Why jewelers encourage white gold than platinum?

Dear All,

I am wondering why the jewelers that I have been to at least 4, are
recommending with engagement rings that white gold is better than
platinum.

It is very clear that plantinum is the superior metal on the websites
and newsgroups ( durable, last longer, no need for replating). But why
did 4 seperates jewellery designers push white gold still?

I thought that jewellers would try to push the more expensive metal so
they could potentially charge a bit more to the customer?

The only reason/s I can gather why jewellers were encourging white
gold, is that they don't have the jewellers skilled enough to deal
with plantinum.

Thanks
Micheal

On Mon, 09 Feb 2004 08:05:39 -0800, in rec.crafts.jewelry
(Michael) wrote:



The only reason/s I can gather why jewellers were encourging white
gold, is that they don't have the jewellers skilled enough to deal
with plantinum.


Well, you said it, I didn't.

But it's a slightly skewed viewpoint, though not entirely wrong.

If what you're looking at are commercially made rings, then you should be aware
that there are many more designs available in white gold than in platinum.
This isn't just a matter of the skill of the store's goldsmiths. It's also a
matter of what manufacturers make available. Platinum is not only more
difficult for individual goldsmiths to work with, it's also more difficult for
the commercial manufacturers to work with, and so it's quite possible the
designs you like may not be as easily, or at all, available in commercially
made platinum work. As to the individual jeweler's skill, yes, that's quite
possibly a major factor, but it may also be one of the degree to which the shop
is equipped to work platinum. Most small shops, for example, are set up to
easily cast gold alloys. Platinum casting takes different, often much more
costly, equipment, and a good deal more experience to cast well. The actual
bench work type of hand fabrication, however, is similar enough to gold work
that the additional tools needed are not a blocking factor for anyone, if they
know how to work platinum. As you note, there are many jewelers out there who
are highly skilled with gold work, but just don't have enough experience with
platinum to be comfortable or skilled with it. It's popularity and rising
dominance in the jewelry market are farily recent, and the means for picking
up the additional skills and knowledge may not be easy or obvious for many
independent jewelers.

Peter

Peter, thank you for your advice.
You give some good insight which would not be apparent.
I don't think the jewellers were trying to push me into buying
anything, and despite the shops being all competitive, all of them
said that white gold rings would be their choice.

As a consumer, one wants the best and platinum seems to be the 'best'
metal out there. I didn't think white gold was that bad?

It is a difficult choice.

Thanks any

Peter W. Rowe pwrowe@ixDOTnetcomDOTcom wrote in message
. ..
On Mon, 09 Feb 2004 08:05:39 -0800, in rec.crafts.jewelry
(Michael) wrote:



The only reason/s I can gather why jewellers were encourging white
gold, is that they don't have the jewellers skilled enough to deal
with plantinum.


Well, you said it, I didn't.

But it's a slightly skewed viewpoint, though not entirely wrong.

If what you're looking at are commercially made rings, then you should be aware
that there are many more designs available in white gold than in platinum.
This isn't just a matter of the skill of the store's goldsmiths. It's also a
matter of what manufacturers make available. Platinum is not only more
difficult for individual goldsmiths to work with, it's also more difficult for
the commercial manufacturers to work with, and so it's quite possible the
designs you like may not be as easily, or at all, available in commercially
made platinum work. As to the individual jeweler's skill, yes, that's quite
possibly a major factor, but it may also be one of the degree to which the shop
is equipped to work platinum. Most small shops, for example, are set up to
easily cast gold alloys. Platinum casting takes different, often much more
costly, equipment, and a good deal more experience to cast well. The actual
bench work type of hand fabrication, however, is similar enough to gold work
that the additional tools needed are not a blocking factor for anyone, if they
know how to work platinum. As you note, there are many jewelers out there who
are highly skilled with gold work, but just don't have enough experience with
platinum to be comfortable or skilled with it. It's popularity and rising
dominance in the jewelry market are farily recent, and the means for picking
up the additional skills and knowledge may not be easy or obvious for many
independent jewelers.

