Platinum vs. white gold, can't decide

[Cobra99]

Hello All,
I am about to get a custom made engagement ring from a local goldsmith. The ring will be a classic three stone emerald cut ring, with a 1.5 ct center stone and two tapered side stones. Basically very close to the ring on the photo attached. I just can' decide between Platinum 950 or white gold. My personal preference is towards platinum, since I would not like my fiancé to get the ring rhodium plated every other year (that is super annoying and gives me the feeling white gold is cheap / poor choice). Also, all the ultra expensive rings in that style are always platinum. However, I have a feeling that platinum comes with certain risks, since is is tricky to work with for the goldsmith, and I don't want the diamond to break during the making etc. At least my goldsmith seems to prefer white gold but he doesn't want to say the reason...

I would be happy to hear your opinions and your preferred choice of material for that type of engagement ring. Thanks!

 

[dk168]

Welcome to PS!

Q: Do you have to use the local goldsmith?

Other PSers would be able to recommend competent benches that will work with Platinum if your local goldsmith's hesitation is due to lack of experience with this metal.

Personally, I would opt for Platinum for a ring that is worn daily myself, to avoid the need to replate White Gold on a regular basis.

DK

 

[MamaBear]

Id want platinum, as well.

 

[missy]

Platinum for me

 

[Slickk]

Always platinum for me if possible. It’s so luxurious!

 

[Tonks]

Platinum all the way. And echo the suggestion above about looking for a PS vendor who is comfortable working in platinum. There is no need to stay local unless you truly have a preference.

 

[musicloveranthony]

I don't have any platinum pieces, I'd love to hear more about why I should! I only haven't because a jeweler hasn't encouraged me to. If someone sold me on it I'd be open to it

 

[Slickk]

I don't have any platinum pieces, I'd love to hear more about why I should! I only haven't because a jeweler hasn't encouraged me to. If someone sold me on it I'd be open to it

Hard to answer succinctly but there is a delightfully luxe heft and feel to it that says to its wearer, “I’m here and I’m fabulous!”

 

[Cobra99]

Thanks for the comments, this confirms my preference/ choice. Are there any recommendations for vendors / goldsmiths in Germany/Switzerland/Austria that would do the custom job properly? I already have the center stone.

 

[Bron357]

Well, I’m in the other camp. I don’t like the color of platinum, it’s greyish, and it marks easily. Resizing etc can be problematic unless you have a good jeweler.
yes, I have my white gold rings rhodium plated every year, I put them in for a spa day where the setting is also checked. I prefer the white bright shiny look.

 

[lambskin]

Plat! No regrets. Especially for an engagement ring!

 

[lulu_ma]

Platinum

 

[chere]

Platinum. I had sizing beads or sizing bars added to my rings to keep them from spinning. The patina only develops on the bottom.

 

[Daze]

Palladium White Gold does not need to be rhodium-plated.
I’m extremely allergic to nickel which is an alloy often used in white gold so was very pleased when I discovered that a lot of places now offer hypoallergenic white gold which has the added bonus of never needing to be plated.

 

[Ionysis]

Personal preference and all that but I actually prefer the colour of white gold. I don’t like the grey tone of platinum and the pieces I have in platinum I wear less often. Although platinum is often considered the luxe and classic choice, white gold isn’t necessarily the poor relation. Totally depends on the look you want.

 

[LilAlex]

Unplated WG is just gorgeous with a warm hue. Unplated palladium WG is a beautiful brownish and my new favorite. Platinum is a much cooler hue, color-temperature-wise.

For your use case, I would go platinum. I do not like the blinding bright-white shine of rhodium. And I associate platinum with all the delicate Deco pieces that we love. And I really like the slight gunmetal cast. And, as others have said, I find the weight reassuring. It's expensive because although it is cheaper than gold gram for gram, it is also denser so more grams are needed. Plus, it is harder to work with.

 

[monarch64]

I don't have any platinum pieces, I'd love to hear more about why I should! I only haven't because a jeweler hasn't encouraged me to. If someone sold me on it I'd be open to it

I can sell you on it, haha. Platinum is “better” in some people’s minds because it doesn’t wear away like gold does. Platinum becomes displaced, whereas gold pieces, over time/with wear, lose metal. Here’s a good blog post about it and a screen shot of the pertinent paragraph:

White Gold vs. Platinum | Pros and Cons of Engagement Ring Metals | Taylor & Hart's Blog

What are the pros and cons of white gold vs. platinum? These white metals very different when it comes to strength, maintenance, and price. We explain why.

taylorandhart.com