whiteflash ring owners- platinum experience?

[jennalyns]

Hello! I''m considering getting my ring setting redone in platinum. I know I posted before that I loved the white gold, and I do, but I had only had it for about 2 months... Now, after 6 months of wear, my ring is turning yellowish (the setting wasn''t purchased from WF, the diamond was though). It''s not an ugly color or anything, but definitely noticeable. A jeweler told me my skin is acidic?? I take good care of the ring, wear it all the time but take it off to shower/cook/clean, but I''m also pretty rough on my jewelry at times, being a musician/teacher. I never put it near any chemicals, and I clean it just with water and a soft toothbrush, and occaisionally with an ultrasonic cleaner. Lately I''ve been checking out my friends'' white gold rings, and they all have the same yellowish hue, I never noticed it before, but they definitely do. I like the idea and feel of platinum, Whiteflash quoted me a great price, and I was very happy with the work they did before on my ring and pendant, and of course I''m still in love with my diamond.

My question is with any of you that own platinum rings from Whiteflash (more than 6 months or so), has your ring turned grey/developed a patina? I''ve seen only a few platinum rings in person, one was bright and shiny, but the other was really dark grey, and I didn''t like the color of that one at all. If you all could please post a picture of a platinum ring that''s been worn for several months/years I would appreciate it, so I can see how they wear. Or, if you have any pictures of a platinum ring with a patina, I''d love to see it. I may like it, but I''m afraid I won''t and then it will be too late...

I know variations of this question have been asked before, but I can''t seem to find exactly the answers I''m looking for.

Thanks!!!!!

 

[Maxine]

I LOVE your ring, would you get the same style?????
Have you considered having your rings re-plated? Maybe that would last longer than the original finish.....have you checked on that???

 

[jennalyns]

Thanks! Yeah, it would be the same setting, I really want it to look exactly the same. I could get it replated, but I live in Japan, and there is only one jeweler in town and to replate, they send it away for two weeks, and it''s not cheap.

I figure if I''m going to have to send it away every six months, may as well get it redone in platinum, since I don''t like to be without it, and having to get it worked on so often will get annoying and expensive fast...

 

[ame]

I had to have my white gold replated MONTHLY. It got old.

Platinum would, I think, be the same regardless of whiteflash or elsewhere. I have platinum everything now and I have no "patina" on anything. It stays bright and shiny because I have it polished every few months.

 

[mrssalvo]

I have had my platinum setting for 5 years. I never had it polished and I don''t think it shows and Patina. There was a recent thread discussing this issue. I posted of pic of my ring there. You can see some other examples of other platinum rings as well. Here''s the link

 

[MissAva]

My mothers e-ring (daddy got her a lovely upgrade without her ever hinting at it, my parents are so cute) anyway. She has had it for about 7 years and it is still shiney and whiteish. She never cleans and doesnt take it off unless she has too. The only times it gets cleaned is when she is in the TIffany store for something else. I love my mother but she is not a jewlery person, she is prolly the hardest you can be on a ring (there are four of us and the youngest is 4) and her has held up very well it has tiny little scraches but is still shiney and lovely. I hope this helps.

 

[bar01]

Funny you mention Whiteflash and Platinum. I have been hot on topic this last week. My gal has a custom E-Ring with a Platinum setting from WhiteFlash. She has had it about 3-4 months. It is showing some very (very) minor patina (wear). It is not bad, and she likes the look that is emerging and so do I. If we don't - we can always have it polished later by overnighting it back to WF for a day or two - or finding a local shop that knows what they are doing. However, I think it would need to go back again (and again) over the years if we want to keep that "just fresh" look forever.

We have been looking at all sorts of wedding rings. Lately we are thinking perhaps a simple platinum band rings for her and maybe for me too (although I may go Tungsten/Platinum). I have been doing some searching on posts on Platinum here at Pricescope.

I learned that there is more to know than just the fact that you want 950 Platinum. You may need to decide on what is added to the mix. Whiteflash may use different kinds of mixes depending on whether you have it custom made, which platinum smith WF uses for the setting (they have two guys) - or if they give you something pre made.

I have read about the different "additives" to the platinum (cobalt, iridium, ruthenium, etc). Different mixes result in different hardness- and perhaps resistance to wear. Our custom ring was cast using the WF platinum smith who prefers Iridium, which is a softer mix I hear. Perhaps I would have requested WF use the smith that uses Ruthenium mix instead - as this is supposed to be much harder and resistant to scratches. However, I think that over time patina (wear) is likely to happen with any platinum mix - perhaps just delayed with certain mixes. I could never find anyone who uses the S1 mix mentioned here in some posts.

