Platium Setting.... Nothing''s Easy -

[esp102]

I found a diamond I like and just when I used my last available calorie was used searching for a diamond (and I was about to pass out due to exhaustion)... I started look at settings.

I found a local store that had a very nice setting, however they said it's 90% Platium and 10% iridium.

I didn't purchase it, but walked away thinking most of the setting I've seen were 950 plat. (then I realized my quest for a ring was not over).

I did some searches on sites and found most settings were:

Platinum content: 95% Pl 5% Ir.

and

True Platinum is 95% pure with 5% alloy and should be marked with 950 Plat or Plat. European jewelers also use 90% pure or 900 platinum in jewelry.

Now, I do know that this store makes their own rings.

Is this 90% plat a way to save on money since plat is high?

I do remember thinking the weight of the setting felt like white gold but it said plat.

 

[Diam100]

I have to tell you my upgrade was done in 900 Plat and to be honest both my husband & I love it and my rhr will be done again in 900 Plat my choice. It''s hard to describe but I find it much nicer. Of course, everything boils down to preference. I used to think 950 was the end all and you know what 900 plat for me is the way to go. Decision had absolutely nothing to do with price I might add.

 

[esp102]

Hi,

>>>I have to tell you my upgrade was done in 900 Plat and to be honest both my husband

What was the other 10%?

Is there a visual difference and a weight difference?

Thanks.

 

[jasontb]

so what is it about 900 that you prefer?

 

[Diam100]

It's shinier and darn well looks better to the point I'm bugged by the 950 wedding band right now. I just got my original wedding band repolished and still doesn't look as nice to "me" as the 900plat.

Not sure about weight since I stuck a bigger diamond in my upgrade but hopefully the experts can chime in. All I know is their is a "visual" difference to me.

 

[Scintillating]

Here''s what the legendary Mark Morrell has to say about Platinum Alloys...

He says, " I am working in "classic" 90% platinum, 10% iridium alloy. I find that this alloy provides the best combination of workability and durability. This is the reason that this mix has become the platinum smith''s metal of choice for so many decades..." (Copyright, Mark Morrell)

Scintillating...

 

[esp102]

Scintillating,

Good read... thanks so much for that link.

 

[squawks]

esp, also check out this article: http://www.weddingbandsuperstore.com/platinfo.html

Most jewelers today (including Tiffany & Co., where I got platinum bands for me and my s/o) use 95 parts platinum with 5 parts ruthenium.

900 plat with 100 iridium is harder than 950 plat with 50 iridium, but 950 plat with 50 ruthenium is even harder than both. Ruthenium is the more commonly (and perhaps more preferred) alloy used in conjunction with platinum these days.

Funny you should mention 90% platinum jewelry because according to U.S. platinum standards, jewelry can only be advertised as platinum only if it is composed of at least 95% platinum (with 5% alloy), also mentioned in the same article I linked above.

 

[glitterata]

My wedding ring is 950 plat. I''ve been wearing it for almost 4 years now. It''s pretty thoroughtly scratched up, with a matte patina.

I wear my grandmother''s engagment ring with it, in its original setting from 1929. It''s 900 plat. It''s much less scratched up and matte-looking.

If I had to buy my wedding ring again and I had a choice, I would go with 900 plat.

 

[squawks]

Date: 5/26/2006 4:39:42 PM
Author: glitterata
My wedding ring is 950 plat. I've been wearing it for almost 4 years now. It's pretty thoroughtly scratched up, with a matte patina.

I have my 950 plat band polished a few times a year. It does get scratched up (extremely easily, I'll add) but once it's polished it looks brand new and shiny all over again. I'm not sure why you're getting a matte patina unless it's dirty. Platinum jewelry should be quite unreactive...

