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What is the makeup of platinum plating?

scuzzlebuzzle

Rough_Rock
Joined
Nov 9, 2015
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4
So my girlfriend says she is allergic to platinum. She says this because of a friends Mignon Faget ring that was supposedly platinum. I did some searching online and it looks like Mignon only sells platinum plated products. After some more research, Nickel is usually the culprit of the allergy, which means that switching to White Gold would theoretically increase the risk of allergy because there is more Nickel in it. So this leads me to think a 90-95% pure platinum ring would be the best option, as white gold will have more nickel. All of this hinges on whether or not Mignon puts nickel in their platinum plating. If not, then she might be allergic to platinum. If so, then white gold will be a worse choice. And plain yellow gold/silver isn't an option. Thanks!
 

foxinsox

Ideal_Rock
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Joined
Jul 18, 2015
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4,061
You will probably get a better response to this post if you get it moved to the Rocky Talky thread - you can do this by clicking Report Concern and asking the moderators to move it.
I've not seen platinum alloyed with nickel in any of the jewellery I've looked at - it seems to usually be metals like iridium or ruthenium. I've not looked too widely or at plated items though. They might be different.
You can also get nickel-free white gold alloys now too since a lot of people react to nickel.
 

pyramid

Ideal_Rock
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Nov 10, 2002
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4,607
I think platinum plating is actually rhodium which is a member of the platinum family. One of the jewellers like Wink would be best to answer this question but I think a read that a very few people are actually allergic to platinum.
 

Michael_E

Brilliant_Rock
Trade
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Nov 19, 2003
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1,290
I looked at the Mignon Faget rings and the lower cost pieces are all silver, which if plated with any platinum group metal, will have a flash plating of nickel between the platinum and the silver. This is done to keep the plating solution from being degraded and to form a good bond to the platinum. Unfortunately the platinum, (or rhodium or any other plating), is slightly porous and that pure nickel layer can "leak", releasing ions which can affect a sensitive person's skin in a bad way. It's still the nickel that get's her no matter what the plating.

There have been a few very white gold alloys which use nickel in which the nickel is more firmly bound to the rest of the metal and does not release enough ions during wear to affect most people. Stuller's X-1 white gold is one of these and they really do not affect most sensitive people. Other whiter golds use palladium to whiten the gold, but they tend to have a slightly gray cast. If there is a big concern though I would still recommend a platinum alloy which is totally safe for everyone.
 
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