Platinum regrets anyone?

[musey]

Coda, I''ve had a similar experience with the ruthenium alloy vs. iridium alloy.

My e-ring is 950 plat/ir which I wear nearly every day, during the day. Not much at home and not to bed. I have a 3mm plain band that is 950 plat/ru (also Tiffany, as in your case). I wear it 24 hours a day on my right hand, never take it off.

The plat/ru band gets noticeable dings/dents, where the plat/ir ring really doesn''t - it wears into a patina much more subtly and evenly. The plat/ru ring seems to wear much more similarly to white gold rings I''ve worn in the past. Looking at it right now, it is still shiny (5 months since last polish), but with the little sparkly blips here and there that dings create when moving under the light.

I prefer the plat/ir after having and wearing both. I like the even patina - which is one reason that I prefer plat over WG in the first place. Another reason I prefer plat is the tone of the metal, I like the slightly grey cast vs. the white cast of WG. I also like the weight.

I really love unplated white gold, but for the reasons above, I prefer platinum over plated WG for myself.

 

[arjunajane]

Thankyou very much Mrs Mitchell, LGK, Coda and Musey for sharing your experiences at length - the info has been very helpful.

LGK - thanks especially for the tips - yes, I will def. need to find a local person I can trust for polishing etc, but I don''t think I would let any locals re do prongs etc

lol..and yes you presume correct, I''m not sure many have heard of palladium here..

 

[brellymom]

wow! this was very well done and very helpful to a novice who doesn''t really understand a lot of the technical stuff. enough information to be useful, presented at the right level and in a way to help us learn. thanks very much for a phenomonal post!

 

[brellymom]

Date: 10/14/2009 3:58:40 AM
Author: ChunkyCushionLover


Platinum 90/10 Iridium or 95/5 Iridium is about 25-28% heavier than most common alloys of 18K WG.
PT 95/5 Ruthenium is a little lighter but not much.

You will still pay more for Platinum:
1) More weight for the same volume
2) Pt still costs more than gold per ounce. $1364 for PT $1065 for Gold as of Oct 13 in USD.
3) Labour costs are often more for Platinum as it requires more inert conditions and a specific skill set. (Some jewelers don''t charge more for labour and are adept at both)

i) Pt unless plated is not as white as rhodium plated WG. 18K WG is naturally is less white than 14K WG but once plated they look the same.
ii) WG doesn''t scratch or bend as easily but is more brittle and more prone to prongs breaks. WG is not chemically inert and can react with Halogens like Bromine, Chlorine, Ammonia and other oxidants.
iii) PT especially the high shine version scratches easily and forms a patina(scratched look) which some people like. It is not as white as WG but can be shinier depending on its finish. PT prongs do not break as easily and can bend a little bit under extreme pressure so that instead of a break it will just bend slightly or accept the stress without appreciable change. PT is chemically inert to most conditions like swimming pools(which have the halogens) and ammonia cleaning solutions. Pt does not lose any mass when polished and can be repolished quickly and easily.
iv) WG when polished can lose a layer and may have to be re rhodium replated every 6 months - 5 years depending on (body chemistry, amount of wear, quality of rhodium plating and how color sensitive the viewer is)
v) PT being chemically inert and mostly pure platinum produces less allergic reactions than people have to Gold. While 18K is usually fine many people react to 14k or lower, it is usually the other metals in the alloy like nickel that they react to not the gold itself.

Pt is often the metal of choice for Enagagement Rings for Durability reasons and also for the convenience of not having to replate.
18K WG is often the metal of choice for Earrings because weight matters and many people would like to keep them as light as possible. 14K for earrings is also a possibility as it is much lighter however it is much harder to cast and work with and for fine Pave work 18k is preferred by almost all jewelers. In earrings wear is less and with less exposure to skin chemistry the plating tends to last longer so this isn''t as much an issue as with an ER.

Regards,
CCL

wow! thanks chunkycushionlover -- this was very well done and very helpful to a novice who doesn''t really understand a lot of the technical stuff. enough information to be useful, presented at the right level and in a way to help us learn. thanks very much for a phenomonal post!

 

[katebar]

AJ my rings are all platinum and made by Garry but he PLATED them when I received them. I forget why but he said that what he does. I have not had them replated again but have had them polished twice in 2 years. The last time a month ago. They look amazing when they are polished but it doesn''t take long for them to look a lttle battered again. I like the feel of he platinum its not heavy.

 

[arjunajane]

Date: 10/16/2009 1:36:32 AM
Author: katebar
AJ my rings are all platinum and made by Garry but he PLATED them when I received them. I forget why but he said that what he does. I have not had them replated again but have had them polished twice in 2 years. The last time a month ago. They look amazing when they are polished but it doesn''t take long for them to look a lttle battered again. I like the feel of he platinum its not heavy.

Cheers Kate for your input, sorry I didn''t see this earlier.

So Garry rhodium plated your plat? You know, I had another local jeweller mention this practice to me the other week - I thought the SA didn''t know what she was talking about!. I wonder if it''s an Aussie thing?

I would prefer unplated plat for sure.



