White gold versus platinum

[gls]

Hi posted a similar topic on rocky talky but I also wanted to get your opinions on the topic.
I recently got engaged and my ring is set it white gold. I am concerned about scuff marks I can already see and was wondering if it would be more worthwhile to change the setting into a platinum one. Will it scuff less? i have also heard that white gold usually needs to be re-coated every 3 years or so.
I guess I was wondering if I could hear your experiences with white gold or platinum rings and your opinion on whether I should change the setting.
Thanks heaps!
gls

 

[myring]

i did a bit of poking around the internet about whether white gold or platinum is better a few months back. i dont remember all the details... but here are some...

white gold:
- less expensice
- can adjust size (esp when u want to get preggies)
-scratches easily

platinum:
-expensive
-long lasting
-cannot adjust size

my fiance and i looked around and very few people we know bought the platinum because they worried more about their fingers getting bigger. my sister had her engagment/wedding bands for a few years and she has it in white gold and i havent heard her complain. my engagement ring is in white gold too but i guess generally it is preference.

 

[wenwen1111]

Actually platinum is not difficult to resize. It is also relatively cheap if you are sizing down.

 

[arjunajane]

Hi GLS,

there is some great info in this recent thread on your topic, esp. from page 2 onwards, including informative links.
It helped me make my decisions re Plat.

link to thread

 

[arjunajane]

Date: 10/18/2009 2:08:49 AM
Author: myring
i did a bit of poking around the internet about whether white gold or platinum is better a few months back. i dont remember all the details... but here are some...


white gold:

- less expensice

- can adjust size (esp when u want to get preggies)

-scratches easily


platinum:

-expensive

-long lasting

-cannot adjust size


my fiance and i looked around and very few people we know bought the platinum because they worried more about their fingers getting bigger. my sister had her engagment/wedding bands for a few years and she has it in white gold and i havent heard her complain. my engagement ring is in white gold too but i guess generally it is preference.

Sorry, myring can I ask where you learned that you you can''t resize a plat ring?
This really is not true at all.

 

[myring]

hahahha

really? oh no! ok sorry for the wrong info everyone! i just searched around on google and thats what i read.

 

[arjunajane]

Date: 10/18/2009 4:18:59 AM
Author: myring
hahahha


really? oh no! ok sorry for the wrong info everyone! i just searched around on google and thats what i read.

that''s okay!
Just don''t want other new members to get the wrong info is all.

Of course, plat rings are size-able within reason (just like gold); usually it is 1-2 sizes either way, but strictly depends on the design.
And only by an experienced bench person who knows how to work with plat.

There are some horror stories of jewellers using gold solder to size/repair plat rings, which is a big no-no - so best thing is to know and trust the jeweller doing the sizing, regardless of the metal

 

[I Love My Sailor]

GLS,

Platinum scratches way more than gold. The up side to having platinum is that it stays nice and white.. where white gold turns yellow from the acid in your skin, every couple-few months (depending on how acidic your skin is) white gold should be dipped and then it looks nice and white, like new. I have very acidic hands so white gold turns on me in about a month. My wedding rings are platinum and my eternity band scratches my solitaire immediately after my ring has been polished.

You really have to out way the differences. As far as scratching goes, platinum is the winner!!

Sailor

 

[gls]

Thanks everyone for your replies!

arjunajane Thanks so much for the link, read through the whole thing, VERY informative!

sailor thanks for your insight.

I think the go at the moment is keep ering as is and see how we go, but buy a platinum wedding band
Being orthodox I will be keeping tradition and wearing my wedding band on my right hand and I will keep my ering on my left (no mixing of metals). I at least want my wedding band to be durable and Im sure the scratches only add character (i need to get over the OCD

) plus i dont want to be walking around losing gold

Who knows I might change my mind by tomorrow!!

Keep the replies coming they are really appreciated! and thanks again, can always rely on PS

 

[hihowareyou]

I was warned against putting a platinum band against my WG ring. Something about one metal eroding the other faster than if both were WG or both plat?

I don''t want to spread rumors, can anyone confirm if that is the case or is it not serious enough to worry about?

 

[HVVS]

Platinum - cannot adjust size

That''s entirely possible in some rural regions of the country, and might vary according to what age the jewelers are and whether platinum has been popular in their locations and/or timeframe of their careers. One of my relatives received a platinum engagement ring in the late 1940s. She lived in relatively small town with no large city within a 2.5 hour commute. By the the time the 1970s rolled around, her platinum e-ring had split at the bottom where it had been sized, and she absolutely could not find any local jeweler who could or would work on platinum. Those jewelers were considerably younger than my relative, were working in a locale that bought mostly YG, and they all said "platinum is too hard to work with, and I don''t know how."

