September 10, 2008
“White gold and platinum look very much alike to many people, but they are very much two very different metals. One major difference is in their price. White gold is not nearly as expensive as platinum, which makes it a good option for those who like the look of white gold and platinum in jewelry but may have a budget that does not allow for the purchase of platinum. There are other ways in which white gold and platinum differ, as well. ”
Although white gold and platinum may seem to be very much alike to an untrained eye, jewelry made with the two metals is very different. One way in which they differ is in price–platinum is a lot more expensive than white gold. Read on and you’ll get some idea what this is the case.
White Gold
White gold is not found in nature; instead it is an alloy or mix of gold with other metals. To make white gold, gold may be alloyed with palladium or silver. At one time, the alloys to make white gold included nickel, but since so many people have allergic reactions to nickel, this metal is not used to make white gold as it once was. White gold can be made in various karat amounts–18 karat, 14 karat, 9 karat, etc.
Platinum
Platinum is a white metal that is found in nature. Jewelers who make objects with platinum use this metal in what is almost its purest form. Most platinum jewelry is made with platinum that is about 95% pure. Platinum is quite heavy and dense, so jewelry made of platinum feels a lot heavier that jewelry made of gold.
More often than not white gold is plated with rhodium. Coating white gold with rhodium is what gives white gold a color that makes it look similar to platinum. Without this coating, white gold will appear to be light gray in color, rather than actually white. So the name white gold is a little misleading since white gold is not actually white.
Platinum, on the other hand, really is white in color. It does not need a coating to make it appear that way; this is how it looks naturally.
If you are looking to sell jewelry made from either of these metals, a gold buyer will be happy to take a look at it and give you an estimate of just how much cash for gold or cash for platinum you can get.