White Gold or Platinum - the differences
The most asked question I bet a jeweler gets asked is: “White Gold Jewellery or Platinum Jewellery, what’s the difference? They look the same!”
Whilst it’s true that both white gold and platinum look the same there are some fairly fundamental differences and I have tried to outline the main ones below.
Isn’t all gold yellow?
Nearly all gold used in jewellery making is not 100% pure. 24 carat gold is pure but most people buy either 9 carat or 18 carat gold.
Carats are the way that the purity of gold is measured you see. 24 Carat Gold is 100% gold, 24 carat gold is 75% pure gold and 9 carat gold is 37.5% pure gold. If you’re wondering what makes up the difference it’s a mixture of alloys.
White gold is simply a gold that has more white alloys mixed with it to give it a paler, whiter look. It is then coated in Rhodium which is a hard white metal and you end up with white gold.
So what is Platinum?
Believe it or not platinum is rarer than gold and is a naturally white metal. The platinum that is usually used in jewellery is around 95% pure and is much heavier and much harder than white gold.
So which is best, white gold or platinum?
As always, jewellery comes down to one thing, budget! White gold is cheaper than platinum and makes buying a whole lot easier for many people. If you wear the jewellery a lot over a number of years then there will come a time when you will need to get the white gold recoated in Rhodium.
Platinum on the other hand is much more expensive but over the longer term it needs no maintenance or recoating like white gold.
If you ask my opinion Platinum should be the jewellery of choice. It is a better metal than white gold; it is harder wearing and a lot more practical. I know that one eye is always on the budget, especially when you are buying say eternity rings, but try where you can to go for Platinum jewellery.
Whilst it’s true that both white gold and platinum look the same there are some fairly fundamental differences and I have tried to outline the main ones below.
Isn’t all gold yellow?
Nearly all gold used in jewellery making is not 100% pure. 24 carat gold is pure but most people buy either 9 carat or 18 carat gold.
Carats are the way that the purity of gold is measured you see. 24 Carat Gold is 100% gold, 24 carat gold is 75% pure gold and 9 carat gold is 37.5% pure gold. If you’re wondering what makes up the difference it’s a mixture of alloys.
White gold is simply a gold that has more white alloys mixed with it to give it a paler, whiter look. It is then coated in Rhodium which is a hard white metal and you end up with white gold.
So what is Platinum?
Believe it or not platinum is rarer than gold and is a naturally white metal. The platinum that is usually used in jewellery is around 95% pure and is much heavier and much harder than white gold.
So which is best, white gold or platinum?
As always, jewellery comes down to one thing, budget! White gold is cheaper than platinum and makes buying a whole lot easier for many people. If you wear the jewellery a lot over a number of years then there will come a time when you will need to get the white gold recoated in Rhodium.
Platinum on the other hand is much more expensive but over the longer term it needs no maintenance or recoating like white gold.
If you ask my opinion Platinum should be the jewellery of choice. It is a better metal than white gold; it is harder wearing and a lot more practical. I know that one eye is always on the budget, especially when you are buying say eternity rings, but try where you can to go for Platinum jewellery.
posted by The Diamond Chicks at 10:34 AM
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