Will platinum and 18kt white gold look odd together?

[umbrella]

Hi all! I'm back for more advice

To fill you in, I'm on the hunt for a perfect OEC (AVR or an awesome antique OEC) that will go in an art deco setting.

I've been having a terribly hard time finding the right OEC, so in the meantime I received a beautiful antique platinum wedding band that was perfectly touched up by David Klass.

Now I have recently spotted what looks like a great OEC in a lovely antique solitaire setting that I think will look great with my new band, but it's 18kt white gold. If it was platinum I would snatch it in a heartbeat, but the 18kt white gold is concerning me.

Does antique 18kt white gold fade to yellowy coloured metal too? I don't want to rhodium plate the ring because personally I'm not a fan of super white, shiny metal. I love the soft look of platinum aged with patina. Do you think I could get away with wearing 18kt white gold with platinum? Both rings have small diamonds until halfway down the band, so only a small about of the metal will be visible from the top of the hand.

What would you do? FWIW I might be able to buy the stone loose and have a setting custom made or pop it in another antique setting that's platinum - but those options might be a touch pricier. These will be my one and only engagement and wedding rings. I do not plan on upgrading

Thanks!

 

[distracts]

It really depends on the exact alloy of the metal. I have seen probably about a dozen different white gold colors in rings from that era.

eta: of course, it also depends on your personal tolerance for color differences.

 

[yssie]

Ditto, the colour of 18k WG (unplated) can vary significantly depending on exact alloy. I've heard that older pieces were more often made with "whiter" alloys, but I couldn't state that as fact with any certainty.

You do say that the OEC you've found is already set in an antique setting - is there any reason to think that the setting has been rhodium plated? The rhodium plating is what gives white gold that icy chrome-bright finish; rhodium plating will wear away with time and use and you'll see the 'natural' colour of the metal - if this ring hasn't been plated and you're comfortable with the colour as-is now there's no reason to think it'll change further

I personally am fascinated by the varieties of colours unplated WG comes in, but I can definitely sympathise with trying to match colours! Re. the colour variance - Here are seven of my rings. (A) is platinum, (G) is 14k YG, and the five in the middle are different alloys of 18k WG (all unplated). That photo is a good representation of what I see in daylight: the colour variance can be substantial even within the same karat!


[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/yoo-hoo-yssie-metal-question-for-you.192990/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/yoo-hoo-yssie-metal-question-for-you.192990/[/URL]

 

[distracts]

Yssie, whether "more often" made with whiter alloys is a thing I don't know, but I can definitely state with certainty that an older ring by no means guarantees the alloy would be whiter. The majority of antique white golds I've seen have been akin to D on your example pictures.

 

[WinkHPD]

Personally, to me, one of the things I love about jewelry is the variety of colors that it comes in. Many of my clients wear white and yellow on the same hand, and it would never occur to them not to wear them side by side, no matter what color of white the rings were.

So if you were to ask me, I would say. "GO for it if you like it, do not if you do not like it."

Wink

 

[umbrella]

Thanks everyone for your replies, sorry I'm a bit late to get back and reply.

Yssie - that photo with all of the colours of metals is a great visualisation! I do love platinum. I have been waiting so long for the perfect engagement ring, I think I would regret it if I "settled" for something I wasn't 100% perfectly okay with. I do think I'd strongly prefer to have both metals the same. I think I remember reading somewhere that there can be extra wear and tear if gold and platinum are worn against each other? I could be mistaken.

 

[yssie]

Thanks everyone for your replies, sorry I'm a bit late to get back and reply.

Yssie - that photo with all of the colours of metals is a great visualisation! I do love platinum. I have been waiting so long for the perfect engagement ring, I think I would regret it if I "settled" for something I wasn't 100% perfectly okay with. I do think I'd strongly prefer to have both metals the same. I think I remember reading somewhere that there can be extra wear and tear if gold and platinum are worn against each other? I could be mistaken.

You aren't mistaken! Platinum will eat away at gold worn next to it layer by layer, and eventually wear it down (eventually is the operative word here, though, you aren't going to lose half your ring in five years or anything like that). Platinum deforms plastically - metal is pushed around but little is actually lost. Every scratch on a gold ring is metal lost - it isn't so much a problem of mixing platinum and gold as it is just the way alloyed gold behaves...

You've been waiting a long time - I would say don't settle for anything less than exactly what you want And I think in this case that means matching metals