Platinum vs White Gold
The main difference between platinum and white gold is on how they are formed; platinum is a pure metal while white gold is an alloy. There are many precious metals such as gold, silver, diamond, platinum, and so on. When it comes to engagement rings, people prefer platinum over other metals because of its sparkling beauty, elegance, whiteness, and durability. Though engagement rings can also be made of silver and gold. People like white rings studded with diamonds that add to the beauty of this white metal. However, white gold has become equally popular among people and jewelers, and today, there are more and more people opting for rings made of white gold. However, not many know the difference between white gold and platinum. This article will explain these differences so as to enable people to go for either of the two materials when it comes to choosing their engagement rings.
For starters, white gold is not platinum. It is an alloy of the yellow metal (gold) with other precious metals such as silver or palladium to give it a whitish appearance. Both white gold and platinum have different properties, and one must be aware of their features before finalizing either as the material for their engagement rings.
What is White Gold?
As told earlier, addition of other materials turns gold into an alloy known as white gold. White gold can be 18kt, 14kt or even 9kt depending upon the added metals. When 75% gold is mixed with 25% other materials such as silver and palladium, we get 18kt white gold. As the percentage of gold goes down, so does its karat (carat). In earlier times, it was common to use nickel for making white gold but, since nickel causes adverse skin reactions, jewelers have stopped adding nickel for this purpose. To make a finished alloy whiter, a plating of rhodium is done. Rhodium has properties similar to platinum and makes ornaments look as white as platinum. However, rhodium plating is prone to wear and one should get rhodium plating done again after every 12-18 months to keep the ring looking white.
What is Platinum?
Many people prefer platinum over white gold though it is more expensive. It is a pure metal that is white in color. Also, platinum does not need any plating as it is very durable and long lasting. Platinum is denser than gold so a ring of same karats as gold feels heavier. Since the metal platinum is denser, forming jewellery from platinum is harder. As a result, the cost of platinum jewellery can be higher.
What is the difference between Platinum and White Gold?
• White gold is an alloy of yellow gold that is made by addition of white metals such as silver and palladium whereas platinum is a pure metal.
• Platinum is naturally white whereas jewelers do rhodium plating on rings made of white gold to make it look as white as platinum.
• The whiteness of platinum remains intact whereas one needs to get rhodium plating after every 12-18 months on rings made of white gold.
• White gold is harder than platinum.
• Platinum is denser and therefore heavier than white gold.
• Platinum is 2-2.5 times more expensive than white gold as it is a purer noble metal than white gold.
• Harder density makes it harder for jewelers to cast platinum than white gold.
• Labor cost of platinum jewelry is more than white gold jewelry.
• There can be allergic reactions to platinum. However, allergic reactions to white gold are very rare.
• Other than jewellery, platinum also has other uses too. Some of them are making laboratory equipment, electrical contacts, automobile emissions control devices, etc. White gold is only used to make jewellery.
• It you take a closer look at both metals, you will see that platinum has grayish white color. However, white gold carries an artificially made white color.
• Durability of platinum is higher than white gold
• Platinum as a natural metal is rarer than the white gold, which is a creation of humans.
These are the differences between platinum and white gold. As both are very expensive and jewellery produced from them are equally beautiful, choosing one from the other can be hard.
Images Courtesy:
- White gold diamond engagement ring by 1791Rings (CC BY-SA 3.0)
- Platinum diamond engagement ring by 1791diamonds (CC BY 3.0)
