Why do B&M jewelers discourage platinum?

[princessv]

So last night I was talking to one of my good girlfriends who found out I was getting my e-ring reset.

She asked what kind of metal and I told her plat because I am allergic to WG. She says "Ohhh I was told by my jeweler that Platinum is the most unforgiving metal. It''''s terrible to upkeep" etc etc. I told her that plat will be the easiest to upkeep in the type of ring I''''m getting...(I''''ve only seen one WG halo/micropave ring and it was definitely malleable!) But she seems so against plat, so does my mother and some of my other friends. (But it doesn''''t matter I do what I wanna do anyway

LOL jk)

This is as a result of several B&M stores that I know of in the area (not DC but SC hehe) that discouraged the use of plat in rings. Kinda weird if you think about it since plat costs so much more you would think those jewelers would promote it more to make a bigger sale. So why do they discourage plat?

 

[devientdrow]

Maybe selection? My ring is plat and I think it''s great. I think it''s the better of the two metals but thats just my opinion. I have seen some jewelers who don''t havea huge selection of platinum so mebbe if a couple came in and they really wanted to make a sale and they had something in WG that they liked but they were set on plat a jeweler might sit there and tell them WG is the better?

 

[belle]

i would think it is because platinum is very different than wg to work with and many jewelers don''t have the experience and mastery of it. if you buy a platinum ring and need to have any work done on it, they wouldn''t be able to do it.

 

[AndyRosse]

I agree with Belle. I have personally experienced a jeweler who sold platinum rings but honestly knew nothing about platinum at all. And from my experience, his bench person was just as ignorant (just one example: my platinum ring was sized with WG solder). Also, platinum is more difficult to work with since it has a much higher melting point than gold.

 

[princessv]

All of your respones sound right..I guess I didn''t realize platinum was so difficult to work with...but I''m starting to understand especially with my ring design.

Rascal: Wow I am so sorry about your ring I hope it was finally fixed!

I''m glad I was able to tour Quest''s workshop...they let me see their newest machine which was a platinum laser welder thingy and I got to hold their platinum sauter which was pretty heavy for such thing threads of metal. Whew!

 

[WTNLVR]

That''s weird. Every store in the Boston area has mainly platinum rings. Heaven forbid you want white gold, and yellow gold they only have a few settings to choose from. Mayby it''s a regional thing??

 

[Lynn B]

Plat is pretty hard to find in jewelry stores in my area; of course I live in Podunk, USA, so I am not sure that is an accurate reflection of the rest of the country in general!

They (the jewelry stores) also do often discourage platinum... for lame reasons that I know better than to believe.

 

[Rod]

Belle is absolutely right........There are very few jewelers who have platinum smith''s in-house. I was fortunate to work with a jewler who had one in their very own store, and that''s pretty much all they deal with.

Another reason I think jewelers are not emphasizing platinum as much these days, is MONEY MONEY MONEY. Platinum keeps going up in cost and they can make more money from metals that don''t cost as much.

Personally, though having had both white gold and platinum, I would never have a white gold ring again. I hated to have to have it re-rhodium plated. I love the heavier feel of platinum and I prefer the icy white look of platinum. Plus to make a platinum ring look brand new only requires a quick buff from a jeweler''s wheel. Platinum doesn''t wear out either. You can move the metal, but you can''t wear it out like gold.

Just my humble opinion. And no offense to anyone who prefers white gold to platinum........

 

[mepearl53]

Rod and Belle are both correct. Platinum is very difficult to work with requireing a totally different set of equipment requirements. And the prices today are very high. To show platinum properly requires a very large investment. This investment does not turn quickly for much of the work needed is special order. With gold you can size it or switch the prongs. Platinum is a totally different anamial. Because of the purity and density a platinum inventory can easily run a jeweler 3 times the cost of a gold inventory.