 

[Mara]

I have platinum bands but also have eternity diamonds so there is relatively little ''exposed'' platinum to be scratched etc...I do notice that over time the platinum loses it''s shine and turns dull--probably due to my daily cleanings with a brush, etc.

However, it seems if you get them polished, that should restore the shine...does anyone know if you lose platinum each time the ring is polished? If not then you could in theory get them polished weekly or monthly to keep that super shiny look if you really love it. Right now because I just got my e-ring back from Whiteflash, it is super shiny (platinum) but my w-ring is dull. Figure I better take my w-ring in locally to have it polished to match!

But again since I don''t have much platinum showing, the most showing is my ring head, I don''t even notice when it''s shiny vs when it becomes dull. Go figure!

 

[Dancing Fire]

i can see it now, you girls getting your own polishing machine to polish your platinum ring every week.

 

[bluedawg]

Hi there. I''ve had my platinum WB and e-ring for 10+ years. It never has a yellowish cast-- nothing but silvery beauty.

Platinum is very strong so it doesn''t bend/dent easily but it can get surface scratches, but they get polished/buffed out each year when I take my rings in for the annual inspection. They put them in the ultrasonic cleaner and emerge looking brand new!

Here are mine

(ignore the diamond eternity band: I just returned it yesterday to exchange for a Memoire band)

You will love the look of platinum if your white gold is looking yellow to you.

 

[Daniela]

Date: 3/13/2005 1:26:43 AM
Author: Mara
I have platinum bands but also have eternity diamonds so there is relatively little ''exposed'' platinum to be scratched etc...I do notice that over time the platinum loses it''s shine and turns dull--probably due to my daily cleanings with a brush, etc.


However, it seems if you get them polished, that should restore the shine...does anyone know if you lose platinum each time the ring is polished? If not then you could in theory get them polished weekly or monthly to keep that super shiny look if you really love it. Right now because I just got my e-ring back from Whiteflash, it is super shiny (platinum) but my w-ring is dull. Figure I better take my w-ring in locally to have it polished to match!


But again since I don''t have much platinum showing, the most showing is my ring head, I don''t even notice when it''s shiny vs when it becomes dull. Go figure!

Mara,

You might be interested to hear that in a recent thread, Garry mentioned that if you have your ring polished every six months, it will be worn out after ten years. Perhaps he could comment further on the issue (wish I could remember what thread it was).

 

[mrssalvo]

Date: 3/13/2005 12

9

3 PM
Author: Daniela

Date: 3/13/2005 1:26:43 AM

Author: Mara

I have platinum bands but also have eternity diamonds so there is relatively little ''exposed'' platinum to be scratched etc...I do notice that over time the platinum loses it''s shine and turns dull--probably due to my daily cleanings with a brush, etc.



However, it seems if you get them polished, that should restore the shine...does anyone know if you lose platinum each time the ring is polished? If not then you could in theory get them polished weekly or monthly to keep that super shiny look if you really love it. Right now because I just got my e-ring back from Whiteflash, it is super shiny (platinum) but my w-ring is dull. Figure I better take my w-ring in locally to have it polished to match!



But again since I don''t have much platinum showing, the most showing is my ring head, I don''t even notice when it''s shiny vs when it becomes dull. Go figure!

Mara,


You might be interested to hear that in a recent thread, Garry mentioned that if you have your ring polished every six months, it will be worn out after ten years. Perhaps he could comment further on the issue (wish I could remember what thread it was).

It''s in this
thread

 

[Sabrina_Fair]

Date: 3/13/2005 3

9:11 PM
Author: mrssalvo

Date: 3/13/2005 12

9

3 PM
Author: Daniela

Date: 3/13/2005 1:26:43 AM

Author: Mara

I have platinum bands but also have eternity diamonds so there is relatively little ''exposed'' platinum to be scratched etc...I do notice that over time the platinum loses it''s shine and turns dull--probably due to my daily cleanings with a brush, etc.



However, it seems if you get them polished, that should restore the shine...does anyone know if you lose platinum each time the ring is polished? If not then you could in theory get them polished weekly or monthly to keep that super shiny look if you really love it. Right now because I just got my e-ring back from Whiteflash, it is super shiny (platinum) but my w-ring is dull. Figure I better take my w-ring in locally to have it polished to match!



But again since I don''t have much platinum showing, the most showing is my ring head, I don''t even notice when it''s shiny vs when it becomes dull. Go figure!

Mara,


You might be interested to hear that in a recent thread, Garry mentioned that if you have your ring polished every six months, it will be worn out after ten years. Perhaps he could comment further on the issue (wish I could remember what thread it was).

