13th August 2024
When it comes to your wedding ring, it is so important that you know what you are buying. This ring is not only a symbol of your everlasting love and commitment, but a piece of fine jewellery that you will wear for the rest of your life!
Selecting the design of your wedding band is so personal, and your choice will come down to many factors such as your engagement ring, your lifestyle, and your personal style. When it comes to choosing the metal colour, again that is a personal choice. But if you are a white metal lover, then you have a few options to choose from.
The question of platinum vs white gold is one we get a lot from our clients. Truthfully, both metals are fantastic for jewellery making, and will result in a gorgeous piece of jewellery for you to treasure forever. However, there are some differences between them which might sway your choice.
Platinum is a remarkably luminous, strong, and nonreactive metal. It is extremely malleable with incredible metal memory. It is also one of the purest alloys used in jewellery making, with jewellers generally working with an alloy comprised of 95% pure platinum balanced out by only 5% other metals. This purity means that platinum jewellery is ideal for wearers who suffer from metal allergies.
Only a few hundred tonnes of platinum are produced annually. In fact, it is around 20x more rare than gold!
White gold is a greyish or yellowy silver toned precious metal that was popularised during the 1920s as an alternative to platinum. Platinum is it’s own element on the periodic table, just like gold is. White gold is the name for the alloy made by combining the naturally yellow element gold with other metals to make it appear white.
Any metal used in jewellery making will be an alloy. So while platinum is an element, it is mixed with 5% other metals to be workable. Unlike platinum, there are several purity levels available in gold. These are known as karats. 9ct gold has the lowest levels of pure gold, amounting to 37.5% of the overall metal, and then the purity increases all the way up to 24ct or pure gold.
While white gold looks very different to yellow gold, each karat still contains the same amount of pure gold as its yellow counterpart. White gold cannot be purchased in higher than 18ct purity, because beyond that it is no longer possible for the finished material to appear white in colour.
White gold is usually made with palladium or silver in the alloy. Both of these can be issues for people with nickel allergies, or other metal allergies. If you know that you are sensitive to certain metals, then white gold may not be the right choice for you.
While white metals are usually lumped together, they do have differences in colour. Platinum is a deep silvery colour, slightly more grey than sterling silver itself.
The colour of white gold will depend on a few factors. Some white gold leans more towards a grey colour, particularly if the alloy contains less pure gold. Higher karats of white gold tend to lean more yellow as they contain more gold.
White gold jewellery is almost always sold plated with rhodium, which is a bright silvery white metal. Rhodium is very strong and nonreactive, and creates a barrier on the surface of the gold. This plating allows all white gold jewellery to appear a uniform colour, no matter what karat of gold was used. However, rhodium plating is not permanent and will eventually need reapplying.
Platinum commands a higher price than white gold. On average, a platinum piece will be around 40-50% more expensive than the same piece in white gold. This is partly because platinum is more dense, so a piece of the same size requires more metal to make. The higher price is also due to platinum’s rarity.
White gold can vary in price, depending on the purity of the alloy. 9ct white gold is the least expensive, while 18ct white gold commands the highest price. The price of white gold can be higher during times of economic instability. This is because palladium, which is used in the alloy, can jump up in price significantly during these times.
When considering platinum vs white gold, it is important to remember to factor in maintenance costs too. Platinum is a nonreactive and inert metal, so will retain it’s colour and lustre over time. White gold will need to be re-plated throughout it’s lifetime, which will add up over the years.
Each metal has unique properties which affect durability. Platinum is technically more durable, as it is more dense and malleable which means that platinum jewellery is less likely to break. However, it can be more prone to scratching than something like 9ct white gold which is a harder material.
White gold becomes softer the higher karat it is. 9ct white gold is more hard due to the other metals present in the alloy. This hardness can make the metal brittle in comparison to platinum, and more prone to snapping under duress.
Since platinum is softer, it is more prone to scratches and nicks. In antique jewellery, the worn appearance of platinum is known as a patina. This is often considered a desirable trait in jewellery. Platinum has remarkable metal memory, which means that scratches on platinum only displace metal rather than remove it. You can have your platinum jewellery polished by a jeweller to remove the patina if you do not like how it looks.
If you are shopping for an engagement ring, then you need to factor your budget and lifestyle in to your choice of metal. White gold is a gorgeous lower cost option which is perfectly suitable for setting diamonds or other precious stones. It is most suitable for someone without metal sensitivities, and who is prepared to remove their ring whilst doing things like cleaning or working out.
Platinum is a fantastic choice for setting high value precious stones like larger diamonds. The malleability and strength of platinum makes it ideal for creating prongs and claws to hold in gemstones. However, platinum does command a more premium price point.
If you are shopping for a wedding band, then it is important to take your engagement ring into consideration if you wear one. It is best to match the metal of your wedding ring to your engagement ring for a number of reasons. One is so that the colours match, as the differing tones of platinum vs white gold can be quite noticeable.
The most important reason to match metals, however, is due to their density. Putting a dense platinum ring next to white gold prongs on a diamond will cause wear over time to the prongs. This can cause your jewellery to become damaged more quickly than it should. It could even result in you losing your centre stone!
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