How can you tell platinum from white gold

Any thoughts on this? Hello My daughter has always had allergies to cheap metal jewelry so she stopped wearing earrings in her pierced ears. Recently I bought her 10k white gold earrings for her birthday.

Seems that she is allergic to them. When I say allergic; she wore them to work and was fine. Two weeks later she wore them again and they made her ear piercings bleed and hurt. Can you recommend the next step in metals for her to try? Thank you! Does a white gold bracelet, stamped 18K have 18K yellow gold underneath or a lesser gold. Is the 18K relating to the white gold coating or the actual yellow gold.

Reason being that I am being told that even though it is stamped 18K, that the yellow gold under the white gold coating is only 9K. It was sold as 18K white gold. Hi Brenden An 18kt stamp means that the entire item is 18kt, at least it should be. You may want to get the gold independently tested if you are concerned about the purity.

I have a plain 14k white gold 2mm wedding band purchased in the states, where I reside, that has considerably yellowed over the 1 year since purchase. I was considering replacing it with a plain 2mm platinum band but after reading your article it seems like a white gold band purchased from Australia, or somewhere that uses palladium instead of nickel alloys might be a better choice.

Hi Josie Try asking a manufacturing jeweller, as opposed to a jeweller retailer as they will most likely use a palladium based alloy. I want a metal that can keep 18 diamonds 0. So is 9ct an option? Thanks for the insightful article. Hi I am looking to purchase a 1ct diamond pendant on a spiga chain. Would the chain and fixing be better in white gold or platinum?

Directly to refiners? Do they deal with the public direct? Thanks, I appreciate your time. Hi Dave I would be best to ask one of the many gold buyers either in Perth or online. Many are attached or affiliated with refiners. I can find a link to similar examples if you would like. I have two jewellers in mind, one is an unknown offering all the nickel free alloys 9k, 10k, 14k and 18k and also platinum in decent weights. The other is a local old family jewellers in the UK so only 9k and 18k or platinum possible astronomical price with them , probably lighter weight creations but with years of decent reputation behind them.

Especially the OEC it was a wonderful find. Which metal or metals would you recommend for this project please? And if you have an opinion on which jeweller to go for that would be a great bonus. Hi, we got an engagement ring made with a stone we supplied in 18ct white gold from a design the jeweler found for us. It has since greyed and I get a reaction from wearing it. I am so upset about it! Kind regards….

Hi, We are in the process of having my engagement ring made and are going with a simple french pave band, with a low set 4 prongs. The center stone is 2. I have heard conflicting information on the pros and cons of white gold versus platinum as far as maintenance as well as the security of the center stone. I am interested in getting white gold engagement and wedding rings.

I live in West Lafayette, Indiana and my zipcode is I am not allergic to nickel but I have sensitive skin and I am pretty sure that I am senstive to nickel. Thanks much! What would you recommend for platinum chains. You say platinum setting woth white gold band is good for rings.

What about platinum chains. What are merits and demerits of platinum chains. Are platinum jewels are valued same after few years if we go to sale them or to get it exchanged with some other jewel piece as it loses some weight during day to day wear.

Does it also need polishing time to time. And are they can be remoulded after few years? And how to make sure that the platinum jewel we bought is real and are not fooled by jeweller….

Similarly, all jewellery will require polishing and servicing at some point in time. Some jewellers can reuse the platinum, but most can not, unlike gold. We have found we can successfully melt up small amounts of platinum off cuts into a small bar with the right temperature flame, crucible, a non iridium based alloy and no more than 30 gms of off cuts, we can reuse for wedding rings and shanks but use virgin alloy for the settings every time.

Yes, you can, but the gold rings might wear the platinum rings down as gold alloys are harder than purer platinum alloys. I just bought my wife a 4ct diamond and am having a jeweler design and make her a 2 tone ring, 18K yellow and 14K white. I wanted to set the 4ct diamond in 4 prong Platinum, he is strongly suggesting 14k white with 6 prongs.

I wanted 4 prong to be able to better see the diamond. Hello Nikhil Can you advise whether white gold or platinum is better for a chain for a pendant. The pendant is a reasonable size and made of white gold and diamonds, and so I would like the least likely chain to break.

Also the person its for is sensitive to silver, at least in earrings. Since most white gold contains silver, platinum would be a better option if you are concerned about an alergic reaction to silver. However, white gold chains are far more prevalent than platinum chains. Hi Nikhil, Could you kindly recommend a or a couple of reputable jeweler s in Melbourne who can redesign my engagement ring.

