Many people find it difficult to decide between white gold and platinum jewelry, but here you
will find enough unbiased information to make your choice based on what will suit you
personally.
White Gold
Interestingly enough, white gold was originally used to provide a more cost effective
alternative to platinum, which is still one of its main advantages. White gold isn’t
naturally white, but is rather made white by the introduction of other metals such as nickel,
manganese, silver or palladium.
White gold is grey in color, but is usually plated in rhodium to give it more of a shine.
This does mean that once the rhodium wears off, it will need to be replated to give it back
that as new look.
White gold jewelry also has the added advantage of being up to half the price of equivalent
platinum jewelry, so it can be cost effective.
The differing metals involved with producing white gold, does not mean there is less gold in
it than yellow gold jewelry. 18k yellow gold jewelry for example is 75% gold, 25% other
materials such as copper. 18k white gold has the same 75% gold, but introduces the white
metals to strengthen the gold, as well as change its color.
Platinum Jewelry
Platinum is one of the rarest metals on earth, and is in fact 35 times rarer than gold. This
alone makes this a precious metal, and it takes approximately ten tons of ore just to produce
a single ounce of platinum. This is one of the reasons why it is so expensive. The price of
platinum can vary wildly compared to the other metals, and can range from being slightly
cheaper than gold, to twice as expensive.
Platinum is a darker color than silver, and both metals can become dull over time. Platinum
is also stronger and more scratch resistant than silver, but it is not scratch proof in any
way. Platinum has a unique ability in that it doesn’t tend to wear down or lose mass like
silver and gold. A scratch on a platinum ring is usually a displacement of the material,
whereas a when a gold or silver ring scratches, material is usually lost to whatever caused
the scratch. This means that while you may want to polish your platinum ring on occassion,
you won’t have to replace it like you might have to with a silver ring.
Platinum jewelry has a high corrosion resistance, and also won’t tarnish as much as a silver
ring. Most platinum jewelry is 90-95% platinum.
So which should you choose?
One of the main determinations here is price. Platinum jewelry is significantly more
expensive than white gold, but will hold up better over time, as it is more scratch
resistant, and does not need to be replated.
Ultimately though, you should try on jewelry made from both materials, as skin type, and
comfort levels are factors you will also need to consider.