Should I choose Gold or Platinum?
Metal Contenders
Throughout the years engagement rings, fashion jewelry, vintage jewelry and men’s jewelry have been created in primarily two main metals. We call them them the “metalweights”. They contend against one another in the “ring” and have vast differences between each other. One side is the most classical and traditional precious metal which is a bright yellow looking thing we dub as gold. On the other side we have the prestigious and hardcore rough and tough Platinum. As with any major decision in fine jewelry there is no wrong or right but there are pros and cons based on your lifestyle. Lets delve deeper in which one ends up being the winner for you.
What is Platinum
Platinum is a type of precious metal that is grayish white in color. Often mistaken for silver, the name for platinum really comes from a Spanish word meaning “small silver.” Platinum is frequently in Columbia, Africa, and the United States but is rarely found alone. Platinum is found with its best friends that include iridium and palladium, the latter being an increasingly popular precious metal. Mining companies often find platinum when they mine for gold and silver.
Historically, platinum objects have been found in archaeological finds dating back almost 3000 years. For example, platinum was found in an Egyptian sarcophagus and casket. One reason that platinum was not very prevalent in ancient times was that no one was able to melt it for quite some time. It is one of the toughest metals to manipulate due to its extremely high hardness.
Platinum is more expensive than other precious metals due to the extraction process and the fact that there are fewer platinum mines than gold mines.
What is Gold
Gold is the beginning of how civilization began transactions between goods and is truly one of the most desirable commodities that exist on planet earth today. It has an organic yellow color as a base but can be manipulated in many different colors. The value of gold is in the form of its purity which means the gold content. In jewelry the three most common purities are 10kt(41.7% pure gold), 14kt(58.5% pure gold) and 18kt(75% pure gold). The higher the purity, the more gold the piece has. The more gold the piece has, the softer it is. The three most common colors of gold are yellow, white and rose gold. Rose Gold is formed when mixing copper alloys with yellow gold and white gold is formed when mixing silver and nickel alloys together. The most in demand color of gold today is most certainly White Gold. The most commonly purchased metal purity is 14kt in America but vast majorities of eastern countries and South American Countries believe in only 18kt Gold or higher.
Gold vs Platinum: So which one should I choose?
With any kind of jewelry it will always come down to preference and budget but considering all those factors there are a few things to mention about each metal before making that beautiful decision. One of the most glaring differences between the two metals is that Platinum will be more expensive than gold due to is being a denser metal with a greater purity. Platinum will most certainly be 95% pure while gold can fluctuate between 41.7% to 75%. As far as investment both are ideal with platinum being the more desirable purchase in recent time due its lower current market price. Gold is a much softer metal naturally while platinum is one of the most durable metals in the world. It also is one of the toughest to work with and requires more maintenance due to it being much more scratch prone than gold. When it comes to comfort goes it comes down to the individual. Platinum has a much greater heft than gold so it will feel heavier and more solid on the finger. This maybe burdensome for many so on the flip side gold is lighter and much more softer on the skin. Yet another key factor between them is that platinum is completely hypoallergenic while the alloys mixed with gold may cause rashes or skin issues. Platinum is also on the dull side while gold has a bit more of a shine to the metal. With all these things being said we always recommend 14kt White or Yellow Gold for your everyday jewelry wears and consider platinum as an option for your serious red carpet jewelry needs.