Silver, yellow gold, and rose gold are the three most popular jewelry metal tones, and most people have a preference. When shopping for an engagement ring, however, many customers are confused between white gold and platinum due to their apparent similarities. If you're wondering what sets platinum apart from white gold, here we will offer a comprehensive comparison: White Gold vs Platinum. Let's read this article.

White Gold

To put it simply, white gold is simply gold with a different hue, while pure yellow gold is alloyed with white metals like nickel or palladium. Similar to the purity of yellow gold, it is expressed in karats.

The typical composition of 9 karat white gold is 35.7% gold and around 62% silver. The ring's design is made up of many different white metals, and its 14-carat white gold alloy is 58% gold.

18-carat white gold is a precious metal alloy that combines 75% gold and 25% palladium to create a timeless and highly pure metal.

Platinum

Platinum, along with white-toned steel, is one of the heaviest and densest precious metals used in jewelry. It's silver-grey in hue as well as incredibly glossy.

Platiunm has a wide range of uses thanks to its low reactivity, excellent resistance to corrosion, and greater ductility in comparison to precious metals like gold, silver, and copper.

The strength of platinum jewelry is typically increased by including alloys containing 5% of other metals, such as palladium or rhodium. The term "950 platinum" is commonly used in the high-fashion jewelry trade to denote this specific composition.

Platinum looks beautiful when set with moissanite or other precious stones due to its eye-catching radiance. This shows platinum rings are a great choice for any sort of finger.

Platinum vs White gold: The Comparison

Platinum vs White gold: Colour

Freshly polished white gold and platinum might appear nearly identical to the untrained eye.

Initial inspection will likely not reveal a significant difference in hue.

Due to the presence of yellow metal, White Gold is in fact slightly grey/off-white in hue.

This can be remedied by a surface treatment known as Rhodium plating.

Rhodium plating is the application of a very thin coating of the metal Rhodium, which is then electronically plated onto the surface of white gold in order to make it appear whiter.

In general, though, the hues of both metals are excellent and look amazing.

 

Platinum vs White gold: Durability

Platinum and White Gold are both durable metals that respond differently to impact, stress, and abrasion.

Platinum has been regarded as the strongest and highest-performing precious metal jewelry for a very long time.

Platinum's density and also brittleness make it a good choice for securing a gem, as the metal will hold its form slightly better over time than any type of gold.

Although White Gold is less thick than Platinum, it is innately strong. Compared to platinum, white gold prongs are more susceptible to wear and must be changed over time.

Platinum vs White gold: Price

White Gold jewelry is often more affordable than Platinum jewelry. It is 30 times rarer than gold and mined considerably less. Additionally, platinum is a dense metal, nearly 20% more dense than 18ct white gold. The same-sized platinum ring is heavier than its white gold counterpart. As precious metals are paid by weight, a platinum version of this ring would likewise be significantly more expensive.

However, the necessity to replicate White Gold results in higher maintenance expenditures over time compared to Platinum, which requires only an annual polish.

The price of a white gold ring is also affected by the price of the metal in the white gold alloy.

 

Platinum vs White gold: Is it Hypoallergenic

Hypoallergenic metals will make it less likely that you will have an allergic reaction because they have fewer things that could be irritating.

Platinum is 90–95% pure, so it is the only jewelry metal that is truly hypoallergenic. So it would be a great choice for people who have sensitive skin.

If you have sensitive skin, you should be careful when wearing a white gold ring. This is because white gold often has more nickel than other types of gold, which can irritate the skin.

If you believe any of these things or have any of these allergies, it would be best to stick to platinum rings.

 

Platinum vs White gold: Maintenance

Most of the time, white gold needs more maintenance than other types of gold.

In order to make white gold, 24K yellow gold is mixed with other white metals like palladium, nickel, and silver. After these metals are mixed, the resulting white gold is "rhodium plated" to make it look brighter and whiter. But the rhodium plating will definitely wear off, and when it does, the jewelry will start to turn yellow. It means you will definitely need to have it rhodium-plated again by a jewelry expert. Over time, the process of re-plating can become expensive and take a lot of time. Because it is a pure metal,

Comparing to white gold, platinum is easier to keep in good condition over time. A platinum ring doesn't need to be plated and won't get tarnished, so all it needs is a simple polish every now and then.

Platinum and white gold wear down in different ways over time. The former won't start to turn yellow like white gold does, but it will start to lose its shine and get a natural patina.

 

Final Thoughts

White gold and platinum are popular metals for jewelry. Both of them are ideal choice for enhancing the overall brilliance of your rings. Which one you should choose is decided on your preference. However, you should also take your budget and its maintenance into consideration when buying a piece of high quality beautiful jewelry at a reasonable price.