10 Engagement Rings of the British Royal Family, 4 Jewellery Styles to Suit Your Wedding Dress, Why Choose Coloured Gems for Your Bridal Look, However, the disadvantage is that you may need to have your white gold item recoated in rhodium every so often. Most wedding rings or engagement rings Philippines are manufactured from among three metals: platinum, white gold or yellow gold. Platinum doesn’t fade to yellow like white gold but the finish will dull, so like white gold, platinum jewelry may require some maintenance to keep it shiny. Diffen.com. The rhodium in both white gold and platinum eventually wears off giving a dull grey look, but the shine can be replaced by re-plating the rhodium. White gold is made by alloying yellow gold with metals like nickel, palladium etc in different proportions. What’s the difference, we hear you asking? Platinum will almost always be more expensive than white gold because it is 30 times more rare and mined much less than gold. We have often been asked by customers what the differences are between white gold and platinum. Platinum is more dense than gold, and by law jewelry that is labeled “platinum” must be at least 95% pure platinum, so a platinum ring will weigh, and therefore cost, more that a gold ring of the same size. For jewellery, laboratory equipment, electrical contacts, dentistry, and automobile emissions control devices, Platinum alloys are usually purer than white gold, Platinum is denser, so more metal is needed to make a ring the same size as white gold, Platinum is more difficult to work with and most often requires really fine craftsmen, increasing the labor costs. What Type of Engagement Ring Is Best? The most frequently used colors of gold are white and yellow. However, if you want a white ring, you can opt for platinum or white gold. Platinum rings are generally about 1 shade whiter than palladium, but there truly is a very small difference. January's Birthstone Meaning. Most rings or wedding bands are made from one of three metals: platinum, white gold or yellow gold. Gold is quite expensive ($1,623 per oz on Jul 28, 2012). Being a Jeweler would he not be able to tell the difference between white gold and Platinum. White gold is chosen by many people due to its silver color, although it is sometimes more expensive when it is mixed with platinum or titanium. You may have heard the term “carat”, abbreviated with the letter ‘K’. As mentioned above, platinum will always stay white but white gold needs to be re-polished and re-plated occasionally to avoid a yellow hue. 10 FACTS: Revisiting Kate Middleton’s Engagement Ring. 9K Gold VS 18K Gold - What is the difference between 9K and 18K gold? The patina shows an item of platinum jewellery is much loved and used, and gives it an antique heirloom feel. Ten tons of platinum ore is required to process a single ounce of pure platinum. Platinum and palladium are both naturally white metals that will stay white forever. Today I would like to clarify the differences between Platinum and Gold. When it comes to engagement rings, people prefer platinum over other metals because of its sparkling beauty, elegance, whiteness, and durability. Platinum has a natural white color with a tinge of bluish hue. Hardness and Malleability. The distinction in expense is principally because of platinum’s extraordinariness and more elevated level of immaculateness in platinum gems. Platinum does not lose metal when scratched, the metal is only displaced. After discussing these factors, I will even give you our suggestions about how to make this choice. Platinum is itself a white metal. COLOR. The difference between platinum rings and white gold rings is that these so-called micro-scratches do not remove platinum from the ring. Measured in parts per thousand, platinum jewelry is typically 850-999 parts pure platinum (85%-99.9%), with the remainder made up of other metals. Made by alloying naturally occuring yellow gold with other metals. This “ridging” is natural, as the metal gets pushed to one side and another while the jewellery’s owner wears it. We can outline several differences between these types, including their advantages and disadvantages. The main difference between platinum and white gold is on how they are formed; platinum is a pure metal while white gold is an alloy. Platinum is about 60% heavier than 14K gold and about 40% heavier than 18K gold. What actually happens is that while platinum doesn’t actually scratch (in the sense of losing particles), its surface can develop little bumps and ridges. One of the biggest selling points of white gold over platinum is cost. Afterwards, it’s given a beautiful coating with a rare, silvery-white metal called rhodium. So, if you have a ring made of 18K white gold and an identical sized one made of platinum, the platinum ring will be almost one and half times heavier than the white gold ring. White gold is also white because of the rhodium plating. This means that platinum is heavier while white gold is lightweight. Platinum is also highly reflective and is 60% denser than gold. Platinum jewelry contains 90% to 95% of platinum and the remaining 10% to 5% is mixed with an alloy such as iridium or ruthenium. However, the scratch on platinum is merely a displacement of the metal and none of its volume is lost. Guide to Buying Aquamarine Jewellery - 10 Facts, What is an Illusion Setting? He said to even test it he would have to remove the crown away from the yellow gold band because with them together it would give a false reading. Sometimes these micro scratches can leave white gold looking a bit yellowish. Platinum is hypoallergenic; the remaining 5% in a 95% Platinum piece is either Iridium, Ruthenium or Cobalt. This is especially true for engagement and wedding rings worn on your hand day in day out, as they come into constant contact with hard surfaces. The difference in color between palladium and platinum is very minimal. Read on to … White gold consists more