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Which Of The Precious White Metals Is Right For You?
PlatinumAccording to the Platinum Guild International USA, platinum has been used in jewelry for more than 2000 years. Several factors have attributed to its enduring popularity, including beauty, durability and purity. Platinum is often 90-95% pure, meaning there is little use of hardening alloys. While it does scratch, there is minimal metal loss as a result of polishing. Platinum is considered to be a hypo-allergenic metal due mostly to its purity. The use of nickel as an alloy is typically what causes an allergic reaction to sensitive skin and platinum contains no nickel. Platinum is extraordinarily durable for a precious metal due to its density. When wearing a platinum piece of jewelry, you can feel that it is significantly heavier than its alternatives. As a result, platinum jewelry generally requires far less maintenance than other white metal jewelry. Specifically, the prongs that hold stones in place do not need to be replaced as often and the shank (part of a ring that sits below the finger) shows far less wear over time. Platinum is often the metal of choice for the world’s most sought after gems. For instance, the Hope Diamond is set in platinum; not only for security, but also for the beautiful, shiny, pure white color. All of these attributes come at a price, platinum is the most expensive of the precious white metals – mostly due to its rarity. For every ten tons of ore extracted from a platinum mine, on average roughly one ounce of platinum will be found!
White GoldMuch like platinum, white gold has been a popular choice of jewelry manufacturers for thousands of years. Among the many reasons for its popularity are rarity, beauty – and when compared to platinum, price. Gold jewelry is generally half to one third the price of platinum jewelry, without sacrificing a rich and elegant appearance. There are a couple of glaring differences when comparing gold to platinum. When gold is initially unearthed, it is yellow in color and extremely soft. In an effort to strengthen the rare soft metal, most gold jewelry purchased today is either 14 kt. (approximately 58% pure gold) or 18 kt. (approximately 75% pure gold) and the rest of it is composed of harder alloys which are added to strengthen the piece and help to resist scratching. In order to turn the yellow gold to white, manufacturers mix in alloys such as palladium (a platinum group metal), nickel, silver and rhodium (also a platinum group metal). Once the piece of jewelry is completed, it is coated with rhodium to give it a beautiful, white luster. This process of rhodium plating, particularly in rings, requires repetition two or three times a year. It only takes about twenty minutes and eliminates the faint yellow tint which may shine through the jewelry’s white exterior over time.
PalladiumThe third and newest addition to this family of precious white metals is palladium. As mentioned earlier, this white metal is a member of the platinum group of metals and therefore possesses similar properties to its counterpart. Palladium is extremely pure when used in jewelry – approximately 90-95% - and is therefore also considered to be hypo-allergenic. Just like platinum, it is born white and does not require rhodium plating. When comparing platinum and palladium side by side, a slight color difference is noticeable as palladium has a subtle hint of gray in its natural coloring. Priced similarly to gold, if not less, palladium is experiencing a growth in popularity as the price of platinum continues to rise. The greatest challenge facing palladium consumers today is its lack of availability compared to the other white metal options. |
