White Gold vs Platinum... What Is a Better Metal for Your Engagement Ring?

Mark: Hi, it’s Mark Bossert of Top Local Lead Generation and we’re here with Sheetal Gupta of Maharani Jewels in Vancouver. Sheetal is the diamond lady. How’re you doing today Sheetal?

Sheetal: I’m doing really well thank you so much Mark.

Mark: So we’re going to talk about something other than diamonds for once, and the difference between gold and platinum. What’s the difference?

Sheetal: Yeah, so gold and platinum are both different elements that are used to make engagement rings in particular. They are used in all sorts of jewelry, but today I wanted to focus a little bit more on gold and platinum used in engagement rings. So there’s pros and cons definitely to both metals. From the last several thousand of years, gold was definitely used predominantly in jewelry and so it’s definitely the most common form of metal used in jewelry. But I would say int he early 1900’s, we start to see a little bit more use of platinum. It was a new metal, it was pure white and it was a nice change from the traditional yellow colour of gold. In engagement rings in particular, I get asked very frequently, what would I recommend? Do I recommend gold such as 14 karat or 18 karat or do I recommend platinum. And I always like to say that of course there are pros and cons to both and I’m happy to provide my recommendations, but everyone has their own preferences. So some people may still prefer to chose platinum and some people will still stick with gold. In terms of gold, gold is in its pure form at 24 karat but because it’s extremely soft at 24 karat, gold is used in 14 karat and 18 karat as well as 19 karat, which I will talk a little more about in rings. So 14 karat means that 14 parts out of the 24 are gold and the rest of the 10 parts are other alloys. So the 14 parts translates to roughly 58% which is gold and the rest being other alloys. In 18 karat, 75% is gold whereas the rest of the 25% are other alloys, 19 karat is a metal which I’ve started to use very frequently. It is one of my favourite metals to use. It’s got 18 karat, which is gold, which is 75% gold as well as 1% of palladium. Palladium is a platinum family of metals. And then the balance 5% are other alloys.

Platinum is 95% pure and the other 5% are other alloys that are combined to make it 100%. Platinum is strong, it’s durable, it also has this one characteristic which prevents the metal from changing colour. So platinum by nature is white. So when clients are looking for a white metal in their engagement rings, the platinum will stay white forever. However, it’s not resistant to scratches, it is also quite heavy in comparison to gold. So when you compare two rings, such as a 14 karat vs platinum and how it wears over time, you’ll see more scratches on the platinum ring. You’ll notice over time with the scratches, it starts to look like a patina finish or a matte finish, almost like the way silver looks over time, so a little bit more dull. And in order to be able to give it that fresh, polished look again it needs to be taken in to a jeweller and polished which does cost money. So that’s definitely an investment to consider when you are considering platinum.

With 14 karat, what happens is is because the true colour of gold is yellow, gold that is 14 karat or 18 karat has a tendency to turn yellowish with time with exposure to the environment, with exposure to lotions and perfumes. So when you purchase a 14 karat or 18 karat ring, it’ll look just as white as a platinum but over time it just starts to look a little bit warm and it just starts to take on a little bit of warmth. And again, it is reversible. It can be made back into that bright white colour but then it needs to be rhodium plated. Rhodium is a metal that is added into the 14 and 18 karat to help it look whiter. So essentially the properties of gold are yellow in colour. So to make it white we add things like nickel or rhodium. So to have it again reversed back into that white metal when it’s turned yellowish, we can have it rhodium plated. Again, that’s a little bit of an investment, it does cost money to do it every single time which is why it brings me to 19 karat.

19 karat is, with that 1% extra of palladium, actually prevents the metal from turning yellowish the way that 14 or 18 karat will. So it has the best of kind of both worlds where you’ve got the beautiful white metal and it does’t scratch as much as platinum. That’s the other benefit of gold. It doesn’t scratch as much as platinum will, so it stays more shiny and more bright overall. And I think some of the other differences would be just in the wear and tear. So obviously, platinum and gold have an excellent wear and tear but with the platinum, you’re going to see a little bit more scratches and that dull sort of finish over time. Cost wise, when using platinum because we’re using 95% of it, even though the value per gram is equal in gold and platinum because it’s dense and we’re using a higher percentage of it, it ends up costing more. Things like resizing end up costing more. So overall, it’s a bit more of an investment when you are dealing with platinum but if you are absolutely a fan of the fact that it is platinum, it’s a noble rare metal then of course platinum is a great choice. But I find that if you are looking for a little bit more of that longevity, if you’re looking to spend a little bit less and be able to maintain your rings a little bit better, I find that 19 karat to be a fantastic choice.

Mark: So if you are looking for honesty, integrity and incredible knowledge in your jeweller, give Sheetal a call. You must book your appointment ahead of time 604-727-0149 or go to her excellent website maharani jewels.com

Thanks Sheetal

Sheetal: Thanks so much Mark