It is currently a trilogy design, the band is 24k gold but would like to change band into either white gold or. Would you also recommend a platinum setting and white gold band for this? Hi Nikhil, I recently bought a 18k white gold diamond ring because the jeweller said platinum is softer, more prone to scratches and more prone to jewel lost falls off especially for 1 carat and above.

He said 18k white gold is stronger and cheaper. I was convinced because I did not want my diamond to fall off as I will be wearing it daily. After reading your article, is he right on everything except jewel lost?

Platinum is less prone to bending, so if the diamond is claw set, then it will take a little more force to say bend the claws than 18kt white gold. Platinum is softer so it is more prone to scratching and denting. That said, both platinum and 18kt white gold are fine choices for an engagement ring. I want to buy a very good quality one to have forever. Would you suggest platinum or white gold is better for long term wear.

I was thinking platinum as you need to replate the rhodium in white gold. Also do you suggest anywhere in Sydney to buy a good quality one?

Given it is a pendant, white gold is far more common and the availability of white gold chains is far more prevalent than platinum chains. Probably for the first time, I have come across a post that states the differences between the white gold and platinum in such a clear and concise manner. Hi Very interesting read, thank you.

Is it better to have a yellow gold band, but might that get damaged when rubbing against the platinum on the inside of the finger? It should be OK to mix metals. If anything, the gold will wear the platinum down as the gold will be harder. There is a special place in Hell for web-designers who make italic font a main font on the page. It was created in the 80s by another big industry—cosmetics!

This is why I do not really understand the use of platinum bands for wedding bands, if they are for daily wear for decades resizing is likely to be necessary and repair may also be necessary emergency removal. I think there is a lot of snobbery when it comes to white gold, that it is a pretender to platinum, but honestly it seems by far the most practical option if white metal is the preference for the band.

Glad we have standards here in Australia, Nickel allergies are incredibly common, so it makes jewellery made with it very likely to be unsuitable for the end user.

I love the look of unplated 18k palladium white gold — I also love 18k and 22k yellow gold, they just have such a glow to them? Thanks for this super useful article — really insightful and a welcome break after reading pages and pages of retailer websites which seem devoid of real information.

Aesthetics aside, is it noticeably less robust than 18 carat white gold? Appreciate your insight! Great article! Sad that there are not more of them out there. Luckily I found a booklet about semifinished parts for juweliers. If we would have just listened to most of the comercials, we would have probably choosen the wrong material. We really like this weak a bit boring looking platin.

Only the costs nearly killid us :. White gold is also pretty durable, but its hardness depends on its karat — the lower it is, the less actual gold the piece contains and the harder it is.

Soul food containing Adamabtum particles that enrich our inner love light. Gold is powerful not because of what it can buy but by how it is given.. It is made from love and is love and can only absorb the quantum properties by lovingly affecting another. Hi Lashawn, thanks for commenting. Hi Alice, thanks for commenting.

The quick answer is platinum is heavier. But, if you want the longer answer then read on. Platinum is denser and therefore its specific gravity is higher. Pure platinum has a SG specific gravity of Which is why a platinum ring feels much heavier than the same ring in 14k white gold. I commend you for this blog post.

Although I know most of the details previously already, I still learn a few things from it. The writing is concise and easy to follow. As suggestions to supplement the details in this blog , most people do not know or care about the stamps marking on the jewelry. Your blog has already alluded to the alloy content eg.

The same goes with for 18k , or for 14k , or for sterling silver. It would be a useful piece of advice. Hi Tiddle, thanks for the kind words.

Hello, I am allergic to Nickle, so what is best metal for me to wear as I know Gold and Silver and white gold contain Nickle. Thank you. Hi Nina, thanks for reaching out to us. Having a Nickle allergy is quite common, and you have several options.

In a nutshell your main options are: rhodium plating, anti-allergy coatings nail polish , non-nickle white gold alloys like our star white gold , and platinum.

Hopefully that helps, and feel free to contact us if you would like to learn more. I am definitely coming to you for our next piece. Hi Chris, thanks for contact us. It can be quite difficult to differentiate white gold and platinum without the proper equipment and experience.

We have gold testing tools that give us a good indication of what a specific part of a ring is made out of. If someone has worked with platinum and white gold extensively, they can generally tell the difference by doing a light file on the piece. If you are close by, we would be happy to test your ring for you. Just bring it by the shop. Thanks for asking. We should do a full article on the subject to really explain it well.

