(Closed) platinum or white gold?

• TheBlackCrain
• 6 years ago

• Wedding: April 2016 - Athol Hall, Mosman

My fiance and I have settled on platinum as a choice. It’s hypoallergenic (I have a certain allergy with gold under 14k and even then when trying on some rings at our local jewelers, I still had some reactions to some “18k” gold rings). We think the silvery color goes well with my skin. Sometimes I tend to be a little careless and will hit my hands on various things so I’d like to not have to worry about scratching my ring up. Even though I’m pretty sure I’ll end up scratching my platinum ring up, I don’t think it’s the type of metal that you can take chinks out of unlike gold which you total can. In terms of upkeep, platinum maybe cheaper in the long run. I’m pretty sure white gold rings need to get re-plated every 1-2 yrs. I don’t think you have to re-plate platinum (but I could be wrong). Platinum is gonna be a bit more expensive in the outset but when it comes to upkeep, I think it will be the cheaper option in the end.

• bbbria
• 6 years ago

• Wedding: October 2014

Platinum is hypoallergenic and does not need to be dipped.

• linnylou_88
• 6 years ago

• Wedding: October 2014

Our rings are platinum. They don’t need to be redipped like WG but it does develop patina where it goes kinda matt. Some prefer the shiny finish of WG. I adore patina because I think it’s very vintage looking. Also, both of my rings have diamonds along the band and I love how shiny they are against the Matt metal

• This reply was modified 6 years, 5 months ago by  linnylou_88.

• MuseForever
• 6 years ago

• Wedding: April 2015

I read that platinum scartches more than wg? 

• Koalaclark
• 6 years ago

I have a special cloth that I polish my platinum ring with and it comes up as shiny and good as new as the day it was bought.  My white gold rings are stunning but need redipping every few months at £25 a time because they go yellowy.  I can’t afford to do that as soon as it happens so wear them yellowy for a while but hate it so for me I will always go platinum from now on.

• Hunnibee88
• 6 years ago

My jeweler says platinum is great for ‘gentle’ girls, scratches more but does not need redipping. Its also ‘whiter’

WG needs redipping (every 12 months or so) but is stronger and cheaper. I have WG as I like it to be hard wearing and it doesnt bother me getting it redipped every 12 months for $15

• barbie86
• 6 years ago

LLMMCC:  Platinum is actually much more hard-wearing than white gold. Yes, it scratches more easily, but, unlike gold, it doesn’t cheap, so you won’t lose density over time; that also means that whereas in a gold setting prongs can sometimes snap, in a platinum setting they tend to bend; meaning the safety/security of the stone isn’t compromised.

katyperry:  I’ve had both white gold and platinum and for everyday jewellery would always now choose platinum. Ultimately it boils down to personal preference but the main differences can roughly be summarised as:

Platinum will never need re-dipping. White gold may or may not, depend on the alloy used. The frequency it will need doing usually depends on the individual; with constant wear mine starts to yellow after 4 months. 

Platinum scratches more easily than white gold and develops a patina (regular buffing can help prevent this, though I don’t bother as only the underside of my ring scratches, and I actually quite like the patina). White gold tends to be ‘shinier’ for this reason 

Platinum is much heavier than  white gold. I personally like the ‘heft’ of it, others don’t. It’s also worth thinking about if you plan on  getting a ‘top heavy’ setting eg one with a large basket as some people find it makes the ring more prone to swivelling (I have a large-ish head on my right gift and don’t have an issue) 

Platinum is a bit darker in colour than white gold

Platinum is more expensive than  white gold

My original ring was white gold and the re-dipping thing bugged me. My new ring is a replica, but in Platinum, and I much prefer platinum personally speaking. I love the fact it keeps it’s colour, I love the weight, I love that I can swim several miles a week without having to take it off, and I love that it will never lose density. It isn’t something I’d necessarily go with for more occasional pieces of jewellery, as the additional cost wouldn’t be worth it, but I would definitely always go with it for anything I planned to wear pretty regularly, or for anything that was already expensive (as then the difference in cost isn’t quite so significant) 

• coffeedrinker
• 6 years ago

• Wedding: June 2015

katyperry:  despite the cost, it’s more durable. When you bang gold, you risk losing piece of metal. Platinum on the other just disperses across the surface. I also like the slightly matte sheen worn platinum takes on, making my sapphire seem bluer and my diamond sparkle more.

• Strawberryshmoo
• 6 years ago

• Wedding: October 2014 - Cape May

I personally prefer white gold over platinum after having both. I’m hard on my jewelry and bent a platinum ering in half! Plus I’m not a fan of the dark patina platinum gets and the scratching. White gold is lighter and shinier in color and it seems to hold up just fine without redipping for me. Went 1.5 years without any changes in color. So for me,  I love white gold. Plus it was important that Fiance and I have rings made together from the same ingot of metal and his thick band in platinum could equal a down payment on a house! I might be exaggerating slightly but you get the idea. So cost wise white gold is affordable. Palladium is also an option but I couldn’t find a jeweler to work on it. 

• AllieBee12
• 6 years ago

• Wedding: August 2013

Just a comment about re-dipping… I have an 18K white gold ring because my jeweler doesn’t work with platinum (just because of his own personal preference). But it will NEVER need to be dipped because of the alloy he uses. My ring is definitely “warmer” than platinum but no one would ever say that it isn’t a silver color. So if re-dipping is a major concern, shop around and find a jeweler that can properly mix a white gold alloy.

Otherwise I’d say it’s really personal preference, there are pros and cons to both and it really depends on how hard you are on your jewelry. Talk to your local jewelers and see what they recommend.

• Cory_loves_this_girl
• 6 years ago

• Wedding: February 2013

I dislike platinum because of the patina it gets and the scratches it shows. Re-dipping is inexpensive, and I don’t have to have it done often. I’ve had my white gold ring since Oct 2012, and it’s only been re-dipped once just before our wedding in feb 2013. It didn’t even need it at that point.

• lolot
• 6 years ago

• Wedding: August 2013 - Rocky Mountains USA

AllieBee12:  that’s interesting – I have a family heirloom 18k WG wedding band and I have not understood the dipping thing. Coming up on a year of me wearing it, and of course it’s like 70 years old, and it looks normal and silver. Does yours just not ever change color much? I’m thinking my alloy may be that way too. 

• prettyinpink11
• 6 years ago

• Wedding: July 2015

I prefer white gold, I not a fan of the patina. I love my white gold ring, I also like that I can mix metals (white,yellow, and rose) without worrying about it.