White Gold vs. Platinum: Which Metal Is Best For Your Ring?
Many customers find themselves torn between which metal to choose for their rings. There are definitely pros and cons to both White Gold and Platinum.
White gold that is used for jewelry is most common in 58.5% (14K) and 75% (18K) purity. There is no such thing as pure White Gold in nature. Yellow gold is taken and mixed with alloys to create White Gold, which has a base color of white-beige. The White Gold is then plated with a metal called Rhodium to give it that bright white finish. After 8-12 months (depending on usage) of wear, the Rhodium will start to fade and the natural beige color will appear. While this may seem like a hassle, in truth the process of "re-dipping" in Rhodium is a simple and quick process. Also, because of its relatively low melting point, most damage done on a ring in White Gold is rectifiable.
Jewelry in Platinum, on the other hand, is 95% pure. Described as grayish-white in color, its name comes from the Spanish platina, which means “little silver". While Platinum may not fade into yellow as white gold does, its shiny white finish will dull into its natural grayish color. The procedure of polishing Platinum back to its white luster is comparable to the White Gold refurbishment process. Platinum is known for its strength but many do not know about its incredible pliability. It is so pliable that one gram of Platinum can be stretched into a wire that is nearly 2km long. As a result, rings in Platinum are susceptible to bending out of shape. Although it is unlikely, if one of the small prongs on a Platinum ring were to break, the amount of heat it takes to solder Platinum on Platinum is so much that it would burn the surface of the diamonds around it. As a result, the area must be repaired using a lower melting solder, White Gold, which will show a discoloration in that area.
Summary:
White Gold
Pros:
- Easily Repairable
- Simple Refurbish Process
Cons:
- Discolors over-time
Platinum
Pros:
- Simple Refurbishment Process
- Does not discolor to Beige
Cons:
- Loses white luster over-time
- Very Difficult to Repair
- Very Pliable and prone to bending out of shape