But, for now, we can summarize and say that Gold and Silver and completely different metals. Most silver you see in jewelry is called Sterling Silver which is at least Silver, is a soft metal, and is much softer than 14k white gold. This causes is to wear sooner. Another difference is that Silver with tarnish over time which may or may not be desirable depending on the person. Like Platinum, Silver is naturally white whereas Gold needs to be alloyed with other metals usually Nickle to make it white.

I would also like to know some more about white gold and platinum rings. What I would want to know is about how these metals are taken care of.

How often is one supposed to clean or care for a ring? I would also want to know if these metals have a way of fading out.

Hi Akweley, those are some more good questions. Regarding care and cleaning, the general rule of thumb is to have your daily-wear rings cleaned and checked by a jeweler every 6 months. There are also at home jewelry cleaners that you can use to keep your jewelry looking great in between checkups.

Definitely checkout our article on care and cleaning for jewelry to learn more. This is because most white gold is plated with a metal called Rhodium. Over time, as the plating wears off, you will begin to see the color of the white gold underneath. When you bring your ring in for its regular checkup, your jeweler will replate the white gold to make it look bright white again. Platinum does not have this issue as it is naturally white and does not require plating.

Would you recommend I purchase a platinum ring or a white gold ring? I want to know because I love quality and durable stuff. And which jeweler would you recommend I buy from?

I live in Ghana. I would also want to find out whether one should consider the weather as well when buying a wedding ring. Hi Akweley, those are some good questions. If you love quality and durability, I would say Platinum would be the best choice for you. When you wear a Platinum ring, you feel the extra weight and you know you are wearing a quality piece of jewelry.

Platinum is also generally more durable than white gold over time. Platinum and white gold both hold up very well under almost any whether conditions. You might factor in the weather when deciding on a ring design, however. If you feel the ring will be exposed to a harsh environment, you may opt for a simpler, more sturdy design something like this as opposed to something more intricate and delicate along these lines.

The only other thing to consider with the weather and metals is allergic reactions. If you are allergic to the Nickle in some white gold alloys, sometimes adverse weather conditions can accentuate this, but that is very rare. However, I can always recommend us.

Or, you can send us an email service mygemologist. What process molding, machining is adopted for manufacturing the jewelery of platinum iridium alloy?

A ring made from a rod needs special machines or can it be made at home by using simple tools. Jewelry is manufactured in a variety of ways. The most common technique is called lost-wax casting , and it involves carving a wax, filling the area around it with a material called investment, burning out the wax in an oven, and then filling the void left by the wax with liquid metal platinum-iridium in this case.

That's why it is mixed with other metals to give it additional hardness. So, the 18K white gold option would be less durable because it is closer to 24K. Platinum is a very strong and heavy metal. The wearer of a platinum piece will have to decide if they can handle a heavier metal like platinum over a lighter metal like white gold.

The best way to test this out is by trying it on to see if its too heavy for you or if you don't mind it. Platinum is the densest precious metal that you can buy, so all of these factors will have to be considered.

When comparing metals, you'll also want to think about the possibility that the metal could irritate your skin or cause an allergic reaction. Hypoallergenic metals will help to reduce the possibility that you will have an allergic reaction by minimizing potentially irritating substances. Because white gold is made from a mix of metals, some of these metals could easily irritate someone's skin if they have a particular sensitivity.

If you are aware of any of these allergies or suspect you may have any, then stick to platinum. One of the biggest selling points of white gold over platinum is cost.

Platinum will almost always be more expensive than white gold because it is 30 times more rare and mined much less than gold. To be more specific, 2, tons of gold are mined per year compared to 80 tons of platinum. Also, platinum is denser than gold. The exact same ring would weigh more if its made of platinum over white gold. If the metal dissolves immediately in the acid, it is not platinum. Platinum will retain the same color and brightness underneath platinum testing acid. If you warm the acid, it will dissolve platinum.

Continue testing with other acids if the piece is not platinum to find out what it is. Make new scratches on the stone for each different kind of acid. Test one acid on the stone at a time. If the scratches all dissolve, the piece is not platinum, silver, or white gold. Did you know you can get expert answers for this article? Unlock expert answers by supporting wikiHow. Are there different types of platinum? Why does some platinum jewelry look so different?

Kennon Young Master Gemologist Appraiser. Kennon Young. Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer. Yes No. Not Helpful 1 Helpful 3. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.

Platinum is denser than other precious metals. It will feel heavier in your hand than silver, white gold, or palladium. Helpful 2 Not Helpful 0. A jeweler can test to see if a piece of metal is platinum and what percentage it is with more involved tests. Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0.