 

[quicksvo]

When I took my stone to have it appraised, the appraiser was asking about the setting I was looking at. When I told him it was platinum, he tried to talk me out of it and told me that he had many clients that regretted going with platinum and would have preferred WG. I have to agree with Rod, it is nice to only need to have the ring cleaned or buffed for it to look new again (takes about 5 minutes) instead of having to have it replated occasionally. My FI is also happy that I went with platinum because of the color, feel, overall look, and durability. She has had it for about 9 months now, and all it takes is a good cleaning for it to look really good, or a quick buffing at the jeweler for it to look brand new.

 

[JDgirl]

Interesting. All the B&M stores I''ve been in around here encourage platinum far and above over white gold. I always figured they wanted to make bigger sales...

 

[littlelysser]

The wholesaler that from who we purchased the diamond (he also made my ring) recommended against platinum and said the reason was that he really didn''t like the patina it developed. He wears a platinum ring and showed us the patina on it - his exact words were that he thought that platinum ended up looking like lead...

We decided on platinum, but he said he preferred white gold.

 

[FireGoddess]

I do notice regarding the platinum patina that I am very careful with the bottom of my rings not to bang them against anything. I don't like the patina that develops but it's easily polished off (and it's not extremely noticeable), and if I remember correctly, you don't lose as much metal polishing platinum as you do gold. I've had my new (platinum) wedding set for 9 months now and there's hardly so much as a scratch on them.

 

[Rod]

Any metal not cared for properly can look bad IMHO. There are people (my jeweler for example) who really like the patina that can develop over time with Platinum. From my experience that patina is nothing more than lot''s and lot''s of fine scratches. But, for me, I just have my platinum polished once in a while and I''m really really careful to not scratch my ring in the first place.

 

[ame]

I think jewelers who either arent knowledgeable of it or aren''t capable of working with it will try to make it sound like it''s not worth it. I won''t patronize those jewelers.

 

[princessv]

Wow I didn''t know this thread would generate so many responses.

I think some of you are right too (WTNLVR and Lynn B) maybe some of it is a geographic thing. (more people wear plat here DC area and in Michigan that I know of)

I also think the vast majority of others are right too...many don''t have the expertise. Instead of saying completely wrong things about plat ie ''most unforgiving'' etc, I wish B&M jewelers that don''t work with plat would just say "its too expensive."

Or if there truly is a preference against the patina like littlelysser says thats ok too but the other comments that are completely wrong are just terrible.

 

[valeria101]

IMO, every show will recommend their stock - and you surely do have the right to disagree with them, especially since they need to sell precisely those gods but you do have options

 

[princessv]

Date: 1/16/2006 5:57:02 PM
Author: valeria101


IMO, every show will recommend their stock - and you surely do have the right to disagree with them, especially since they need to sell precisely those gods but you do have options

Thats true Ana especially the icky diamonds we find at some ''maul'' stores and they definitely try to sell that ''stock.''

 

[JohnQuixote]

Great replies in this thread.

It takes more experience and more expense to work in platinum. Gold melts at 900, whereas common platinum mixes melt at 1700-1800 degrees. It doesn’t flow as smoothly as gold due to its density so if you’re not experienced you can run into problems with porosity. Also important is that a jeweler goes through many more burs and drill bits working with platinum because of the density - so it’s more costly in terms of the actual tools themselves, not just the metal. It’s more malleable, and that''s nice when setting, but smithing and crafting take considerably more know-how and effort.

 

[smappraisal]

Hi,
As a former brick & mortar jeweler, I would always speak with my customers about the plus and minus of buying Platinum. Many buyers don''t realize when they purchase Platinum, they''re getting the most durable of all metals, but not the hardest. Durability and hardness are not the same. Platinum takes on surface srcatches very early from just normal wear, and for many wearers, this is annoying. They look down at their ring after 3 months and have visible scratches (which by the way can always be polished out). I think it is important for the jeweler to disclose this type of information prior to the sale. Maybe this is construed as "talking somebody out of platinum", but in the end, the satisfaction of the customer is what''s important. Other than the scratches and abrasion that platinum takes on during normal wear, there''s much to admire in a platinum ring.......it''s longevity, the feel of heft on the finger, but mostly the elegant glow of a polished piece. Hope this is of some help.