 

[gemgirl]

Date: 10/18/2009 3:36:06 AM
Author: arjunajane
Hi GLS,

there is some great info in this recent thread on your topic, esp. from page 2 onwards, including informative links.
It helped me make my decisions re Plat.

link to thread

I always enjoy reading the debates between white gold and platinum. Some ladies feel very passionate about the metal that they''ve chosen and have specific reasons for why they chose the particular metal they chose, but I really don''t think anyone could go wrong with either, especially 18K white gold for something special.

OK AJ, ya'' made me read through that whole thread in RT to find out that you have a project in the works at BGD

. Any hints for us? or are you keeping it under wraps until it''s done.....

 

[arjunajane]

Date: 10/18/2009 10:26:14 AM
Author: HVVS

Platinum - cannot adjust size

That''s entirely possible in some rural regions of the country, and might vary according to what age the jewelers are and whether platinum has been popular in their locations and/or timeframe of their careers. One of my relatives received a platinum engagement ring in the late 1940s. She lived in relatively small town with no large city within a 2.5 hour commute. By the the time the 1970s rolled around, her platinum e-ring had split at the bottom where it had been sized, and she absolutely could not find any local jeweler who could or would work on platinum. Those jewelers were considerably younger than my relative, were working in a locale that bought mostly YG, and they all said ''platinum is too hard to work with, and I don''t know how.''

''

Hi HVVS,
that''s why there were the specific caveats to my post advising the OP to find a bench that is knowledgeable and skilled in working with platinum

I don''t know where your relative lives, but I think it would be rare for folks living in or anywhere near a major city not to be able to find such a bench person (plus she could always send it off).

 

[arjunajane]

Date: 10/18/2009 11:36:05 AM
Author: gemgirl

Date: 10/18/2009 3:36:06 AM

Author: arjunajane

Hi GLS,


there is some great info in this recent thread on your topic, esp. from page 2 onwards, including informative links.

It helped me make my decisions re Plat.


link to thread

I always enjoy reading the debates between white gold and platinum. Some ladies feel very passionate about the metal that they''ve chosen and have specific reasons for why they chose the particular metal they chose, but I really don''t think anyone could go wrong with either, especially 18K white gold for something special.


OK AJ, ya'' made me read through that whole thread in RT to find out that you have a project in the works at BGD

. Any hints for us? or are you keeping it under wraps until it''s done.....

he he he

There is some big hints over here (see last few pages)...

 

[motownmama]

I love how plat looks and feels; that having been said I have quite a few wg rings and a pendant and bracelet I wear every day - I have NEVER had to re-plate - EVER! We''re talking years here. There''s nothing yellow about them. It really does depend on your own skin.

 

[gemgirl]

Date: 10/18/2009 11:47:08 AM
Author: arjunajane

Date: 10/18/2009 11:36:05 AM
Author: gemgirl

Date: 10/18/2009 3:36:06 AM

Author: arjunajane

Hi GLS,


there is some great info in this recent thread on your topic, esp. from page 2 onwards, including informative links.

It helped me make my decisions re Plat.


link to thread

I always enjoy reading the debates between white gold and platinum. Some ladies feel very passionate about the metal that they''ve chosen and have specific reasons for why they chose the particular metal they chose, but I really don''t think anyone could go wrong with either, especially 18K white gold for something special.


OK AJ, ya'' made me read through that whole thread in RT to find out that you have a project in the works at BGD

. Any hints for us? or are you keeping it under wraps until it''s done.....

he he he

There is some big hints over here (see last few pages)...

OOoooooo lucky you!! and I don''t blame you one bit for taking a different tact this time. No need to spill ALL the beans. I know that whatever you choose? It''s going to be gorgeous in Brian''s hands.

And all I can add is "me too". /www.pricescope.com/idealbb/images/smilies/11.gif[/img] evil laugh while twirling my imaginary mustache

>>> It''s been what? a year and a half since I created my last piece and my creative juices are about to sprout out of the top of my head (damned recession). I have four projects in my mind to do in the next year, though I''ll probably have to stretch it out to two years, and I''m going to get the easiest one off the ground this week (hopefully). Two pendants, one ring reset, one ring first time setting and then I''ll need matching bands for each, so maybe that''s six projects. Gulp!

