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Platinum vs. White Gold

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Kevin2005

Rough_Rock
Joined
Oct 17, 2004
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28
Hey all,

I''ve been looking a lot at engagement rings in the past month (so glad I found this site) and am trying to decide between platinum and white gold. A salesperson at a local jewellers tried to convince me that white gold is superior to platinum as it doesn''t scratch.

Anyone have any opinions on which is better? Pros and cons?
 

Kylie

Rough_Rock
Joined
Jul 23, 2003
Messages
41
I am not an expert but I can give you my experience. My first wedding set was white gold, I have platinum now. The white gold did show some slight scrathes, my platinum does show more but I don't mind
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The biggest problem I had with my white gold setting was that after time it would turn yellow and I had to take it in to get the rhodium redone. After awhile it got to be a pain so I decided platinum was the way to go for me.
 

Iceman

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Aug 25, 2000
Messages
1,374
They both scratch and dent.

Platinum wears longer.

White gold is easier to buff and clean up.

Best combo is a Platinum head and a white gold shank. Best of both worlds and you will have the look and save a lot of money.

I have my choice of everything and I wear white gold. But its personal preference. People think that since I own the store its platinum
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The Iceman
 

Iceman

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Aug 25, 2000
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1,374
You will also find out in the future that most people working at a jewelry store , worked at Orange Julius a week before selling hotdogs or is a house wife looking for a part time job. Its hard to find good job knowlege at most stores. This place here is your best source for the truth. We are kind of what you call Myth busters
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Best Regards
The Iceman
 

Kevin2005

Rough_Rock
Joined
Oct 17, 2004
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28
Haha... that's why I'm posting here!
 

niceice

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Jan 29, 2003
Messages
1,792
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On 10/22/2004 10:07:56 AM Iceman wrote:

You will also find out in the future that most people working at a jewelry store , worked at Orange Julius a week before selling hotdogs or is a house wife looking for a part time job.----------------


Although funny, this is not so funny because it is quite true! Although there are many jewelry professionals working in jewelry stores, there are many, many more people who have no idea what they are doing nor any concept of what they are saying... For instance, a few years ago one of our clients was the Sales Manager for a Honda Dealership in Roseville, California. He knew cars inside and out, but when it came to jewelry he was at a total loss... He called us over to the dealership at Christmas time because his wife wanted a rope chain necklace and he didn't know what that was, just that she wanted one. About a month later we were walking through Sunrise Mall and he was sitting behind the counter of a major maul jewelry store. The curiosity was too much for us, so we walked in and asked him what he was doing behind the counter. He proudly informed us that he had been hired as the Sales Manager for the jewelry store which caused us to protest "but you don't know anything about jewelry!" and he replied "but they don't care about that because I know how to sell and everything that I need to know is printed on the tag..." we were horrified - not surprised, just horrified. We handed him a couple of our business cards and suggested that he call us when he gets stuck. He doesn't call us, but some of his clients do... Apparently when a customer walks in who knows what they are doing, he feels compelled to refer them to us - Bah! That's such a crack up!
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Now what was the question that this thread was all about? Oh yea, Platinum vs. White Gold. Here's the long and short of it, white gold SUCKS!!! Don't worry, we won't hold back
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White gold is really yellow gold that has been turned white by adding several white alloys to it and it has a perpensity to want to turn back to it's original state - yellow. It oxidizes with exposure to the chemicals in your skin just as a piece of silver serving ware will oxidize with exposure to oxygen over time... So you'll find that it starts to look a bit dingy and it has to be polished all the time. Because of this, white gold jewelry is routinely plated with rhodium or palladium which will "eventually" wear off - pretty gradually so you're not likely to notice a quick change... We hate it! Customers who buy it tend to do so for price and then they want to exchange the white gold item a few months later for the platinum version which they had purchased in the first place - the white gold ring is scrap because it is worn and we don't sell used jewelry - if the customer doesn't want to make something else out of it, they get scrap value for the ring and have to start all over again with the platinum version which means they just bought their jewelry item twice and all because they didn't buy what they wanted and what they were advised to purchase in the first place... We warn our clients of this possibility in advance when they "just have to have" white gold because we don't want this to be "our fault for not telling them about the evils of white gold" when they come to the realization themselves... Lots of jewelers LOVE white gold, probably because they don't know how to work with platinum - Oh, that hurts! - But it's true... Or because they can't look their clients in the face without laughing hysterically because of the ridiculous mark-up's that they have put on their product which makes the platinum seem that much further out of reach.

Platinum is more durable than white gold. Platinum is a nicer metal to work with than white gold in terms of craftsmanship and it's ability to hold a patterned design such as filigree or hand etching. But you have to "invest" in another set of tools to work on platinum and those tools wear out faster on platinum than they will on gold.

Perhaps the only selling point that a jeweler really has for gold over platinum is that gold is more pliable, it will move when it is struck... If you smack a prong on your white gold ring, it doesn't break off as often as it will move to the side. So it can be bent back by a trained professional (don't do it yourself) where a platinum prong will often shear off because it is less pliable. However, if you hit your hand that hard, the odds are that you'd notice it and you would take a look at your ring.

Here's a bunch more off of our site on the Subject of Platinum
 

Kevin2005

Rough_Rock
Joined
Oct 17, 2004
Messages
28
Thanks a lot for the info.