It''s in this
thread

mrssalvo, I didn''t see it. Was that the thread you meant?

 

[jennalyns]

Thank you for the pictures, they''re all beautiful. Those rings don''t look grey at all, they''re gorgeous!! I was already pretty convinced this was the way to go, but I just needed some reassurance. You guys are great!

 

[Maxine]

I missed it , too...was it in another thread? All I "heard" Garry to say was that if you polish the ring, you have to start all over again to achieve the "patina."

 

[elepri]

I''ve had my ring for 8 months now. It''s not as shiny as it used to be but it''s the same color, not darker or grayer. I remember reading on this forum that platinum alloyed wiht cobalt turns darker and grayer but not the other alloys. I guess i''d stay away from cobalt but i think otherwise it should be fine.

 

[PhillipSchmidt]

Interseting topic.

I think 950 iridium is the culprit. 900 iridium is strong and perhaps the best alloy, but 950 is as soft 18k y/g in my experience with suprisingly similar properties. Not many jewellers know, nor care which alloy is used.

It is interesting much peoples personal accounts differ.

I use cobalt platinum. I use ruthenium also but that is from the UK and it is not made in Aus (I have to use different polishing compunds and different techniques to polish and it invariably take 3 times as long, but the result is worth it IMO). I have worked with 950 irridium and it is actually very soft.

There are far more alloys then these and these are mainly casting alloys. Mark Morrels site has some good info and there is some here too if you search.

950 Cobalt is hard. It is whiter then any w/g. Once plated you won''t notice any difference in colour (depending on the rhodium solution) but you will get that extra sheen, which while wearing off after time will never wear under the stone etc.

I am not sure what to say about the patina but I have been watching with interest regarding this for a while. I don''t know which alloy gets the grey patina. I have seen it enough. Somebody else here might have a better idea as to which. It is not ruthenium which is common in the states.

Regarding W/F Jenna. I understand you are not going to be able to have your ring repolished from where you are, so 950 iridium is definately out (if it wasn''t already - it used to save labour time). W/F will invariably be able to source the rings components from various casting houses and I am sure they have a network of jewellers they can use. Other E-based companies I have used are not the slighest bit concerned about the alloys that used, as long as it is 950 which is a shame. If you can dictate that they use ruthenium then you can be sure that the ring will not loose its polish, have a good colour and be far stronger then nedded.

Hope you get what you want,

Phillip

 

[mrssalvo]

You guys are right, he was talking about starting over to achieve the patina. hum...i'll keep looking..

 

[Demelza]

One of the advantages to platinum is that it does not wear away over time the way gold does. You can polish it as much as you like, but it will not get thinner. I hope an expert will correct me if I''m wrong, but that is my understanding.

 

[pyramid]

Does anyone know what alloy is used with platinum in the United Kingdom?

 

[PhillipSchmidt]

All of the above

Birmingham is the biggest producer of jewellery in the UK. There are two main casting firms that produce settings for the trade there. I know of about 10 casting houses that cast platinum though I am sure there are more. Of the two main casting places 4 types of platinum are used (Actually there are 3 main ones but the 3rd one is pure evil). I am guessing what they used as I never asked, but it is an educated guess as I worked on thousands of rings from both places. Most cast alloy is cobalt. Iridium 50/plat950 was being used for a while at one of them. They used it on cheaper jewellery - usually in two tone jewellery. They automate their polishing and I suppose they use it because both metals would polish at the same rate. There is some ruthenium and at least two alloys used in making wedding bands and I'll guess one of them is copper/platinum.

The other casters use either cobalt or ruthenium. I know this for sure. People are divided as to which one they like better.

Hope this helps.

OH, I was reading a newsletter from the assay office there, and read the stats on what is being stamped. Platinum is growing fast. What interested me was that a lof 900 PLAT is being stamped. This could be iridium 100/ plat 900. I don't know though. There may be an importer having their jewellery stamped in the thousands and that tells nothing about what alloy was used. I have never seen any of it.

 

[Daniela]

Date: 3/14/2005 1:57:56 AM
Author: Demelza


One of the advantages to platinum is that it does not wear away over time the way gold does. You can polish it as much as you like, but it will not get thinner. I hope an expert will correct me if I''m wrong, but that is my understanding.

Wow, guys, this had been driving me nuts, but I finally found the (short) thread where Garry maintains that a ring will wear out if you polish it often:

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/polishing-platinum-settings.24417/

I wish he would comment further.

 

[pyramid]

Thanks Platinumsmith, that is helpful.