 

[ImpatientOne]

I am one of those people whose body chemistry does not bode with with white gold. I had my 18k WG 5 stone band less than 6 months before I had to have it replated again (after everyday wear). I started noticing signs of yellowing after a couple of months. By the 6 month mark. I really wish we would have spent the extra money and got platinum. My platinum wedding set still looks brand new!!!

 

[ilovethiswebsite]

I''d like to chime in and say that my ering is platinum, and my two wedding bands are palladium. Palladium is a wonderful alternative to white gold if you want the color to stay nice and white/grey and not turn yellow over time. The price of palladium is about half way between platinum and white gold. The color match between my ering and wedding bands are identical... The only difference is the weight. Palladium is very lightweight so if you like the feel of heavier metals stick with platinum.

 

[HVVS]

Hi HVVS,
that's why there were the specific caveats to my post advising the OP to find a bench that is knowledgeable and skilled in working with platinum

I don't know where your relative lives, but I think it would be rare for folks living in or anywhere near a major city not to be able to find such a bench person (plus she could always send it off).

Yeah. I've been readin PS since 2004 or 2005.

I was specifically addressing one of the replies to the OP that said he or she had found info posted the 'Net about platinum size could not be changed, and giving an example of how that notion may have come to be accepted as fact and continued to exist in the minds of some people.

Also note that my story clearly said it happened in a rural area in the 1970s. Today, ya can probably find a jeweler in almost every maul store who can re-size platinum.

The other reason I can think of that someone would say size can't be changed is if the shank is engraved or otherwise has a design all the way around, you either wind up with a smooth polished region where the resizing occurred, or you have to find a bench that can match the design via engraving or whatever technique is required. And it may not be possible for the re-sized ring to look same-as-new.

Platinum scratches. Gold scratches. It's true that white gold and / or sterling sliver darken fast on some people. I have a friend who just can't wear white gold or sterling because of his skin chemistry. He only wears YG jewelry. Not married, so doesn't need to worry about a ring, lol.

 

[mousey]

I chose platinum because I tend to get allergic to things. In particular I get allergies to something that I use a lot (I have to switch shampoos all the time because I form allergies to it). I was advised that if you have a tendency towards allergies platinum is the way to go. Someone told me that a lot of people actually form allergies to white gold. I dunno if this is true.... I do have some white gold pieces, but I don t wear them constantly (as I intend to do w my wedding set) so it isn t a problem (at least not yet!).

 

[CaliSun]

Date: 10/18/2009 5:12:22 PM
Author: mousey
I chose platinum because I tend to get allergic to things. In particular I get allergies to something that I use a lot (I have to switch shampoos all the time because I form allergies to it). I was advised that if you have a tendency towards allergies platinum is the way to go. Someone told me that a lot of people actually form allergies to white gold. I dunno if this is true.... I do have some white gold pieces, but I don t wear them constantly (as I intend to do w my wedding set) so it isn t a problem (at least not yet!).

Mousey: I heard that too which was one reason I went with Platinum when selecting my wedding band. I''ve got insanely sensitive skin and was concerned that I would develop an allergy over time.
I will be sticking with Platinum as I work on my anni upgrade set as well. I really love how it always stays white, even the patina it forms over the years. Some people don''t like the patina, but I do!

 

[arjunajane]

Date: 10/18/2009 3:09:11 PM
Author: HVVS

Hi HVVS,

that''s why there were the specific caveats to my post advising the OP to find a bench that is knowledgeable and skilled in working with platinum


I don''t know where your relative lives, but I think it would be rare for folks living in or anywhere near a major city not to be able to find such a bench person (plus she could always send it off).

Yeah. I''ve been readin PS since 2004 or 2005.

I was specifically addressing one of the replies to the OP that said he or she had found info posted the ''Net about platinum size could not be changed, and giving an example of how that notion may have come to be accepted as fact and continued to exist in the minds of some people.

Also note that my story clearly said it happened in a rural area in the 1970s. Today, ya can probably find a jeweler in almost every maul store who can re-size platinum.

ah ok, cheers for clarifying.
That was my reply I think you are referring to, and your post seemed to intimate you were arguing the opposite to what you have said above. No worries, looks like we agree on all points then!

 

[arjunajane]

Date: 10/18/2009 12:54:57 PM
Author: gemgirl
OOoooooo lucky you!! and I don't blame you one bit for taking a different tact this time. No need to spill ALL the beans. I know that whatever you choose? It's going to be gorgeous in Brian's hands.


