Lots of people find themselves confused when it comes time to purchase an engagement ring or wedding ring. If someone does not like the sell gold">traditional yellow gold for jewelry, there are lots of options out there in the form of white gold and platinum, plus titanium and other metals. For a classic look, most people turn to white gold or platinum, but how do they know which to choose?
For some, the price is the deciding factor. In the store, white gold and platinum are indistinguishable from one another. It’s what you don’t know that can hurt you here, because the two types of jewelry are very different indeed. Let’s attempt to uncover the differences between the two metals to figure out what is best for you.
White gold is the less expensive option of the two. It costs one half to one third less than the same ring in platinum. Why would that be? What exactly are you paying for when you buy a platinum ring? For one, platinum is a mostly pure metal, not an alloy like white gold. Unlike white gold, platinum is usually 95% pure. The amount of pure gold in a white gold piece of jewelry depends on the karat of the piece. For 18kt piece, the gold content is 75%, with the other 25% made up of other types of metals.
It used to be that jewelry makers would put nickel into the gold to make it into white gold. It turns out that a lot of people are allergic to nickel, so they stopped that and started filling in with sell palladium">palladium and coating the jewelry in rhodium. People are not as allergic to rhodium. Rhodium gives white gold that silvery appearance, but it wears off over time. If you buy rhodium-plated white gold, it is recommended that you have it re-plated ever 12-18 months. With that in the picture, the overall cost difference changes at bit.
It costs about to re-plate a standard wedding ring (though some places do it for free – especially if you bought your ring there), but if you take into account the inconvenience of going and having it done it might not be worth it to you. But, if you think platinum is not worth the cost, re-plating might seem like a small price to pay.
Another thing to consider is the fact that platinum is a lot heavier than white gold. So, if you like the feel of a heavy ring on your finger, go with sell platinum">platinum. If you don’t feel like doing the heavy lifting with your ring finger then it would be best to stick with the white gold. Just plan on taking a trip to the jeweler every year or so.
Hopefully you now have the information you need to make an educated decision on whether to buy white gold or platinum for your engagement ring or wedding ring.
