect she will be on the lower end of the ''wear and tear'' scale.

 

[Laila619]

I think Platinum with Ruthenium or Platinum with Cobalt are among the best. Designers such as Tiffany, Ritani, Tacori, Scott Kay, and Verragio all use these alloys and not Iridium.

 

[elle_chris]

Glad to help, IceExploer.

Laila- Mark Morrell and Sholdt use Iridium. Both designers don''t cast and their quality is amazing.

After owning a few various platinum rings, "I" prefer the Iridium. But, if there''s a design I want and the manufacturer uses another alloy, I would be fine with it. In the end, the craftmaship matters more to me than the alloy it''s mixed with.

 

[stone-cold11]

Iridium is the more expensive metal and heavier than Ruthenium, so no it is not a cheaper metal to cast with. Softer maybe for some alloy mixture but not cheaper. More important will be the ease of casting and specialize equipment needed for Ru.

For example, I just search, price for 1 troy ounce is 170 for Ru, 395 for Ir.

For a ring, a Pt/Ru 950 will have approx. 92/8 % by volume, a Pt/Ir 900 will have 90/10% by volume. Factor in the price difference of the alloy metal, Ru will be the cheaper alloy by raw material weight.

 

[IceExplorer]

Date: 2/1/2010 10:16:54 AM
Author: Stone-cold11
Iridium is the more expensive metal and heavier than Ruthenium, so no it is not a cheaper metal to cast with. Softer maybe for some alloy mixture but not cheaper. More important will be the ease of casting and specialize equipment needed for Ru.


For example, I just search, price for 1 troy ounce is 170 for Ru, 395 for Ir.


For a ring, a Pt/Ru 950 will have approx. 92/8 % by volume, a Pt/Ir 900 will have 90/10% by volume. Factor in the price difference of the alloy metal, Ru will be the cheaper alloy by raw material weight.

Damn! You're on the ball as always.

It's interesting that the vendor in the other posts would suggest the exact opposite. It sounds like they are 'marketing' a little differently than most others!!

Thanks for the input and the research, you're a big help to everyone here. We're lucky to have you on the board!

 

[spoogenet]

BTW, if you just search the forum for "Platinum" you''ll find a myriad of discussions with details deeper than most people would care to know.

Enjoy,
b