How to Choose White Gold or Platinum for Men's Wedding Bands
Choosing a wedding band for a groom is a matter of personal taste, style and budget. Wedding bands can be simple bands or elaborate with diamond adornments. Most wedding bands are made out of gold or platinum. Gold bands come in different colors, the most popular being white and yellow gold. While white gold and platinum look similar at first, there are differences. Knowing these differences can make choosing between a gold and platinum wedding ring easier. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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What are White Gold and Platinum?
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White gold is a mixture of gold and some white metals, such as silver and palladium. White gold can be 18kt, 14kt, 10kt or any karat. The higher the karat weight, the higher percentage of pure gold is in the mixture. White gold rings are coated with another white metal called rhodium. Normally white gold is slightly gray in color; the rhodium coating makes the white gold a very shiny pure white color. White gold is generally the same price per ounce as yellow gold, and fluctuates with the commodities markets.
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Platinum is a naturally white metal, so it is used in almost pure form in jewelry-making. Platinum is a heavy metal, so a platinum ring will feel heavier than an 18kt gold ring. Because platinum is a denser metal, it is not as soft as gold, so it's less bendable and more durable than gold. Platinum is an extremely rare metal, so its cost is generally twice that of gold, though prices fluctuate with the commodities markets.
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Regardless of whether you choose white gold or platinum for a wedding ring, consider the properties of the metals: durability, price, look and weight.
Choosing White Gold versus Platinum
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Gold is a very soft metal. The higher the karat weight in a white gold ring, the softer the metal, because there is a higher pure gold content in the ring. Gold rings can bend and scratch, and the rhodium plating can wear off. Usually a jeweler can polish the ring and re-coat in rhodium to make the ring look like new again. If you are easy on your hands, a gold ring should not easily bend or scratch.
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Platinum is a very dense metal and is much harder to bend and scratch. Because the metal is not coated, scratches and nicks on a platinum ring can usually be polished out of the ring by a jeweler easily. If your job requires use of tools or you are hard on your rings, platinum may be worth the initial investment because it will last longer.
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In comparing a white gold and platinum wedding band of identical style, a white gold band will be less expensive than a platinum one. This is because platinum is a much rarer metal and will typically cost more per ounce than gold.
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Most people will not easily be able to tell the difference between a white gold ring and a platinum ring by sight at first. As time passes and the ring is exposed to chemicals, water, sun and work, the gold ring's color will lose its "whiteness" and should be re-coated in rhodium. Platinum will not lose its luster.
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Tips & Warnings
Find a reputable jeweler and ask him to show you two rings, one platinum and one white gold, that are similar in style. Ask the jeweler to not tell you which is which, and see if you can tell the difference through color, weight and feel.
Only buy jewelry from a reputable jeweler. Be careful of Internet deals and auction houses that have deals too good to be true. Though it's always a good idea to price compare, if an item is significantly cheaper through the Internet, chances are there's a reason why it's so inexpensive.
