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Platinum vs. Gold: What Is The Difference?
Choosing between platinum and gold for jewelry, especially for engagement and wedding rings, requires understanding each metal's unique properties. Both platinum and gold have their unique appeal, advantages, and price points—all of which can impact your decision. This guide will provide a full comparison of platinum, white gold, yellow gold, and rose gold.
Platinum: A Closer Look
Platinum is a precious metal renowned for its exceptional durability, natural white sheen, and luxurious appeal. Its density and strength make it an excellent choice for crafting fine jewelry and its hypoallergenic properties also make it an ideal option for those with sensitive skin. Platinum does not tarnish or fade over time, maintaining its brilliant luster with minimal maintenance. However, over time, platinum can develop a soft matte layer over the metal called a patina, which can give it a slightly frosted finish.
To keep platinum jewelry looking its best, regular cleaning is recommended. A simple solution of mild soap and warm water, combined with gentle scrubbing using a soft-bristle brush, can effectively remove dirt and oils. Platinum's inherent durability ensures that it withstands the rigors of daily wear, making it a cherished and enduring choice for significant pieces like engagement rings.
White Gold: A Closer Look
White gold is made by combining pure gold with white metals such as palladium or nickel, followed by a rhodium plating to enhance its bright, silvery appearance. This combination results in a metal that is both durable and beautiful, making it a popular choice for fine jewelry.
A mixture of mild soap and warm water can be used for routine cleaning, along with a soft cloth or brush to gently remove any buildup. Over time, the rhodium plating on white gold may wear off. To maintain its bright white appearance, white gold jewelry should be periodically re-plated by a professional jeweler. Additionally, white gold is generally not hypoallergenic due to its nickel content, so individuals with sensitive skin should consider white gold alloys with palladium or a hypoallergenic metal like platinum.
Yellow Gold: A Closer Look
Yellow gold is a classic and timeless metal, prized for its warm, rich hue. Regular cleaning with a mild soap and warm water solution helps maintain its shine, and a soft cloth or brush can be used to gently scrub away dirt and oils. Additionally, yellow gold is generally hypoallergenic, especially in higher karats, making it a suitable choice for individuals with sensitive skin.
Rose Gold: A Closer Look
Rose gold is a romantic and distinctive metal known for its warm, blush-pink hue. It is created by alloying pure gold with copper, which gives it its beautiful coloration. Caring for rose gold follows similar principles to caring for other gold alloys. Regular cleaning with a mild soap and warm water solution helps remove dirt and oils, while a soft cloth or brush can be used for gentle scrubbing. As with yellow gold, rose gold is generally hypoallergenic, making it suitable for those with sensitive skin.
Platinum vs. Gold: Which Should You Choose?
When choosing between gold and platinum, consider factors such as appearance, durability, and price. Gold is less expensive and offers a range of colors. Platinum, while more expensive, is incredibly durable, hypoallergenic, and maintains its natural white color over time, making it ideal for those with active lifestyles or sensitive skin.
Ultimately, your decision should reflect your lifestyle, budget, and personal style preferences. Gold provides a versatile, budget-friendly option with various color choices, while platinum offers unmatched durability and low maintenance, justifying its higher cost. Consider these factors to choose the metal that best suits your needs.
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Other Types of Gold
When shopping for gold jewelry, you may come across terms like gold vermeil, gold plated, and gold-filled. These all differ from white gold, yellow gold, and rose gold in both composition and durability. They feature layers of gold applied over a base metal, whereas gold jewelry is typically made of 14k or 18k gold for lasting quality and value. While more affordable, these alternatives don't match the intrinsic value, durability, and timeless appeal of solid gold.
Read on to understand the differences between gold vermeil, gold plated, and gold-filled jewelry, comparing their appearances, durability, care needs, and potential skin sensitivities.
Gold Vermeil
Composition: Vermeil is a style of gold plating also known as silver gilt. Vermeil jewelry must have a sterling silver base with a coating of gold laid over the top.
Appearance & Durability: Thicker layers of gold make gold vermeil more resistant to signs of wear, so gold vermeil retains its shine and resists tarnish if cared for properly.
Cleaning & Care: To care for your vermeil pieces, remove vermeil jewelry before showering or swimming in chlorine or salt water or participating in activities that will cause you to sweat. It is always best to remove vermeil jewelry before applying makeup, lotion, perfume, (or hand sanitizer). Store it where it won't rub against other hard surfaces. To clean, gently wipe with a soft, dry cloth.
Skin Sensitivity: Typically, gold vermeil is hypoallergenic.
Brilliant Earth does not carry gold vermeil jewelry.
Gold-Plated
Composition: Gold-plated jewelry has a gold layer at a minimum of .5 microns of gold which is adhered to copper or brass base metals.
Appearance & Durability: The plating is more prone to damage from wear and tear as compared to gold-filled and gold vermeil.
