White gold and platinum are two common settings for wedding and engagement rings, and while their coloring is similar, the two metals have very distinct characteristics that make them far from interchangeable. In order to help consumers make more informed decisions, Ira Weissman, founder of TruthAboutDiamonds.com, recently outlined some of the advantages and disadvantages of both white gold and platinum. Here’s a brief summary of his advice, broken down into the 4 Cs:
Color & Care
The first thing you should know is that white gold is never pure gold because in order to achieve the desire silvery white color, yellow gold must be alloyed with a white metal like silver, nickel, or rhodium. Because of this, white gold jewelry should be re-dipped very few years lest it begin to show its true yellow coloring.
The natural white color of platinum does not need to be maintained, but it will scratch and dull over time, and the cleaning/polishing process necessarily strips away some of the metal.
Another thing to note is that white gold and platinum are not the same color, so you should avoid mixing the two in your wedding and engagement rings.
Cost
Because platinum is rarer than gold and precious metals are priced by weight (platinum is significantly more dense than gold), a platinum ring will cost roughly twice as much as a white gold ring.
Composition
White gold engagement rings are commonly either 14K or 18K, which translates to 58.3 and 75 percent pure gold, respectively. But as the pure gold content increases, the durability of the ring decreases since gold is such a soft metal.
Platinum, on the other hand, is much more durable—but that strength translates to a much heavier ring, which can be a deterrent for some people.
Culture
Throughout history, gold has been used as a symbol of wealth, wisdom, and highest achievement. And because gold doesn’t tarnish, it has been a very popular choice for symbolizing eternity is wedding bands. Platinum, however, has recently been utilized more and more as a symbol of wealth—as in platinum credit cards and platinum rewards members.
So depending on your personal preferences and priorities, both white gold and platinum can be great choices for engagement and wedding ring settings. And at Cash for Gold USA, a white gold ring is the gift that keeps on giving. We will accept your gold jewelry, white or otherwise, and give you cash in return!
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