I should mention that the jewelery store (Birks) did carry their pieces (pre-fabricated) in both white gold and platinum.

Thanks again,
Kevin.
 

yowahking

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Aug 15, 2004
Messages
317
Sorry Robin and Todd, you are quite wrong about white gold and platinum. You said that white gold is more pliable than platinum. You have it reversed. Plat is much softer which is why setters like to work with it. It also scratches and dents easier. You said it is more durable. That depends on whether you are talking about wearing out, or day to day scratching. How many rings have you personally made? You said that platinum prongs shear off while white gold prongs bend, you have it reversed. You said rings are plated with rhodium and palladium, only Rhodium. Palladium is mixed with gold and is a nice alloy mix. You said that all white gold tarnishes, not true. Some mixes like those with Irridium have a very nice luster due to smaller, tighter patterns under microscope and does not oxidize like nickle alloyed white gold. Award winning designers have used non Rhodium alloys for many years.
While it is easy to take pot shots at stores who need to hire a warm body, (I would like them better trained as well), you have just put out much misinformation about metals.
 

yowahking

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Aug 15, 2004
Messages
317
Iceman,
Your suggestion about white gold ring and plat head may be what you like, but it is often not the best solution. For someone who is rough on prongs and likes a 4 prong setting, and likes a taller prong, that is a bad combination. Plat prongs bend easier and with a taller head, the ratio is more easy for the stone to pop out. Plat prongs are better for shorter prongs since they don't wear out as fast and tend to mash and dent when hit which keeps pressure on the stone.
Jewelers often (locals and internet) do not know how to solder one metal against another. We re do many rings for people. Problem to have a nice stone, a nice ring, a nice head, and the cause of a situation is how the two metals fused together. The melting temps are very different. Another problem is when someone decides to retip the top of plat prongs with white gold. May sound stupid, although we see is often since the ring is 14k or 18k and the jeweler assumes the prongs are also. Or, the jeweler knows that the diamond will not take the heat of retipping on plat, does not want to take diamond out, so he cheats and adds white gold tips.
As most topics, there is much more to the story than one or two answers.
 

moremoremore

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Mar 15, 2004
Messages
6,825
Now I'm really confused. I think another expert on the baord also mentioned that platinum bends while gold snaps...Nuts! So which is it! I was going to add that I don't care about yellowing, I have seen some antique white gold that isn't yellow at all. The snapping v. bending is what made me think that I will turn my temp white gold setting into plat very soon! So which is it!?!
 

valeria101

Super_Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Aug 29, 2003
Messages
15,809
Just on Q on the side... since this is a thread about jewelry metals.

The ring below appeared recently on this site with no mention of what it is made of. The color of the metal looks like copper to me, although this should be gold. Is this just a weird picture or can I still hope to find gold in this color ?

(e-mail inquiry didn't get anywhere)

r16.JPG
 

goldbuyers

Rough_Rock
Joined
Oct 19, 2004
Messages
2
If your choose platinum, ensure it is a 95% Pt 5% Ru alloy rather than the 90% Pt 10% Ir alloy more common with casting houses. This will reduce the 'dulling' and scratching of the platinum ring. If white gold is more in your budget and you want an alloy that won't require rhodium plating (again & again & again) choose a high nickel 19K white or 14K white or a 18K or 14K with palladium (instead of the nickel). The latter is more grey (like platinum) than white but both provide brilliant and cost effective alternatives. These alloys are readily available through Canadian Manufacturers.

Good luck
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Iceman

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Aug 25, 2000
Messages
1,374
Steve ~ Dave


The truth hurts
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There are many more people out there selling jewelry then have education or job knowledge. This is a constant complaint from the consumer. Let’s be real. You can’t base job knowledge when it’s handed down by somebody that has never had an education or keeps updated can you. I can walk down the mall and point out, no job knowledge, no education, and burger flipper and so on. It’s common you know it.

On the web it’s even worse. You can post pictures from a Stuller Catalogue and say you’re a jeweler and a designer with out leaving your bedroom. There are more on the web posers then in the Jewelry stores, now that’s offensive!

I won’t even ask why it was offensive to you.

Best Regards
The Iceman
 

Iceman

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Aug 25, 2000
Messages
1,374
Actually I am, you will see an article on me in Modern Jeweler this next month. Im one of the first Brick and Click stores on the internet as well as one of the most successful ones. Why hide the truth from consumers they are not stupid and they know when they get a poser. You know its all fact. Please tell me you think that all the people selling jewelry in the malls and on the web are knowledgeable and have gone through the education process! I could use a laugh right now.

People that are doing a disservice to this industry are the ones that try to keep the consumer in the dark and pick his pocket.

I’m sorry if you’re in the line of fire when I wake up the consumer I play by the rules so I guess I don’t have anything to worry about.

You know the consumers are watching these posts, you shouldnt play the part of the poser
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Best Regards
The Iceman
 

Iceman

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Aug 25, 2000
Messages
1,374
Im a veteran at this so go ahead and have the last shot.
I will be going back to work. Have a nice weekend.
The Iceman
 

Bagpuss

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Sep 10, 2003
Messages
830
This link to an old thread gives a bit more info on your question


Thread name


'alloy harness- plat vs white gold' in Rocky talk




(spot the deliberate spelling mistake!)
 
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