Platinum or White Gold?

The Difference Between Platinum & Gold

Platinum is more dense compared to gold.  Think of platinum as a piece of cheese cake and gold as a piece of cake.  Both are excellent for jewelry making, but they each have their pros and cons.

Patina, Color, Apparent Scratches, & Hardness

Platinum has a more satin or matte finish after you wear it for a while.  Many consumers love the patina and if the piece contains gemstones, the way it complements the brilliance of gemstone(s).  While you will typically see minor dings and scratches on your platinum ring over the course of time, it will always stay the exact same white color because it is a pure white alloy.

On the other hand, white gold will tend to keep its luster (shininess) and is harder than platinum. Yes, that’s right, white gold is harder than platinum. A lot of sales people do not know what they are talking about or worse, they know and intentionally mislead consumers about platinum.

Typically, in white gold you will see light scratches and a slight off white color over time.

Care & Maintenance

Both, platinum and white gold require maintenance and the cost to maintain them are very similar.  With platinum, you should polish it every 18 to 24 months; white gold wearers should polish and rhodium plate it every 18 to 24 months.

Why Does Platinum Cost More?

Platinum rings cost more than gold rings because of a few reasons.

Platinum alloy is more expensive than gold alloy, and because of its greater density (remember: cheesecake vs. cake), platinum weights more than gold.  So, if you were to make two rings in exactly the same style, the platinum one will weigh more and therefore cost more since the gram weight will be more.

Second, platinum is harder to work with than gold.  Thus, the labor cost to make a platinum ring will be more than gold.  Both of these factors combine makes platinum more expensive.  But just how expensive?? That comes down to the retailer.  Most retailers automatically double to triple the price for platinum.  They do this because the big companies market platinum as the best and in general, consumers expect to pay significantly more for platinum.  As with most businesses, the reality is that it all comes down to marketing and how much some retailers can get away with.  Furthermore, most stores do not make their own rings and therefore are subject to the wholesaler pricing.

At Beach City Jewelers, we make all our rings and only charge our customer the difference in the metal. To give you an example, a white gold ring that is $2,200 would be $2,800 in platinum, while other jewelry stores may charge $3,800 or more for the same exact ring.

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