Steve Marino

 

[WinkHPD]

Date: 1/16/2006 3:54:46 PM
Author: mepearl53
Rod and Belle are both correct. Platinum is very difficult to work with requireing a totally different set of equipment requirements. And the prices today are very high. To show platinum properly requires a very large investment. This investment does not turn quickly for much of the work needed is special order. With gold you can size it or switch the prongs. Platinum is a totally different anamial. Because of the purity and density a platinum inventory can easily run a jeweler 3 times the cost of a gold inventory.

Bill says it nicely! Unfortunately many compete with high quality that they either can not afford or do not understand by attempting to denigrate the quality of the perceived threat. You, the client, receive bogus information and without a sounding board like Pricescope you are not likely to find out that it is bogus.

There are differences between platinum and gold and not just the price. Your choice may be one or the other, but it should be for the right reasons and it should be an informed decision, not something decided because Joe Blow Scardicat Uninformed Jeweler decided to try to blow it out of the water rather than investing the time and money necessary to compete honestly.

Wink

 

[WinkHPD]

Date: 1/16/2006 6:31:07 PM
Author: 19th Hole
Hi,
I think it is important for the jeweler to disclose this type of information prior to the sale. Maybe this is construed as ''talking somebody out of platinum'', but in the end, the satisfaction of the customer is what''s important. Other than the scratches and abrasion that platinum takes on during normal wear, there''s much to admire in a platinum ring.......it''s longevity, the feel of heft on the finger, but mostly the elegant glow of a polished piece. Hope this is of some help.

Steve Marino

Steve tells it right, discuss the pros and the cons and let the clients make an educated decision. I personally LOVE the platinum patina and the fact that as it scratches the metal makes a furrow with ridges rather than flaking off as gold does. One of my jeweler friends put it this way, "I make gold jewelry to be worn a decade or two, I make platinum jewelry to be worn for generations."

I always liked that.

Wink

 

[princessv]

Thank you John Q., Steve Marino and Wink for your honest opinions!

Date: 1/16/2006 6:44:12 PM
Author: Wink

Date: 1/16/2006 3:54:46 PM
Author: mepearl53
Rod and Belle are both correct. Platinum is very difficult to work with requireing a totally different set of equipment requirements. And the prices today are very high. To show platinum properly requires a very large investment. This investment does not turn quickly for much of the work needed is special order. With gold you can size it or switch the prongs. Platinum is a totally different anamial. Because of the purity and density a platinum inventory can easily run a jeweler 3 times the cost of a gold inventory.

Bill says it nicely! Unfortunately many compete with high quality that they either can not afford or do not understand by attempting to denigrate the quality of the perceived threat. You, the client, receive bogus information and without a sounding board like Pricescope you are not likely to find out that it is bogus.

There are differences between platinum and gold and not just the price. Your choice may be one or the other, but it should be for the right reasons and it should be an informed decision, not something decided because Joe Blow Scardicat Uninformed Jeweler decided to try to blow it out of the water rather than investing the time and money necessary to compete honestly.

Wink

ROFL

Wink you are too much!

 

[Janis]

I spent my entire afternoon at a very ncie jewelry store in a nearby city in order to look at settings and diamond color, etc. I am thinking of having custom engraved settings with milgrain and diamonds made for my e-ring and wedding band.

I told the jeweler that I disliked my mother''s lead-gray platinum and that I did not want 14K white gold that had to be rhodium plated. So he said he thought I should go with 18K white gold with palladium which does not require the rhodium plating as it stays white and shiny. However, he said that some settings he would choose Platinum and some white gold, it just depended on the surfaces. I forget which he thought should be which! However, I think I will go with the 18K white gold with palladium alloy as it seems to be a great compromise and will not be as dull as platinum and not have to be plated like white gold with nickel alloy.

