Pros & Cons of Platinum/White Gold/Palladium/Titanium, etc.

Coach Superfan

Coach Superfan

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Dec 5, 2006
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#1
I've done a google search to compare the different metals available in engagement rings and wedding bands but I haven't found all the information I was hoping for short of talking to jewelers, which is the next step. However, I would love to have some kind of knowledge base so that I don't get "duped" into purchasing something that won't fit my needs/specifications. I am considering any metal except yellow gold.

What are the pros and cons of platinum/white gold/palladium/titanium/tungsten, etc.? The engagement ring style I will most likely choose will consist of a very thin pave or eternity band with a round center stone. The wedding band will likely consist of a matching pave/eternity band. I would like to choose the metal that is most durable. Also, input regarding your husband's wedding band would be great!

I would love to hear feedback from all you ladies who have gone through this same process! :yes:

TIA! :flowers:
 
#2
DH has a titanium band from Boonerings.com that has a Mokume Tri-Gold Inlay.

My rings are ALL platinum. I have VIOLENT allergic reactions to gold due to the alloys usually used. I know WG uses a lot of Nickel and that's probably the worst. My half-eternity is platinum and was purchased from Signedpieces.com, LOVE. My e-ring is also platinum. I have a few other bands that are also platinum.

My coworker has White Gold. She has had no yellowing issues, and no rash issues.

Sometimes I wish I could do gold, it's lighter and cheaper but I also really like the heft of my rings at the same time.

Keep in mind that Titanium/Tungsten are gonna be hard to get many settings and eternity bands done in. They are really hard to work with so anything intricate is probably not gonna happen.
 
#3
The boards at pricescope.com are a great resource for all jewelry questions :yes:

Platinum, generally speaking, is much more reliable for holding stones because it's softer than gold/white gold. Meaning, if knocked, a gold/WG prong may snap off where a platinum prong will just bend (and is more likely to still keep hold of the stone).

This is why many white gold rings are made with platinum heads (the part that holds the center stone).

This is also why platinum is more strongly recommended for settings that have sidestones, especially pave, which is a delicate setting style to begin with without having to worry about the brittle gold element.

Hope that helps!
 
#5
musey said:
The boards at pricescope.com are a great resource for all jewelry questions :yes:

Platinum, generally speaking, is much more reliable for holding stones because it's softer than gold/white gold. Meaning, if knocked, a gold/WG prong may snap off where a platinum prong will just bend (and is more likely to still keep hold of the stone).

This is why many white gold rings are made with platinum heads (the part that holds the center stone).

This is also why platinum is more strongly recommended for settings that have sidestones, especially pave, which is a delicate setting style to begin with without having to worry about the brittle gold element.

Hope that helps!
Click to expand...

o ya, i did end up finding my way over to pricescope. I found this thread and the coloring of the different alloys concerns me

http://journal.pricescope.com/Articles/47/1/An-Overview-Of-Common-Alloys-Used-In-Jewelry.aspx

  1. 18K yellow gold
  2. 18K white gold, rhodium plated
  3. 18K palladium white gold, not plated
image002.jpg
 
#7
Coach Superfan said:
o ya, i did end up finding my way over to pricescope. I found this thread and the coloring of the different alloys concerns me

http://journal.pricescope.com/Articles/47/1/An-Overview-Of-Common-Alloys-Used-In-Jewelry.aspx
  1. 18K yellow gold
  2. 18K white gold, rhodium plated
  3. 18K palladium white gold, not plated
Click to expand...
What about it concerns you?

If you are colour sensitive, you should really go try the different metals on. You should really try on different ring styles, too... I thought I had a clear idea of what I wanted until I started trying stuff on!!
 
#8
Coach Superfan, does your hubby work a lot with his hands? Contractors, architects, and construction workers are all discouraged if not prohibited from wearing titanium bands on most job sites. If there's an accident and the ring is caught, it's either impossible or extraordinarily difficult to saw off. I mean, it's freakin' titanium. I think generally speaking, they're perfectly safe, but for guys who work around machinery, etc., better to go with a softer metal.
 
#9
Thanks again for your input and support!

musey- i didnt realize the difference between white gold and the palladium. but then in the picture it lists the palladium as being non coated. does that mean some jewelers could coat it (with rhodium) to give it the same color appearance as the White gold? But you're right, I need to try on the different metals.

IntlSet- my bf works in an office. manual labor isn't an issue although he is not used to hand jewelry so I imagine we would have to find one that isnt too deep. he does go to the gym to workout though. what would you suggest for him?
 