Cleaning & Care: As gold-plated jewelry is less resistant to wear and tear due to the thin layer of plating, it’s recommended to remove it before showering or swimming in chlorine or salt water, or participating in activities that will cause you to sweat. It’s also important to remove gold-plated jewelry before applying makeup, lotion, perfume, or hand sanitizer. Store it where it won't rub against other hard surfaces. To clean, gently wipe with a soft, dry cloth.
Skin Sensitivity: Metals used in gold-plated jewelry might cause irritation.
Brilliant Earth does not carry gold-plated jewelry.
Gold-Filled
Composition: Gold-filled jewelry consists of gold mechanically, soldered or welded to the base metal, often copper or brass. Gold-filled jewelry must contain 5% gold by weight.
Appearance & Durability: Due to the higher content of gold, gold-filled jewelry retains its quality for a longer period of time.
Cleaning & Care: It is recommended to remove gold-filled jewelry before showering or swimming in chlorine or salt water and participating in activities that will cause you to sweat. It’s also important to remove gold-plated jewelry before applying makeup, lotion, perfume, or hand sanitizer. Store it where it won't rub against other hard surfaces. To clean, gently wipe with a soft, dry cloth.
Skin Sensitivity: Typically, gold-filled jewelry is hypoallergenic.
Brilliant Earth does not carry gold-filled jewelry.
How to Recycle Gold & Platinum Jewelry
Brilliant Earth offers a recycling program for gold and platinum jewelry, both from Brilliant Earth and for your personal items, in exchange for shopping credit. You can drop your jewelry off at one of our showrooms or ship directly to the Brilliant Earth distribution center. To ship to the distribution center, please contact us and we will send you a shipping label and instructions.
Platinum vs. Gold FAQ
Is platinum stronger than gold?
Yes, platinum is stronger and more durable than gold.
What’s the difference between platinum and white gold?
The primary differences between white gold and platinum lie in their composition, appearance, and maintenance. White gold is an alloyed with pure gold and can require rhodium plating to maintain its color. Platinum, on the other hand, is a naturally white metal that does not require plating and is more durable. While platinum is more expensive due to its rarity and density, white gold is a more affordable option that requires periodic maintenance to keep its silvery-white luster.
Is rose gold real gold?
Rose gold is real gold because its main component is pure yellow gold.
What is patina?
Patina on precious metals refers to the change in finish and texture that develops over time due to normal wear. The patina on platinum may appear satiny or slightly frosted finish, although it can vary in color.
Why is rose gold pink?
The 40% copper alloy gives rose gold its beautiful rosy pink hue.
Which metals are hypoallergenic?
Platinum, gold, and nickel-free sterling silver are typically hypoallergenic.
What's the difference between 10k gold, 14k gold, and 18k gold?
The difference between each Karat is the percentage of pure gold versus alloys in each.
- 18 karat (18K) gold is crafted with 75% pure gold and 25% other alloys.
- 14 karat (14K) gold is made up of 58.3% pure gold and 41.7% other alloys.
- 10 karat (10K) gold has 41.7% pure gold and 58.3% other metals.
What metals don't tarnish?
Platinum and gold are typically the least resistant to tarnish.
What is a karat?
Karat is defined as a measurement of the purity of gold. Below are details on gold percentages for all karats. As a note, these percentages do vary slightly from jeweler to jeweler.
- The highest karat gold is 24 karat (24K) gold, as it is pure gold alloyed with no other metals.
- 18 karat (18K) gold is crafted with 75% pure gold and 25% other alloys.
- 14 karat (14K) gold is crafted with 58.3% pure gold and 41.7% other alloys.
- 10 karat (10K) gold is usually the least pure gold on offer for anything considered to be ‘gold jewelry.’ It features 41.7% pure gold and 58.3% other metals.
What is the highest karat of gold?
The highest karat gold is 24 karat (24K) gold, as it is pure gold alloyed with no other metals. This means that it has zero impurities and is usually softer than lower karats—10K and 14K.
What is the difference between karat and carat?
Does a higher karat mean higher quality of gold?
There are many different karat levels of gold. The higher the karat, the fewer other metals added to it during the refining process. 24K use in wedding bands and other jewelry is limited because its softness means that it can’t hold fine details like subtle curves on intricate designs. Thus, 10K gold is the most durable, containing 41.7% pure gold.
How do I know which karat to choose?
For rings that are worn every day and need to be as durable as possible, the highest karat recommended would be 18K. Necklaces and earrings can be crafted in 24K as they are less exposed to wear and tear.
The different karats of gold also have different hues based on the amount of gold content. 18K Yellow Gold is often a much more deeply saturated yellowish green color often referred to as ‘buttery’, whereas 14K gold is a much lighter, more subtle hue of gold.
Is 24k gold good for jewelry?
Pendants and earrings in 24K gold will typically last for a long time; however, rings that are worn every day should be in 18K gold or lower.
