Platinum vs White Gold
Platinum and white gold are two popular metals used in the creation of jewelry. At first glance, these two metals may look similar. In order to identify which is which, here are their major differences.
First of all, you have to look at the cost of the jewelry. Platinum is more valuable than white gold so you should expect that pieces of jewelry made from platinum are more expensive than those made from white gold.
Platinum is friendlier to the skin than white gold. You have to take note that white gold is composed of nickel and other metals that normally react to the human skin. On the other hand, platinum jewelry is almost always made from 95 percent platinum making it less chemically reactive.
Platinum is also a very dense metal compared to white gold. This means that platinum is heavier while white gold is lightweight. You can easily identify platinum and white gold based on their weight difference.
Platinum has a natural white color with a tinge of bluish hue. White gold is also white because of the rhodium plating. When this plating wears off, white gold’s color will turn to yellow.
In terms of durability, platinum is more durable than white gold. Platinum does not wear or tarnish and is not susceptible to corrosion or breakage. On the other hand, white gold is susceptible to wear. The plating will wear off over time. When you scratch white gold, part of the metal is scratched-off also. With platinum, scratches can be removed through buffing without degrading the integrity of the metal.
Because of these characteristics, platinum is a low maintenance metal while white gold requires meticulous cleaning and re-plating.
So if you are on the market looking for jewelry, always remember that platinum is heavier and more durable but more expensive. White gold on the other hand is lighter and cheaper but is less durable.