And all I can add is 'me too'. /www.pricescope.com/idealbb/images/smilies/11.gif[/img] evil laugh while twirling my imaginary mustache

>>> It's been what? a year and a half since I created my last piece and my creative juices are about to sprout out of the top of my head (damned recession). I have four projects in my mind to do in the next year, though I'll probably have to stretch it out to two years, and I'm going to get the easiest one off the ground this week (hopefully). Two pendants, one ring reset, one ring first time setting and then I'll need matching bands for each, so maybe that's six projects. Gulp!


[/i]

ROFL! Love the imaginary moustache - although not sure how well it will go with your new BGD creation - you sneak!

What are you up to missy?! So which one of these multitude of projects will you be working on first..?

It seems like there's a whole raft of Aussies doing work with Brian & Lesley atm, how funny..Not surprised though, couldn't be a better time financial(currency)-wise!

 

[elle_chris]

Date: 10/19/2009 2:32:02 AM
Author: CaliSun

Date: 10/18/2009 5:12:22 PM
Author: mousey
I chose platinum because I tend to get allergic to things. In particular I get allergies to something that I use a lot (I have to switch shampoos all the time because I form allergies to it). I was advised that if you have a tendency towards allergies platinum is the way to go. Someone told me that a lot of people actually form allergies to white gold. I dunno if this is true.... I do have some white gold pieces, but I don t wear them constantly (as I intend to do w my wedding set) so it isn t a problem (at least not yet!).

Mousey: I heard that too which was one reason I went with Platinum when selecting my wedding band. I''ve got insanely sensitive skin and was concerned that I would develop an allergy over time.
I will be sticking with Platinum as I work on my anni upgrade set as well. I really love how it always stays white, even the patina it forms over the years. Some people don''t like the patina, but I do!

Frrom my personal experience I was told by my doctor (after being treated for a WG reaction), that if you have an allergy to silver, chances are you will evenutally develop one to WG.
That''s exactly what happened to me. In my teens I couldn''t wear silver. Bought some WG and wore it for a awhile without a problem. Then out of the blue my ear piercings started hurting, turning red, getting infected. It would come and go so I stopped wearing earrings. Later I started getting a rash on my neck from a pendant WG pendant I wore. I went to the doctor and that''s when I first find out about my allergy.

The point of my rambling is, if you can''t wear silver without a problem, I wouldn''t chance WG.

 

[gemgirl]

Date: 10/19/2009 5:54:01 AM
Author: arjunajane

Date: 10/18/2009 12:54:57 PM
Author: gemgirl
OOoooooo lucky you!! and I don''t blame you one bit for taking a different tact this time. No need to spill ALL the beans. I know that whatever you choose? It''s going to be gorgeous in Brian''s hands.


And all I can add is ''me too''. <<<

evil laugh while twirling my imaginary mustache

>>> It''s been what? a year and a half since I created my last piece and my creative juices are about to sprout out of the top of my head (damned recession). I have four projects in my mind to do in the next year, though I''ll probably have to stretch it out to two years, and I''m going to get the easiest one off the ground this week (hopefully). Two pendants, one ring reset, one ring first time setting and then I''ll need matching bands for each, so maybe that''s six projects. Gulp!


[/i]

ROFL! Love the imaginary moustache - although not sure how well it will go with your new BGD creation - you sneak!

What are you up to missy?! So which one of these multitude of projects will you be working on first..?

It seems like there''s a whole raft of Aussies doing work with Brian & Lesley atm, how funny..Not surprised though, couldn''t be a better time financial(currency)-wise!

LOL! I''m such a goofball sometimes. I didn''t even add into my answer that with all of the projects I hope to do in the next couple of years, I think I''ve pretty much decided to go with 18K white gold instead of platinum even for the rings, only in the interest of saving some money and getting them all done (hopefully). The money that I save in going with gold instead of platinum for a few projects will actually pay for one whole project! It''s a different way to think about it and it makes sense to me.

The one I think I''m going to do first is to add a halo-ed pear shaped articulated drop to a diamond bow necklace that my husband bought me years ago. It''s a pretty micro-paved diamond bow on a double cable link chain that I never wear because it''s kind of small, or it looks to me at least, like it''s missing something. I always thought that the bow would be a good starting point for creating something even nicer, so that''s why I asked him to buy it for me. I''ve found a pear shaped colored stone that I like and I just want to run it by Leslie to see if she thinks it will be big enough with the halo, and be in proportion to the size of the bow. I''ll leave it up to her. Once I take photos of my diamond bow, I''ll shoot her an email.