 

[Diam100]

I just love advertising... Leave out the entire FTC legal paragraphs... Here''s the link from the FTC... notation 23.7 happy reading

FTC Linky

(c) The following are examples of markings and descriptions that are not considered unfair or deceptive:

3) An industry product consisting of 850 parts per thousand pure Platinum, 900 parts per thousand pure Platinum, or 950 parts per thousand pure Platinum may be marked "Platinum," provided that the Platinum marking is preceded by a number indicating the amount in parts per thousand of pure Platinum (for industry products consisting of 950 parts per thousand pure Platinum, the marking described in § 23.7(b)(2) above is also appropriate). Thus, the following markings may be used: "950Pt.," "950Plat.," "900Pt.," "900Plat.," "850Pt.," or "850Plat."

 

[glitterata]

Kevin, I clean my wedding band several times a week in warm water and ammonia, but the buildup of scratches give it the almost matte patina. I never get it polished, partly because I''m lazy, and partly because I''ve sort of romantically equated the patina with the buildup of experience in my marriage. I sort of like the patina. But I think I would prefer it not to be so extreme.

 

[squawks]

Hey, glitterata - nice to hear that you actually like the patina. I have my band for about a couple years already and I don''t think it''s developing a patina despite me never cleaning it but then again, I never wear it during times of doing dishes, showers, etc. - not sure if that helps with either the scratches or the patina. Getting jewelry polished is a pain sometimes but I made it a sort of habit to bring in jewelry to be polished at a jewelry store such as Tiffany & Co. before embarking on a shopping-fest with my s/o at malls and whatnot

 

[diamondseeker2006]

esp, I am with you on the difficulty level of a diamond ring project!

I just wanted to say that Mark Morrell has to be one of the finest platinum ring makers in the world, and if he uses 900 plat., it is plenty good enough (better) to me!

 

[esp102]

Thanks everybody for the comments. I''m more settled with the 900 plat.

diamondseeker2006 - yes, to track down a diamond was very difficult. It''s a new AGS cert 000 light performance. It has 35.# crown angles but 40.# pav to compensate.

Could have I gotten in the top 1% of diamonds? Perhaps, but I don''t have 5 years to track it down. This stone was below 2 carats and an E color (very difficult to find).

I''m assuming I''m in the top 3% of all diamonds - so I will have to put my OCD mind to rest and be happy. Now I can concentrate on the setting.

 

[esp102]

I found this interesting (didn''t know about gold):

Is platinum a good value? Yes! Platinum is an excellent value because of its inherent qualities: its purity, its strength, its durability and its rarity. When you purchase platinum jewelry, you are buying jewelry that is almost 100% pure. In the U.S., platinum jewelry is generally 90% or 95% pure platinum, with 5% or 10% alloy of a platinum group metal. By comparison,18 karat gold is 75% pure gold and 14 karat gold is 58% pure gold.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Date: 5/26/2006 9:00:44 PM
Author: esp102
Thanks everybody for the comments. I''m more settled with the 900 plat.

diamondseeker2006 - yes, to track down a diamond was very difficult. It''s a new AGS cert 000 light performance. It has 35.# crown angles but 40.# pav to compensate.

Could have I gotten in the top 1% of diamonds? Perhaps, but I don''t have 5 years to track it down. This stone was below 2 carats and an E color (very difficult to find).

I''m assuming I''m in the top 3% of all diamonds - so I will have to put my OCD mind to rest and be happy. Now I can concentrate on the setting.

I think within the top 3% sounds wonderful! However, an AGS0 and E color may be higher than the top 3%. This kind of project does tend to make those of us with OCD tendencies slightly crazy. Of course, I''m looking in the under 1.5 range, and it''s hard to find those as well. Anyway, what clarity did you decide on? I hope you''ll show us the setting, too!

 

[esp102]

SI1 but it''s a very very clean SI1. Inclusions were difficult to see with a loop. It didn''t get graded a VS2 because the inclusions were close together making it look a little bigger. However, they were white. Can''t even see them. I''ll show them off when it''s ready.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Sounds great! We''ll look forward to seeing it!