Anyways, thanks in large part to the info in this thread I have decided to have my new ring made in plat - it''s through BGD, who use the 95plat/Ir combo and from what I''ve read I am more than happy with that alloy.

Thanks all for contributing to this thread, and of course fsu for starting it - it''s been quite educational.

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

FSU I plate it when your'' in Princess mode, but recomend living with it until it develops a real patina, which can take 2-3 years.

Date: 10/18/2009 3:34:34 AM
Author: arjunajane

Date: 10/16/2009 1:36:32 AM
Author: katebar
AJ my rings are all platinum and made by Garry but he PLATED them when I received them. I forget why but he said that what he does. I have not had them replated again but have had them polished twice in 2 years. The last time a month ago. They look amazing when they are polished but it doesn''t take long for them to look a lttle battered again. I like the feel of he platinum its not heavy.

Cheers Kate for your input, sorry I didn''t see this earlier.

So Garry rhodium plated your plat? You know, I had another local jeweller mention this practice to me the other week - I thought the SA didn''t know what she was talking about!. I wonder if it''s an Aussie thing?

I would prefer unplated plat for sure.



Anyways, thanks in large part to the info in this thread I have decided to have my new ring made in plat - it''s through BGD, who use the 95plat/Ir combo and from what I''ve read I am more than happy with that alloy.

Thanks all for contributing to this thread, and of course fsu for starting it - it''s been quite educational.

Kate I would prefer you did not polish it as it will not have had ime for you to learn what it can be.
The first moth is hell, the first year is bad, but from tere it develops a ''personality''

 

[arjunajane]

Hey Garry,
Thanks for dropping in - I think I understand what you're saying, but can you just elaborate a little further please for someone who is soon to own their first plat ring and has no idea how to treat it..:

- by "princess mode" do you mean rhodium plate your plat rings just for the proposal, first view kinda thing? And you don't intend for people to re-plate at all, correct?

- could you also develop on your advice to Kate, if you don't mind? As in, why is the first month/year of owning a plat ring hell/bad?

- so it is your opinion that people should not polish the patina off? And that it takes at least a year or 2 of daily wear for an ering to develop a "proper" patina?

I hope you don't mind taking the time to answer these - each time I think I've got in understood, some more info comes up on plat!

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

Date: 10/18/2009 4:45:16 AM
Author: arjunajane
Hey Garry,
Thanks for dropping in - I think I understand what you''re saying, but can you just elaborate a little further please for someone who is soon to own their first plat ring and has no idea how to treat it..:

- by ''princess mode'' do you mean rhodium plate your plat rings just for the proposal, first view kinda thing? And you don''t intend for people to re-plate at all, correct?

YES, EXACTLY

- could you also develop on your advice to Kate, if you don''t mind? As in, why is the first month/year of owning a plat ring hell/bad? BECAUSE IT TAKE A LOT OF SCRATCHES BEFORE YOU CAN NOT SEE THE SCRATCHES FOR THE SCRATCHES

- so it is your opinion that people should not polish the patina off? And that it takes at least a year or 2 of daily wear for an ering to develop a ''proper'' patina?

I hope you don''t mind taking the time to answer these - each time I think I''ve got in understood, some more info comes up on plat!

 

[arjunajane]

Cheers Garry for your replies.!

 

[katebar]

Date: 10/18/2009 4:28:26 AM
Author: Garry H (Cut Nut)
FSU I plate it when your'' in Princess mode, but recomend living with it until it develops a real patina, which can take 2-3 years.

Date: 10/18/2009 3:34:34 AM
Author: arjunajane

Date: 10/16/2009 1:36:32 AM
Author: katebar
AJ my rings are all platinum and made by Garry but he PLATED them when I received them. I forget why but he said that what he does. I have not had them replated again but have had them polished twice in 2 years. The last time a month ago. They look amazing when they are polished but it doesn''t take long for them to look a lttle battered again. I like the feel of he platinum its not heavy.

Cheers Kate for your input, sorry I didn''t see this earlier.

So Garry rhodium plated your plat? You know, I had another local jeweller mention this practice to me the other week - I thought the SA didn''t know what she was talking about!. I wonder if it''s an Aussie thing?

I would prefer unplated plat for sure.



Anyways, thanks in large part to the info in this thread I have decided to have my new ring made in plat - it''s through BGD, who use the 95plat/Ir combo and from what I''ve read I am more than happy with that alloy.

Thanks all for contributing to this thread, and of course fsu for starting it - it''s been quite educational.

Kate I would prefer you did not polish it as it will not have had ime for you to learn what it can be.
The first moth is hell, the first year is bad, but from tere it develops a ''personality''

Oh but it does look so greyish and I felt that i wasn''t doing my dimonds and the settings justice.
I promise Garry that I will not have them polished ubntil I see if I like patina. OK?

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

Date: 10/19/2009 7:46:21 AM
Author: katebar
Oh but it does look so greyish and I felt that i wasn''t doing my dimonds and the settings justice.
I promise Garry that I will not have them polished ubntil I see if I like patina. OK?

Kate