of a mixture of durable metals like nickel, zinc and copper while platinum is more pure with 95-98% platinum composition. Differences Between White Gold and Platinum. This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. White gold is an alloy of gold and has the same symbol as gold Au. Usually at about 95%. Platinum is a natural white metal, while white gold is given its color artificially by alloying gold with silver or palladium and by adding rhodium plating to it. In order to obtain pure platinum, the ore is crushed, made into a slurry, and then mixed with a detergent containing 'collector' molecules. It is highly reflective and is not subject to tarnish. Over time platinum develops a natural patina, which many people find just as attractive as a polished finish. Platinum is between 90 - 99% pure whereas 14K white gold is only 58.33% pure gold with the rest being alloys. You can easily identify platinum and white gold based on their weight difference. It tells you how much gold is in your jewellery. This article explains: Not everybody knows it, but white gold doesn’t exist naturally. This is inconvenient and the cost can add up over the years. However, as we’ve already covered, pure gold is too soft for use in jewellery. White gold and platinum are different metals. Gold is yellow. The main advantage of white gold over platinum is that it is much more affordable. White gold isn't rare since its base (yellow gold) isn't very rare. Platinum is denser, heavier and stronger than white gold. Usually at about 95%. White gold is whiter and brighter than platinum, which has a more opaque color. What is White Gold White gold is made by mixing about 75% of yellow gold with elements such as silver and palladium to make up to the rest of the 25%. This means that knowing that platinum is one of the best precious metals is not enough. So if 18-karat yellow gold is made with 75% gold and 25% other metals like cooper and zinc, 18- white gold is made of 75% gold mixed with 25% of whiter metals, like silver and palladium. Platinum is 60% more dense than Gold. The reason why white gold is combined with alloys is because gold, as a metal, is extremely soft. If the gold content meets their strict requirements, they stamp it with the corresponding hallmarking symbol. Platinum is also more durable than gold, particularly when it is blended with a small percentage of Iridium or ruthenium to toughen it up, which is one of the reasons it is a popular choice for engagement rings. < >. Platinum jewelelry is consequently more expensive than gold jewellery. White gold is created as an alloy of the naturally occurring gold with white metals like silver and palladium to get a white hue. White gold alloys can be used for different purposes; while a gold-nickel alloy is hard, strong and therefore good for rings and pins, white gold-palladium alloys are soft, pliable and good for white gold gemstone settings. Platinum is also usually heavier than white gold. It is viewed as something desirable. Looking at current bullion prices there is not much difference between an ounce of pure gold and an ounce of pure platinum, which leads people to assume the prices of a finished jewelry piece would be approximately the same in either metal. Meaning of Jewellery Symbols and Signs – Which is Yours? What Is a Promise Ring and When Should You Give One? Platinum is a very stable, non-toxic metal. Read our comprehensive Hallmarking article if you’d like to learn more. This yellow hue usually appears several months to several years after polishings, … White gold starts out as gold. The next step is smelting. Platinum is also denser and therefore more heavy than the same size ring in gold. For this reason, both yellow gold and white gold have to be mixed with harder alloy metals, to make them more rigid and durable in jewellery. ), What Size Carat Engagement Ring? This final rhodium finish gives white gold its luminous sheen. However, the disadvantage is that you may need to have your white gold item recoated in rhodium every so often. While platinum is naturally white, gold is naturally yellow. Although white gold and platinum look similar, sharing a silvery hue, the two are actually quite different in terms of color, durability, and price. At first glance, platinum, silver and white gold look virtually interchangeable. Platinum. 12 Best Princess Diana’s Rings and Jewellery – Where Are They Now? The gold carat weights most commonly seen in jewellery are 9K, 14K and 18K: In the UK, all gold jewellery items above 1 gram in weight must be hallmarked. Did you find this article useful? White gold is usually coated with rhodium, which gives it a nice shine. Gold and platinum are the two most commonly used metals for engagement and wedding rings. When a piece of jewellery arrives at an Assay office, they examine it in their laboratory. On this scale, 24K is the maximum and it represents pure gold. This measurement is used to describe the purity of gold. It takes knowing the exact differences between white gold and platinum for you not to confuse jewelry made of platinum and white gold. In Great Britain, all hallmarking is carried out by Government Assay Offices. White gold became popular in the 1920's as an inexpensive alternative for platinum. In addition, white gold pieces are often covered with a thin plating of rhodium, a platinum group metal, for strengthening and a whiter appearance. We have often been asked by customers what the differences are between white gold and platinum. It is rarer than gold, and much heavier and harder. There are 3 primary factors to consider: Color, Weight, and Cost. Web. White gold has the same properties as yellow gold. The measurement is on a scale of 24. Effectively your net platinum weight will not change over time, due to scratching. Not all platinum is the same, you do see on the market platinum pt600 or pt800. White Gold vs. 12 Tips Before You Buy. 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