Peter

On Mon, 09 Feb 2004 19:05:05 -0800, in rec.crafts.jewelry
(Michael) wrote:

Peter, thank you for your advice.
You give some good insight which would not be apparent.
I don't think the jewellers were trying to push me into buying
anything, and despite the shops being all competitive, all of them
said that white gold rings would be their choice.

One other thing I didn't mention is the cost. while Platinum is, for many
designs, superior, it is also a lot more costly. the same ring in platinum
might cost you two or three times as much as it would if made in white gold.
that's for the mounting and labor, of course, not any stones, which would be
the same..

However, the advantages of platinum are substantial enough that often it's
worth the extra money. Not always, however. it's not suited to every design.

The advantages/differences of platinum over white gold a

....that it's MUCH more resistant to wearing down over time, A ring in white
gold, worn continuously, in the usual commercially made weights and
thicknesses, probably won't last much more than, perhaps, ten or fifteen
years, before it's become very worn looking. Some rings, especially die struck
ones, might last longer, or might look just fine even when worn down some. But
others will be worn out completely, and some will wear out a good deal quicker
than this. This factor of wear is especially important in terms of the
security of any stones set in the ring. In white gold, prongs wear down
quickly enough that prong settings generally start to need repair in 7 to 10
years, sometimes less, with continuous wear. In platinum, it can take 2-3
times as long before wear becomes a problem, and with some designs, a ring that
in white gold would wear out in a decade, in platinum would survive to be
handed down to your grandchildren. This sort of thing varies a good deal from
person to person, but the wear resistance of platinum compared to white gold is
astounding.

White gold, especially die struck items, and especially 18K white gold, is
harder and stiffer than platinum. Rings and prongs don't bend easily out of
shape compared to platinum, which can be, especially if cast rather than
forged, fabricated, or die struck, somewhat soft and easily bent. For that
reason, some designs when made in platinum need to be made slightly
differently, with slightly thicker wire for prongs, for example, and settings
made with reinforcing "undergallery" wires, to keep the prongs from being
easily pulled away from the stone. However, though the white golds are stiffer
and harder, they are not stronger. Often, it can be a bit brittle, and if
bent, is easily cracked or broken compared to platinum, which bends without
damage.

Because of the ease with which platinum can be deformed and bent, and the fact
that the metal has very little springiness to it, stone setting in platinum is
MUCH safer for the stones. In white gold, to tighten a prong on a stone, you
essentially have to slightly overtighten a prong so that when it springs back,
the stone is still held. Now, there are techniques to do this properly, of
course, but in general, It's a lot safer to set stones in plainum. Jewelers
who've gotten used to setting stones in platinum, generally hate it when they
have to again work in white gold. And yet, despite this greater softness of
platinum, it's still very strong. It does mean that surfaces can get a bit
more scratched and dinged in platinum than with gold, but it's usually not a
big problem.

One big problem with white gold is simply the reason it's white. In the U.S.,
most white gold jewelry is made of an alloy of gold, copper, nickel, and zinc
or other trace additives. The nickel is a problem, since it's quite allergenic
for some people. As many as 15 percent of the population cannot comfortably
wear white gold, or will over time develope some degree of reaction to the
nickel content. Steps like Rhodium platinum the jewelry (very common) help
somewhat, but don't really solve the problem. In europe, nickel based white
golds have been highly regulated for just these reasons, and for most jewelry,
are not used. There, and to an increasing degree in the U.S. use is made of
white gold alloys containing palladium and gold, instead of nickle. These
solve the allergy problems, and the palladium white golds are much softer,
which makes the stone setters happy. But it's a good deal more costly than
nickel based white gold, and is still not close to the durability of platinum.

an additional problem with nickle white golds is a susceptibility under some
conditions, to stress corrosion and cracking. Most notably, this is a problem
if the metal is exposed frequently to chlorine, such as in swimming pools.
chronic exposure of white golds to these elevated chlorine levels can cause the
metal to crack and fail. Often, the part that fails is a prong holding the
stone, leading to a costly loss of the stone.

