platinum vs white gold head...thoughts?

[swtmelissa]

I'm looking at a 14 k white gold setting for my e-ring. Is a 14 k white gold head ok or are there good reasons to pay for a platinum head?
Thanks for all your thoughts/advice!

 

[Tekate]

they say platinum is stronger, so if your stone is set higher I'd get platinum... I've had both and like the platinum better.

 

[swtmelissa]

they say platinum is stronger, so if your stone is set higher I'd get platinum... I've had both and like the platinum better.

Thank you for your reply. What exactly do you mean by "higher?" I did choose a prong setting and not a bezel, is that what you mean?

Here's a picture of what I'm thinking of getting. They have to remove the head (which is for a princess cut as you can see in the picture) and replace it with one that is made for the round diamond I chose.

 

[solgen]

If the band on your e-ring is WG then I might just stick with a WG head as well. If you have to rhodium dip the ring then I'm not what effect that would have on a platinum head.

 

[Michael_E]

All white gold that is whitened with nickle, (which is most white gold used in heads), can be prone to stress corrosion cracking if the stone seats are not rounded a bit on the inside where they touch the diamond AND they are exposed to strong oxidizers, such as bleach, chlorine or bromine, (as found in hot tubs). This is usually a slow problem and the end result being the prong tips just falling off with a bump. It can also have a short fuse, since you can cause all of the prong tips to fall off your stone overnight, (assuming the seats not properly finished), by soaking your ring in warm bleach.

Platinum is softer than white gold, so really long prongs are more easily bent, but it is not subject to stress corrosion cracking and it's rate of wear is probably twice as good as white gold. It does form a patina, which is a frosty appearance, over time, so that might be a concern.

Basically use white gold if you can be assured that the setting is done properly and platinum if you want to be absolutely sure that the stone will stay in place. Talk it over with the person doing the work and ask about the trade offs.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

I would want the jeweler to order that ring new in your ring size and with the right head for your stone (correct size for the diamond and platinum) rather than altering a sample setting they have in the store. Prong tips of white gold wear away over time. Platinum doesn't.

Ask for a medium height head. If it's too high, you are at greater risk of hitting your diamond against something and damaging it.

 

[swtmelissa]

I would want the jeweler to order that ring new in your ring size and with the right head for your stone (correct size for the diamond and platinum) rather than altering a sample setting they have in the store. Prong tips of white gold wear away over time. Platinum doesn't.

Ask for a medium height head. If it's too high, you are at greater risk of hitting your diamond against something and damaging it.

Hi and thank you for your response! I'm curious though - why do you recommend that I ask them to order that ring in my size as opposed to have it sized (I didn't even know I could ask that, I thought it was protocol to size the sample)? And do I have to specifically ask for medium height? What is the "standard" sized height head? Thanks!