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Platinum vs. White Gold: Everything You Need to Know
Wed Apr 10 2024
Regardless of the occasion, the right jewellery can elevate your charm and make the event more special. Most people have an affinity for white jewellery, especially for platinum and white gold.
With their similarity in physical appearance, platinum and white gold are often considered the same. Even though they look identical, they have unique characteristics and varied properties. Explore this blog to learn everything about platinum and white gold, their pros, cons and major differences.
What is Platinum?
Platinum is considered one of the precious metals due to its unique properties. In jewellery, platinum is typically present in compositions up to around 95% and 5% cobalt, denoted as “950 platinum” to indicate its purity level. Due to their malleable properties, platinum jewellery is often made by mixing it with other metals.
What is White Gold?
White gold is an alloy of pure gold and other metals like palladium, silver or platinum. The composition of white gold jewellery is approximately 75% pure gold, with other metals at 25%.
Platinum and White Gold - Key Differences
|
Platinum |
White Gold |
|
|
Appearance |
Appears in white |
Appears in white |
|
Purity |
Made up of around 95% platinum and 5% other metals. |
Made up of around 75% pure gold and 25% other metals. |
|
Properties |
More durable |
Less durable |
|
Maintenance |
Needs minimal maintenance, but regular polishing can keep the lustre. |
Reapplication of Rhodium coating is required to maintain its shine. |
Platinum and white gold share similar physical features, making them look almost the same. However, both have extremely different properties, including their composition. Platinum occurs naturally in white, unlike white gold, which gets its colour by mixing gold with other metals such as nickel, palladium, silver, etc.
Considering its purity, platinum jewellery is more pure than white gold jewellery due to the high concentration of pure platinum. In terms of maintenance, platinum jewellery requires minimal maintenance compared to white gold. Even so, it is recommended that platinum jewellery be polished regularly to maintain its lustre and to remove scratches.
What are the Disadvantages of Platinum?
Platinum is always the top choice for almost every jewellery lover. However, before buying your platinum jewellery, it is worth understanding its disadvantages as well.
-
Requires Proper Maintenance
Compared to white gold, platinum jewellery requires minimal maintenance. However, platinum is prone to damage and scratches if it is not taken care of properly. Even though platinum jewellery is resistant to tarnish, chances are that it loses its natural lustre if not properly maintained.
-
Heavyweight
Platinum, being a dense metal, is heavier than white gold. Because of this, platinum is considered suitable for making bracelets or rings but not for jewellery like earrings. Due to their heavy weight, there are chances that they cause discomfort for certain people.
What are the Disadvantages of White Gold?
White gold jewellery has been the top choice for several people due to its key features and advantages. However, there are certain disadvantages to white gold that should be considered before buying it.
-
Less Durable
White gold is less durable than platinum and is more prone to scratches easily. It tends to lose its shine more readily compared to platinum jewellery. As a result of this, white gold requires more care and proper maintenance than platinum jewellery.
-
Discolouration
White gold consists of a combination of gold with other metals, making it less pure in nature. As a result, white gold is more susceptible to getting discoloured easily. White gold is coated with layers of rhodium, which wear off with time. Jewellery made of white gold loses its colour with each use and turns yellow more easily. Moreover, white gold is more prone to tarnish, making it a less preferred choice than platinum.
-
Irritability
While it is not a common occurrence, it is said that some people develop an allergy to jewellery made of white gold. Since white gold is an alloy made by combining gold and other metals, it is likely to cause allergic reactions to white gold. The presence of nickel in white gold is considered to cause this reaction, which does not develop until the rhodium coating wears off.
Does Platinum Lose its Shine?
Platinum, unlike white gold, does not tarnish or turn yellow. However, like any pure metal, platinum can fade and lose its natural shine. The formation of patina over platinum causes this loss of lustre, which can be tackled with simple maintenance methods. By polishing platinum, they can be brought back to their original colour and lustre.
Does Platinum Break Easily?
Platinum is known to withstand scratches and breakages under normal conditions. Even though platinum is a highly durable metal, it can break under certain circumstances. It is possible that platinum can break when excessive force is applied. In short, we can say that platinum can break, but not easily.
Does Platinum Jewellery Turn Black?
In its natural form, platinum does not get tarnished. However, platinum jewellery can turn black due to the presence of other metals in it. Platinum jewellery is made up of a high concentration of platinum and fewer concentrations of other metals. As a result, these metals can react with other elements and cause colour changes.
Final Thoughts
If you are in love with white jewellery, both platinum and white gold can be good choices. Before finalising your decision to purchase one of them, it is important to understand the differences and consider the major pros and cons of both. Since both have different characteristics, advantages and disadvantages for each, the choice of selecting one ultimately depends on your preferences.
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