Platinum versus white gold

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#107
I think platinum prices are closer to gold right now then they have been historically. I have both platium and white gold pieces and I think I prefer the greyish undertone of platinum, then again you can't tell much on an engagement ring. My mom had a huge platinum band and it never discolored, so I'm not sure how long that actually takes.
 
#108
i was advised before that if you get your ring set in platinum, you can't have the band melted down and redesigned/remade into something else. as opposed to, if you set it in white gold, you can use the gold into somehting else (necklace chain, bracelet, etc)...
 
#109
My first ring (which I wore for 26 years) is 18k, with a huge 18k 'channel' holding the main diamond. I am really hard on my rings/hands, and never had a problem with the diamond getting loose at all.
I had planned for a while to get the 25th anniversary ring in Platinum, but when I learned that platinum can't be polished like gold can, I changed my mind back to 18k yellow. I do love that yellow color, and the jeweler had it made in a lighter yellow than most 18k. Sooo pretty!:cloud9::cloud9:
Also, isn't white gold plated with rhodium, which wears off, and if the gold underneath is more yellow, that is what you see. You can also have your white gold made really white by using the whiter alloys. That's what my jeweler told me anyway.
 
#110
My engagement ring is 18crt white gold. The reason for this was simply cost.

It would have cost 1500 more for exactly the same ring in platinum. So virtually dourble the price for the exact same setting.

In australia platinum is still a "new thing" in the area that I live and it is not stocked in most jewellers in fact it is rare to even find white gold, everything is yellow gold. For that extra 1500 i could have a much bigger stone and that was my preference. If we could have afforded it well then it would have definetly been my preference
 
#111
Platinum is a "whiter" metal than white gold (which has a slightly warmer color). Its a lot heavier. Its more expensive.

White gold is a bit "warmer" in color for a white metal. It weighs less. It costs less.

HOWEVER. White gold can get brittle if you wear it in hot showers/hot tubs etc and it is not recommended for that sort of usage.

Both are pretty for different reasons.
 
#112
The diamonds in my engagement ring are set in platinum, but the band is 18k gold. My wedding ring is channel set diamonds in 18k gold. For me, it was a color issue. I don't like silver metals, and I really wanted gold in my wedding rings.
 
#113
SuLi said:
Both my engagement ring and wedding band are set in platinum. To be honest, there was never a specific reason for it. My DH just thought that platinum was more durable -- while it does scratch, unlike gold, it doesn't chip away (from what I've read); instead, the metal is shifted. Also, I've read that some people have had to re-coat (not sure if that is the right term) their while gold jewelry as it may yellow over time.

I think the biggest consideration for most people is cost, since platinum is supposed to be more expensive than gold. And, I know that some people don't like the patina in platinum, although I can't tell the difference. I do like that my ring is a little matted looking (maybe that's the patina).
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Yup. I was at Tiffany & Co yesterday and the sales lady told me the exact same thing. She said white gold vs. platinum is a matter of personal preference and budget. She did say that because gold is naturally yellow and is treated to become white gold, that sometimes the treatment fades away over time, particularly with daily wear and use. T&Co will re-plate white gold jewelry for free, but I'm not sure how much it would cost to re-plate it elsewhere...

I personally have had both platinum and white gold jewelry. I love the matte finish of platinum, but I have nothing against white gold at all and I haven't noticed any yellowing with my white gold jewelry yet (then again, they're all less than a year old)...
 
#114
missisa07 said:
Yup. I was at Tiffany & Co yesterday and the sales lady told me the exact same thing. She said white gold vs. platinum is a matter of personal preference and budget. She did say that because gold is naturally yellow and is treated to become white gold, that sometimes the treatment fades away over time, particularly with daily wear and use. T&Co will re-plate white gold jewelry for free, but I'm not sure how much it would cost to re-plate it elsewhere...

I personally have had both platinum and white gold jewelry. I love the matte finish of platinum, but I have nothing against white gold at all and I haven't noticed any yellowing with my white gold jewelry yet (then again, they're all less than a year old)...
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Tiffany doesn't set any of its engagement rings in 18K gold, for what it's worth.
 
#117
Harry Winston & Graff will set diamonds in 18k gold if that is your preference. Why should a jewelry store make the decision on what your ring is made from?

Buying the cheaper setting to save $5,000 (or less) on a setting when spending close to $100,000 on a diamond? They need to go back & reevaluate their choices. Perspective seems to be missing on this.
 
#119
I have a 2.04 carat center stone with 1.3 carat diamonds (each) on the sides... The ring is set in 18K white gold... simple because that's what the dealer had when I bought it.. I was in a 2 day trip to New York and I saw the ring and I was dazzled.. I needed to get the ring immediately since I was leaving the next day... so basically I just took the ready made ring... I just had to change the center diamond which was 1.5 carats to a 2.04 carats... and oh ya.. of course... adjust the size.. mind you I lost so much weight after and the ring looks sooo loose one me now...
If I had the choice I would have chosen platinum for sure.. but 'cause I was in a hurry I just took what I found... I can always change the setting but a great deal on such a diamond ring in NY is irreplaceable.. :)

I posted my pictures before but here's my 10th anniversary ring again..
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