Platinum vs. White Gold: The Battle of Precious Jewelry Metals

(Announcer)…"And in this corner, a little yellow under the skin, fresh off big gains in the commodities market, ladies and gentlemen, may I present, the ever-popular WHITE GOLD!”

(Crowd, Applauding) “Look at that spot price go up.” “That’s some mighty shiny metal.”"Doesn’t he look refined?”

(Announcer)…”And in the other corner, the dense, the heavy, the impressionable and long-lasting champion of white metal jewelry, the lustrous first choice of modern brides and savvy collectors: he may be looking a little soft, but don’t be fooled: PLATINUM is READY TO RUMMMBBLLLLEEE!!!”

I’m not going to announce a favorite in this fight: it depends on the venue and the strategy.

Tell you what, I’ll give you the hard and soft of it and you can raise your ring finger for the alloy of your choice.

Platinum jewelry alloys are usually 90 or 95% pure, often mixed with related rare naturally whitish metals, such as iridium. (I’m not counting platinum plated jewelry that’s sold on television shopping networks or the marketing MESS that low-alloy platinum jewelry created for my industry a few years back).

Gold, on the other hand (ha ha) can be a scrappy mutt--not as pure as platinum, but it's got more spring in its step. 24 karat gold jewelry is rare and is NEVER white. In some Asian countries 22 karat gold jewelry is the standard, but at 91% yellow metal, it's not going to be white in color; 18 karat gold will alloy to an acceptable whiteness (but it's a notoriously brittle alloy over time). The U.S. standard 14 karat gold is viewed by many Asians and Europeans with one raised eyebrow and a quiet “tsk tsk.” It's nearly half alloy! Gold purity is easy to calculate: 14 karat is 14/24ths or about 58% gold,18 karat is 75% gold, etc.

Gold alloys vary in color from batch to batch. Its natural yellow has been alloyed into green gold, rose gold, black gold, even blue gold.

To achieve a cooler color, white gold takes on as much alloy as it can legally muster. To polish it off, jewelers usually add a rhodium plating--a few microns of (platinum's cousin) rhodium is enough to do the trick, at least temporarily... One of the big complaints about white gold is that it turns yellow over time. With the exception of some newer specialty alloys, it’s inevitable. The good news is that it easily remedied with a quick, reasonable re-plating.

If we’re talking threaded posts on earrings, clutches, catches or pin backs with springs, go with the gold, Baby. Because platinum is softer, it doesn’t spring back as well. If you have a gorgeous platinum necklace, brooch or earring, be a little more careful with the moving or removable parts.

It’s very rare to have a sensitivity to platinum; the nickel used in white gold alloys is the usual suspect. If you’re sensitive and don’t want to shell out for platinum, or if the style of jewelry you like doesn’t lend itself to a platinum alloy, look for nickel-free white gold, or give yellow gold or another non-traditional metal a chance.

I have designed rings that, in platinum, have weighed more than bracelets. Sometimes I tease my clients, tell them not to fall off a bridge wearing the platinum ring: they might sink to the bottom not have the strength to get to shore (or the stomach to sacrifice the sentmenal investment).

If you want to know who’ll put in more rounds, the answer is probably platinum. Its molecular structure is dense. Platinum can take a lot of pushing around and not lose weight. It’s a better ‘shock absorber’ than white gold.

Because platinum is dense and soft it’s the perfect metal for engraving or openwork. Sometimes I feel jaded, but I still marvel at the metalworker’s art. Beautiful hand engraving, breathtaking filigree, precision millegraining: all are best achieved in platinum.

Platinum is my ONLY choice for micro-pave. Platinum tends to wear small diamonds inward; white gold tends to spit diamonds out over time.In the “Battle of Little Rock”, bet on platinum for the long haul--or don’t bet it all.

There are jewelers all over the USA who are tired of playing Hansel and Gretl with white gold pave--many unhappy clients find their way back to the jewelry store by following a trail of tiny diamonds that are forced or have fallen from hard-worn settings.

If you want your jewelry to shine, platinum may not be your best choice, particularly if the design features flat, unadorned planes of shining metal. Within a matter of weeks or months, a platinum ring can look as though it’s been worn for years. The same dense softness that allows platinum to take a fine hand engraving make it vulnerable to visible dents and dings.

When you scratch white gold, it still tends to reflect more light than platinum, which has a tendency to get a little grey over time.

Platinum contracts enter the year 2012 priced less than $200 per troy ounce under gold. The cost of platinum jewelry seems to be largely unaffected by this depressed contract (non-delivered commodity) price, and precious metals clients who actually take delivery are also grumbling about huge premiums.

The favorite in the price category, hands down, is white gold.

Both platinum and white gold have their merits. it’s important to have a jeweler who understands which metal will work for a particular client, a jeweler who'll consider your lifestyle and ergonomics as well as your fashion sense.

Happy hunting for that perfect ring... and may the better metal win!