White Gold Vs Platinum Rings

Answer 1

Recently, there has been a boom in desire to purchase white gold and platinum rings over more traditional metals such as gold and silver. You will find that, at a glance, the only difference between white gold and platinum is the price, but there are many things to consider when purchasing a ring.

Here are a few facts about these two precious metals that you may want to consider before buying them;

White Gold – White gold is a varied combination of gold and other metals such as Copper, Silver Palladium and Rhodium. The mixture of these metals depends on the carat of the ring. A white gold ring can be of any carat, but is more commonly 9ct, 14ct or 18ct. The Rhodium used within a white gold ring is to give it a whiter surface appearance, as the base color of white gold is naturally grey in appearance. To keep up the shiny, white appearance of white gold, it is best to have the ring re-plated with Rhodium every 12-18 months. Your local jeweler will normally be able to do this for you, or alternatively point you in the right direction of somewhere that can. This does not normally cost too much money to have done.

Platinum – Platinum is a much purer metal. It is normally used with 5 percent or less additional metals when making jewelry. Platinum is also a slightly heavier metal. Your average platinum ring will normally weigh more than that of an 18ct gold ring. Platinum is also a naturally whiter metal, this means it has a more natural white appearance without the use of Rhodium. In addition the price of platinum, as a metal, is roughly double that of a white gold ring, so if you have a certain amount you would like to spend then you may be better going for a white gold ring.

In conclusion, platinum and white gold are very different metals. They are fairly similar in appearance but white gold is made up of more metals, is lighter and significantly cheaper, whereas platinum is denser, more expensive and purer than white gold. In the end, it all comes down to your own personal taste in rings, but it is fair to say that whilst they can look similar at face value, they are two very different metals.