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Proudly Australian    /    Ethical Choice    /    Bigger and Better Rocks    /    Real Diamonds
Jun 16, 2020
Engagement Rings
Platinum VS White Gold – Platinum is the winner (And here’s why)
18-carat white gold is composed of 75% pure gold. And, as you probably already know, all gold has a deep, brilliant yellow colour. So what is “white gold?” How do we make gold look white?
 
Typically, white gold is made with an alloy of either palladium or nickel. These metals are very silver in colour – so when combined with gold, they make it look more “white” in appearance. However, it’s still not completely white, having still a tint of yellow. To further brighten the gold, it’s usually plated with rhodium. This metal is very hard and silvery-white in appearance – and when the palladium or nickel gold alloy is coated with it, it gains a brilliant white-silver appearance.
 

WHITE GOLD CHANGES COLOUR – WHILE PLATINUM MAINTAINS ITS COLOUR

The problem is that rhodium plating doesn’t last forever. It can wear off in as little as a few months, depending on the amount of wear of the ring. Once it does, the colour of your ring will change to an off-white, yellowish colour – which is the true colour of the alloy below the plating.

To deal with this, you’ll need to have it professionally polished. The old layer of rhodium plating will be removed, and the ring will be plated with rhodium again. This must be done repeatedly for the lifetime of your ring, generally every 6 months!

Jewellers love it when you buy white gold – because you’ll have to come back into their store regularly to have your ring serviced over and over. They charge you for this service and also have the chance to sell you something new.

Platinum doesn’t have this problem. It has a naturally bright, silver-white colour that looks beautiful. All you need to do to maintain a piece of platinum jewellery if you like is to give it a light polish every 2 years or so – that’s it!

If you’re interested in the unique appearance of white gold for an engagement ring – or any ring in general – you may be surprised to find out that platinum is a much better overall option. Read on to learn more, and see why platinum from Novita Diamonds is superior to white gold.


ARE PLATINUM RINGS MORE EXPENSIVE THAN WHITE GOLD?

Platinum rings at Novita are competitively priced – only about 10% more for platinum vs white gold rings. Why is it more expensive? First, platinum rings are made of 95% platinum – while 18ct gold rings are made of only 75% gold. Second, the melting temperatures of platinum exceed 1,700° C, compared to just 1,100° C for white gold. Third, due to the high melting temperatures, they are naturally more labour intensive.

So why do jewellers usually charge double for platinum?

We make our rings in-house, which means that they are much more affordable. Different from us, the average jeweller has to outsource the work to a company like us. And do not forget, since you won't be coming back every 6 months, they are trying to make up for a lifetime of no maintenance.

 

WHITE GOLD VS PLATINUM - WHICH ONE IS STRONGER? 

Is platinum better than white gold or stronger? They are equally strong and durable but white gold tends to scratch more easily due to the layer of rhodium plating. Don’t be fooled by false statements of salespeople pretending white gold is stronger. It’s simply not.

 

SHOP FOR A PLATINUM RING FROM NOVITA DIAMONDS TODAY!

At Novita Diamonds, we encourage you to choose platinum over white gold. We support you by keeping our prices low and at wholesale rates allowing you to spend more on the platinum and diamond ring that your special someone has always wanted. We hope this article has made your choice clear between platinum or white gold. And the real differences of white gold vs platinum.
 
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