#10
I did all kinds of research about this when we were shopping too. I found out the following:

Palladium is a white metal, so it won't need to be rhodium plated like white gold will. Also, it is hypoallergenic (no nickel, which is why people are often unable to wear white gold). The drawback to palladium is that it's difficult to size - many jewelers don't work with it yet, so you have to find someone who really knows what he/she is doing if you want to have it sized. It's gaining popularity (Tacori & Scott Kay are using it now), but it's still relatively unknown to many jewelers. Cost-wise, it's comparable to 14k white gold. Also similar in weight. My favorite thing about palladium is that it gets a patina like platinum, rather than looking scratched like white gold does.

Platinum is much heavier than gold/palladium. Some people like that (I do), others don't really care. It's also about 40%+ more expensive than 14k, I believe.

White gold may never need to be re-plated. However, having it sized, etc will necessitate replating. It's relatively inexpensive to have white gold rhodium plated - maybe $20-$30 per ring. Some people have to have it plated every year or two - I think some peoples' skin makes the plating wear off faster.

As for your hubby's ring, there are lots of neat designs in tungsten and titanium. You can find them all over the internet, and in lots of brick & mortar stores, with and without diamonds. They range from about $100 up. They can be laser engraved. As IntlSet said, titanium can be dangerous as it's hard to cut off (my mom had to have her wedding ring cut off after a window in the house got caught in the wind and slammed her finger in it, so it's not just a problem when your DH is doing physical labor). Apparently tungsten is strong and won't bend or scratch easily, but I have heard that it will shatter - like if it slips off his hand in the shower and hits the tile/marble floor. Neither tungsten nor titanium can be sized, but for the price, you can just buy a new one. Unless you're sentimental about THE ring you got married with.

My DH was convinced that he wanted something heavy (tungsten is really heavy, titanium is really light), and plain. Somehow he ended up with a 14k white gold ring, it's heavy (10g or so), with 1.5 ct tw princess cut diamonds. Not sure how that happened - good sales person, I guess. :confused1: I think they showed us every ring in the case at least twice!

My engagement ring is a palladium band with platinum prongs, and my wedding ring is 14k white gold and diamonds. I've only been wearing them together for 12 days, so I can't tell if they will wear differently, but they look the same. There is a VERY slight color difference, but not nearly as much difference as there is between sterling and white gold.

Hope that helps!
 
#11
Musey I love the red hair! Ive got red hair too.

As far as metal colors...I don't really mind the color of titanium/tungsten too much, but whitegold unplated is unappealing to me.
 
#12
illinirdhd - CONGRATS! thanks for taking the time to type all of that out. i think I am understanding better the differences between the metals.

titanium might be good for the guy's wedding band and I'm glad to hear Tacori uses palladium b/c I really like their bands and I think I may be slightly allergic to the nickel in White Gold, although I wouldnt rule out Platinum either.

if anyone else has more input, i'd love to hear it! :smile:
 
#13
Coach Superfan said:
musey- i didnt realize the difference between white gold and the palladium. but then in the picture it lists the palladium as being non coated. does that mean some jewelers could coat it (with rhodium) to give it the same color appearance as the White gold? But you're right, I need to try on the different metals.
Click to expand...
You know, I'm actually not sure! I'm pretty well versed with platinum because that's what I have, and I know some about white gold, but I'm a little behind with palladium since it's pretty new to the market.

Is it a sort of "warmth" that you're noticing in the palladium vs. the white gold? I see that too. I actually prefer the warmth to the chrome-like finish of freshly rhodium plated white gold, but that's really a preference thing!

If you can, call some of the jewelers in your area to see if they carry all three metals. The only problem, then, is that there are different percentage mixes with both palladium and platinum, that would slightly affect the color (some people are more sensitive to this than others). Some people feel very strongly about the specific alloy that they're getting, but if you're not going custom then it'll be hard for you to be that picky.


If I can offer some unsolicited advice, please explore online vendors if you weren't already planning to. My brother recently got ripped off at a local "family" jeweler, who sold him a badly certified stone at over twice its replacement value (common among local and chain jewelers). Luckily he told me about it within the return period, and I helped him find a much nicer stone online for much less than he paid, and he's so relieved and happy with his much more beautiful diamond. If you want vendor recs or other advice, please feel free to PM me, I love to help with this stuff :smile: (or just tell me to go mind my own beeswax!!
 
#15
illinirdhd said:
My engagement ring is a palladium band with platinum prongs, and my wedding ring is 14k white gold and diamonds.
Click to expand...
illinirdhd, is the rubbing issue not a problem with palladium and wg together? I know that wg and plat are not safe to wear together, but I haven't heard anything yet about wg and palladium.
 
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