IS PLATINUM REALLY WORTH THE PRICE?
EXPENSIVE PLATINUM VS OTHER CHEAPER WHITE METALS
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Why is platinum so expensive and why would one consider purchasing it over other white metals like; white gold, titanium, sterling silver, palladium, tungsten, steel?
It’s a good question and one definitely worth an answer, especially when you consider that all those other white metals are much cheaper and give similar looks!
Let’s dive in…
There are lots of white metals on the market, plenty for people to choose from. But out of all of them, platinum is the most sought after and the most expensive.
In fact platinum could cost you 4 times or more for that lovely precious metal. But is it really worth it?
Platinum is pure:
Platinum is 95-99% pure (the remaining 5 percentage is usually other platinum groups as well). Unlike the next most popular white metal; white gold. White gold is really yellow gold with some other white alloys added to the mix to make it look white. White gold was actually made as a substitute for platinum, because platinum was scarce during WWII.
In the last 10 years, platinum has made a huge comeback.
And, as a matter of fact, all white metals are doing very well right now.
Platinum doesn’t tarnish:
The great thing about platinum is that it will never tarnish or turn colors. That in itself is one of the huge benefits to platinum. It won’t fade, or turn yellow like white gold will. Plus, it won’t ever need rhodium plated like white gold either.
Platinum will look like platinum forever.
Platinum is strong:
Plus, platinum is 4 times stronger than white gold.
That means it’s 4 times less likely to scratch, dent or bend like gold will.
Platinum is used in jewelry because of its durability and ability to last a lifetime. Plus the fact that putting your gemstones and diamonds in a platinum mounting prevents the mounting from adding color to your stones.
Yellow gold is known for adding ugly yellow hues to diamonds, and white gold tarnishes and turns yellow… Platinum won’t do that. Yellow or tarnished mountings just don’t do diamonds any justice.
So why has platinum made such a huge comeback?
Platinum has made such a huge comeback over the last couple years because of the latest trends and styles.
Platinum is no longer boring and simple.
Instead, designers are coming out with beautiful pave set mountings that give a new twist to antique styles with glistening diamonds (see picture).
Go take a look…
If you haven’t been diamond ring shopping lately, then I advise you to get out and look at all the beautiful elegant platinum settings. The rings are simply stunning works of art and they are a sheer joy to look at.
Platinum designers make intricate lattice work, full of sharp details. Bead-set diamonds enhance the bands and will make you fall in love with platinum again and again.
As soon as you start looking at the settings, as soon as you feel the weight of the rings and see the diamonds sparkling in the white mountings, you’ll know… You’ll know that platinum is king again!
Platinum is the way to go.
And here’s a big bonus: You don’t ever have to worry about allergies with platinum!
That’s because platinum is pure. A lot of people are allergic to 14kt gold. But in reality, it’s usually not the gold they are allergic too, it’s the alloys gold is mixed with. Since platinum is not mixed with anything, you won’t ever have to worry about being allergic to it.
To date, I’ve never met anyone who’s been allergic to platinum.
No tarnishing or plating:
Platinum is solid, durable and built to last. You’ll never have to get it rhodium plated like you do with white gold. It’ll never tarnish, fade and it’ll always stay white.
Putting your diamonds in a platinum mounting assures you that your rings will be loved and cherished and handed down from generation to generation.
You’ll spend less money in repairs when you have a platinum mounting, because your prongs won’t wear down so quickly. You won’t have to have it rhodium plated. You won’t have to have it polished as often as gold, because it doesn’t scratch as easily.
Platinum is also more secure in holding in your gemstones and diamonds.
So is precious platinum worth 4 times the price?
Yes!
4 times more durable, pure, white, and more peace of mind. :)
Take a peek at these beautiful platinum settings HERE!
Cheers! :)
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I’m playing catch-up from time to time with your older posts, and of course soaking up more knowledge, as usual, BUT, this time I have to take issue with some statements made in this one.
Regarding your comment that platinum is a “pure” metal and isn’t alloyed or mixed with other metals, I’m surprised to see you say that. There isn’t any platinum jewelry on the market that hasn’t been mixed with something, particularly Iridium, or Ruthenium, which are also platinum family metals, along with rhodium, or even Cobalt, which is a ferrous metal. It accounts for the different qualifications marked inside or on every piece made of platinum – Pt950/Ir, which is 950 parts platinum, 50 parts Iridium (by weight, not by volume) which is the European standard for Platinum pieces, although it’s also found here too; Pt900/Ir which is 900 parts platinum and 100 parts Iridium, the most popular combination in the US; or Pt950/Ru which is 950 parts platinum and 50 parts Ruthenium. There’s also an alloy of Platinum with cobalt, Pt950/Co or 950 parts platinum with 50 parts Cobalt; but I don’t think it is as popular in the US market as Platinum and Iridium 900/100. It also comes up a lot grayer than Iridium platinum, and cobalt being a ferrous metal, not a platinum family metal, has to be handled differently under production and for scrapping.
So, I think I have to take exception with the claim that platinum isn’t alloyed with any other metals, even if two of them are from the same metal “family.”
Hi Shari. Yes you are correct. Platinum normally found in stores is usually at least 95% pure, otherwise they can’t truly call it Platinum. And just like everything in nature, nothing is totally pure or perfect. There are always some sort of mixture you’ll find in the brew. But jewelers do state that it’s “Pure Platinum”, even though the alloys mixed are slight and often “Other Platinum Groups”. It can get confusing, but I’ve always heard people refer to them as Pure (really the purest used for Jewelry), unlike Gold, which is barely half Pure. It’s a big difference. But still, you are correct. :)