A Comparison Between Platinum and Gold
By Victor Canera, GIA Graduate Gemologist · Updated
The question arises on many occasions, which precious metal we recommend for our jewelry. Simply put we recommend that our clients choose Platinum. The reasons for this recommendation are numerous.
Color
The common misconception is that white gold is actually white. White gold in its bare form is of a pale yellow color whereas Platinum is more of a pure white tone. In order to achieve this pure whiteness white gold is dipped in a liquid plating compound called Rhodium. Rhodium plating wears away though over time and gold's yellowish color underneath starts to become apparent. Platinum in and of itself is white and in time achieves an attractive grayish patina.
Strength
Platinum of 90% to 95% purity has a density of 21.5g/cc versus 16.0g/cc for 18K gold alloyed with copper and silver making platinum 30% denser than 18K gold. The density advantage of platinum increases as gold karat or purity decreases. Gold's density at 14KT ranges from 12.9-14.6g/cc (depending on alloys), making platinum as much as 60% more dense than 14KT gold. This is the reason why the same design in Platinum will be significantly heavier than gold. Although gold can be considered stronger in the sense of it being harder to bend, the density of Platinum and its unlikelihood of wearing away from daily wear gives it the advantage. This density can play a vital role in parts of a jewel such as prongs that hold a center stone or beading in a micro pave piece.
Durability
Platinum by its nature is more of a "chewy" metal as opposed to gold which is more brittle. Both metals scratch over time with everyday wear but with Platinum these scratches don't remove metal content from a jewel. Polishing or re-polishing of a platinum jewel will result in almost no loss of weight or metal content whereas with gold, a jewel might lose roughly 10% of its weight. Therefore a Platinum jewel can be re-polished much more safely than a gold piece. Gold pieces lose much more metal content after a re-polishing compared to Platinum. This could be vital in areas such as prongs or beading on a pave piece which after re-polishing could severely weaken these prongs. A Platinum piece therefore will better stand the test of time and will be more durable than a gold jewel.