Are you planning to shop soon for an engagement ring for your special someone? Before you find yourself in these stores, you might need to check out this read and find which would be better: platinum or white gold? You will need all the advice you can get. Let us begin.
Platinum is a natural white metal and is commonly popular for rings. It is, however, typically utilized in nearly every pure form of jewelry with 95-98% of its composition, including platinum engagement rings. This means that they are rarely combined with other substances to get that cool tone. This partly explains why they are at a higher cost.
Furthermore, platinum is very identical with white gold. If properly maintained, they can almost look the same even through the years. It is rarer than gold and is heavier. Its color is visually pleasing but more than that, it is distinguished for its strength and durability. In fact, in history, it was taken off the market to be used for military purposes during the wartime.
As you may know, white gold actually does not exist naturally. It is an alloy of gold wherein its composition is made from yellow gold combined with white metal alloys. It is coated with a beautiful, silvery-white metal called rhodium. This coat finish made of rhodium gives the white gold its luminous sheen. There is a need for a sheen because once gold is mixed with another white metal, the resulting color is a dull gray or brownish-yellow. This much is not desirable yet for a jewelry piece.
Gold jewelry is rarely 100% pure gold. Instead, the gold jewelry pieces that you have come in a variety of purity levels. The most common levels are 10K (karat), 14K, and 18K. Each level has its own advantages. From these three levels, 10K is the most durable but has the lowest gold content and purity. 14K white gold is slightly purer and highly durable. On the other hand, 18K white gold has the highest purity. Therefore, the 18K white gold is typically used for engagement rings and other jewelry.
Now that we are familiar with each metal, let us compare and learn the difference between white gold and platinum. Although seemingly unnoticeable, the main difference of the two comes from the colour of their natural properties. Before they were designed, platinum is naturally white while white gold is a little bit yellowish. To successfully design a white gold ring, gold has to be combined with alloys and rhodium plating to give a white sheen finish.
When comparing white gold vs. platinum rings in terms of budget, white gold would be preferable. This is because the 18K white gold rings have 75% purity while platinum rings have 95%.
In addition to this, platinum is considered stronger compared to white gold, despite being malleable. On that note, because platinum is a softer metal, they are prone to scratches. Consider the following properties and advantages for white gold vs platinum rings.
Being able to differentiate now, you might ask, is platinum better than white gold? Which one should I choose? We wouldn’t exactly say one is better than the other. This is because each has its clear advantage from the other.
When dealing with budget, white gold might be the better choice. The good thing about white gold is that you can maximize the design of your engagement ring opting for a more intricate and detailed style. However, if you feel strongly about platinum and appreciate all of its properties. Then there is no reason why you should not choose it. As we know, metal is a commodity. Its value increases over time. Platinum has greater value because, as mentioned above in its properties, it remarkably consists of 95% of its purity and is therefore more valuable.
With that said, every metal property mentioned above can be a deciding factor you should consider when choosing between platinum or white gold.
Taking care of both white gold and platinum jewelry pieces is simple. When cleaning your item, a mix of simple soap and water is the best solution to keep its luster maintained. Below are the easy steps to care and clean your jewelry piece:
Reminder: If you opt to use a jewelry cleaner or polisher, you need to be cautious about any abrasive chemicals the solution might have. Chemicals like chlorine, among others, can discolor your jewelry piece and lose durability. These chemicals are best avoided if we don’t want our item to be ultimately damaged.
In comparison, white gold will require more maintenance and repolishing than that of platinum metal. When gold is scratched, the actual gold is actually lost and therefore needs to be replated. With platinum metal, it can be cleaned regularly at home and still be kept looking shiny.
Because both are almost identical, the main advantage you can get out of white gold is that it is more affordable. But considering as well its maintenance cost in the long run, the platinum metal is preferable for an engagement ring. The best thing to consider in deciding which metal to choose is to lay down the important factors you have to appraise. On top of these factors are wearability, durability, color, and, of course, the financial aspect. We hope this topic sheds light on your jewelry dilemmas and come up with a carefully-considered decision and or choice.
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