Also, with many white golds, there are problems with the color of the alloy.
There are high nickle content white golds, called 'superwhite alloys", which
are very white, easily rivalling platinum. But they can be VERY hard and
sometimes brittle, and hard to work with. The lower nickle content alloys,
which account for most of the white gold jewelry sold in the U.S., are more
workable, but their color is, at best, a warm white. When it wears down a
bit, it can look almost yellowish, and a bit dingy. This color problem is
another reason so much white gold jewelry has been rhodium electroplated.
Again, it works, but it also wears off with time. The palladium white golds
vary some in color, but tend to a dark greyish white with a sometimes almost
brownish tone, especially in higher karats like 18K.

Platinum, by contrast, is a beautiful cool greyish white. No problems with
yellowing, tarnishing, or corrosion.

From a strictly consumers, shopping, standpoint, understand that platinum
jewelry sometimes needs to be made with some parts a bit heavier than in white
gold, but that when this is then done well, the resulting jewelry is often
sometime that can be expected to last a lifetime, with stones that should stay
safe and secure for a much longer time than with white gold.. Little white
gold jewelry can come anywhere close to that degree of longevity The color of
platinum is more stable, and sets off stones beautifully. But it can be often
expected to get more scratched and dinged. Unlike white gold, which looks
crappy when it's gotton all worn, platinum retains it's color when like this,
and unless you're enamored of a perfectly polished finish all the time, the
day to day look of platinum jewelry that's gotton a bit worn (the usual finish
on jewelry we wear) is clearly better overall. And the heft and weight of
platinum is, for many people, just plain nice. Feels good.

For all these benefits, however, you're going to be paying substantially more
money. Here is the real crux of your decision. Unlike a car, which serves
utilitarian needs, and often is essential, jewelry, even those types we've come
to truly make part of our essential routine, is in essence, a luxury we can do
without if we need to. The benefits of platinum over white gold are a lot more
optional, if your budget is tight, than, say, the benfits of good nutritious
food over junk food. Personally, I love working in platinum, and hate it when
I have to go back to working in white gold. But that's me, as a jeweler. For
you, as a consumer, you know what your budget is, and what your desires and
needs are. if you think about why you want these rings, and how important they
are, or are not, to you, the choice should become reasonably clear.

Hope this helps.

Peter Rowe

As a consumer, one wants the best and platinum seems to be the 'best'
metal out there. I didn't think white gold was that bad?

It is a difficult choice.

Michael wrote:

Dear All,

I am wondering why the jewelers that I have been to at least 4, are
recommending with engagement rings that white gold is better than
platinum.

It is very clear that plantinum is the superior metal on the websites
and newsgroups ( durable, last longer, no need for replating). But why
did 4 seperates jewellery designers push white gold still?

I thought that jewellers would try to push the more expensive metal so
they could potentially charge a bit more to the customer?

The only reason/s I can gather why jewellers were encourging white
gold, is that they don't have the jewellers skilled enough to deal
with plantinum.

I wanted to say that after reading your first paragraph, and then you came to
the same conclusion. I tend to agree. Instead of just saying, "I'm sorry sir,
I'm not very experienced in working with Platinum, may I suggest white gold
instead", they bluff their way through and try to convince you that white gold
is "better". Call them on their bluff, or just look for a goldsmith who can
actually work in Platinum.

It'll cost you though.

Abrasha
http://www.abrasha.com

"Peter W. Rowe" wrote:
It's popularity and rising
dominance in the jewelry market are farily recent,

That is not true. In the early part of the century, i.e. 30's and 40's,
"white"
gold did not even exist. Platinum was the metal of choice of the United States
from the turn of the century to the 1940s. During World War II, platinum was
declared a strategic metal and its use was disallowed in all nonmilitary
applications, including jewelry.

This gruesome concoction called "white gold" was developed to replace Platinum
and have something similar in looks. Only recently, thanks to enormous
promotions by the "Platinum Guild", has Platinum regained some of it's previous
popularity.

A few fact bout Platinum:

- Platinum is so rare it takes eight weeks and 10 tons of ore to produce 1 oz.
platinum
- Platinum is so malleable that a single gram could be drawn into a fine wire
stretching more than a mile long.
- Platinum is 60% heavier than gold
- Platinum is so rare that all of the platinum ever mined could fit in the
average living room.
- Platinum is used in the production of most catalytic converters in
automobiles.
- A six-inch square block of platinum would weigh 165 pounds.
- Most of the platinum comes from a few mines in South Africa and Russia. But
it
has also been found in Canada, United States, Columbia and Peru.