 

[koko]

Here in the Atlanta area, I think only upscale jewelers would encourage platinum. We bought my upgrade wedding set at a B & M chain (not in the mall) & the salesman discouraged us from buying platinum. Also, they didn''t have a large selection of it. Said it''s not good for the platinum to size it, not worth the extra money, scratches easily, etc. They will re-rhodium my set for life as often as needed for free. I think as stated already, they would rather have their inventory ($) in diamonds & other jewelry than the more expensive platinum. Plus, they may have a higher mark-up on 14k gold. Also, my neighborhood jeweler won''t work with platinum & advised me against it as well!

 

[AChiOAlumna]

When we were shopping around for my upgrade I must''ve asked a dozen jewelers about their recommendations...would you believe they ALL said WG over platinum?

 

[TheDoctor]

Having worked extensively with both metals for decades, I will offer you this personal evaluation of each:

Platinum is, unless specially alloyed and heat treated to harden it, remarkably soft
I wish that i had photos to illustrate the smearing effect on some of the deep, detailed pave' work that I have done in platinum, following a mere 6 years of wear. Generic platinum is very workable and easy to perform setting operations with, but...the wear and tear from being on someone's hand is often disappointing to the purchaser down the road. Sure, I get to make more money with platinum work, but the maintenance costs erode the benefit of that as the clients return repeatedly asking for polishing and detailing that we don't charge for.

I always tell clieints about the downside of platinum. It's not that I don't like it. It's not that I have difficulty working with it.
It's that at least 6 times out of ten, they have no idea how nasty it will look down the road.

Sizings with gold solder? This sin't all that rare. Platinum rings set with diamonds are hazardous to size using welding techniques, as the diamonds will burn under the required temperatures unless the shop owns a laser welder, and even those shops require a benchie who actually knows how to perform total-thickness welds that won't break.
Platinum solder actually contains very little platinum, and is almost always visible, and no better than a high-white gold solder.

It's a business decision to disclose the downside of generic platinum, and not necessarily a fear of the unknown, at least in my case. The superior alloys available in high-karat white gold make for jewellery that is allergy-free, doesn't require rhodium plating, and is hard enough that the settings look unmolested by wear for many, many years....and polish to brand-new condition in less than 5 minutes. Yeah, it's a no-brainer, and that qualifies me, for sure.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Thanks so much for that confirmation about the palladium white gold, David! It helps me feel good about my decision!

 

[TheDoctor]

Date: 1/16/2006 7:18:30 PM
Author: diamondseeker06
I spent my entire afternoon at a very ncie jewelry store in a nearby city in order to look at settings and diamond color, etc. I am thinking of having custom engraved settings with milgrain and diamonds made for my e-ring and wedding band.

I told the jeweler that I disliked my mother''s lead-gray platinum and that I did not want 14K white gold that had to be rhodium plated. So he said he thought I should go with 18K white gold with palladium which does not require the rhodium plating as it stays white and shiny. However, he said that some settings he would choose Platinum and some white gold, it just depended on the surfaces. I forget which he thought should be which! However, I think I will go with the 18K white gold with palladium alloy as it seems to be a great compromise and will not be as dull as platinum and not have to be plated like white gold with nickel alloy.

You must be careful with the palladium alloy configuration as well. There is a lot of confusion over this. 18 karat with palladium can be an ugly colour, depending on other alloys present. It takes more palladium to whiten gold than the low percentage in very standard 18k palladium allooys, and I have serviced jewellery from several manufacturers where the palladium alloyed gold is almost brown, and heavily rhodium plated.
The best ones still require nickel, but no enough to cause dermatitis.
Many of the refiners are producing new alloys which are guaranteed to be white enough to rival the witeness of platinum without rhodium. Be sure that your jewellerknows exactly the properties of the alloyed gold that he or his manufacturer are using, and see other examples of the work prior to firming up your order.

 

[quicksvo]

The other issue that hasn''t been brought up here is the difference between some of the platinum mixes that are used (950 vs. 900 and the alloying metals used in each). A search should yield some good information on this topic.