Abrasha
http://www.abrasha.com

Thanks Peter for the large sum of information.
the view really puts platinum at the top of the range.
I guess the most important part of your information to me, was the
last paragraph about decision and the analogy to cars.

Thank you
Mike

Peter W. Rowe wrote:

Hallo Peter,
At first, I like Platinum also, however not Platinum alloyed with cobalt
wich is grayish like aluminum, better the old fashioned platinum, alloyed
with iridium. This is really white and perfect for jewellery's work.

One big problem with white gold is simply the reason it's white. In
the U.S., most white gold jewelry is made of an alloy of gold,
copper, nickel, and zinc or other trace additives. The nickel is a
problem, since it's quite allergenic for some people. As many as 15
percent of the population cannot comfortably wear white gold, or will
over time develope some degree of reaction to the nickel content.

If you melt gold and nickel (and some other metals) together, they will
build new crystals (Gold-Nickel). This crystal has new characteristic. The
nature is very near to gold and far away to nickel. So this new crystals
are not allergic. Their electro chemic voltage is near by fine gold and also
far away from nickel. And this is the reason of metallic nickel for it´s
allergic capacity.

The European laws to specify gold-nickel alloy in the jewelry shop is
based of an misunderstanding between metallic pure nickel, and alloys
with nickel.

This misunderstandig is based on an other reason:

It is difficult in production to alloy smooth and white 14 kt and 18 kt
nickel-white-gold. No sooo complicated it isn´t however some companies
had problems. So they produced in masses white-gold with less nickel
and grayish color.
Next step was to brighten color with galvanic rhodium.
Sometimes the rhodium dosen´t keep adhesive on surface, especially
if it was not polished and properly cleaned. So most of the producers,
found out that galvanic nickel will stick perfectly and then they added
galvanic rhodium. This way cut the costs of rhodium, for you will need
less and the surface is looking better with less work.

During wearing the ring, after some time the rhodium gets off. Then you
will wear metallic pure nickel in contact to your skin.
This causes an allergic reaction on nearly 25 % of population. This is
severe, for this reaction is cumulative. The oftener you get it the faster
the allergic reaction will come.

However, if you abrade this layer of metallic nickel and polish the surface
with or without new rhodium plating the allergic reaction will disappear.

We did it for nearly thousand customers in the last 30 Years, and this
worked very well. However this is not cheap, for the layer of nickel is
very hard and resistant. You must remove it really properly from all
parts wich could get in contact to skin.

So the problem isn´t caused by nickel-alloyed with gold, however
galvanic nickel base for rhodium plating.


Steps like Rhodium platinum the jewelry (very common) help somewhat,
but don't really solve the problem. In europe, nickel based white
golds have been highly regulated for just these reasons, and for most
jewelry, are not used. There, and to an increasing degree in the
U.S. use is made of white gold alloys containing palladium and gold,
instead of nickle. These solve the allergy problems, and the
palladium white golds are much softer, which makes the stone setters
happy. But it's a good deal more costly than nickel based white
gold, and is still not close to the durability of platinum.

an additional problem with nickle white golds is a susceptibility
under some conditions, to stress corrosion and cracking. Most
notably, this is a problem if the metal is exposed frequently to
chlorine, such as in swimming pools. chronic exposure of white golds
to these elevated chlorine levels can cause the metal to crack and
fail. Often, the part that fails is a prong holding the stone,
leading to a costly loss of the stone.

Also, with many white golds, there are problems with the color of
the alloy. There are high nickle content white golds, called
'superwhite alloys", which are very white, easily rivalling platinum.
But they can be VERY hard and sometimes brittle, and hard to work
with. The lower nickle content alloys, which account for most of the
white gold jewelry sold in the U.S., are more workable, but their
color is, at best, a warm white. When it wears down a bit, it can
look almost yellowish, and a bit dingy. This color problem is
another reason so much white gold jewelry has been rhodium
electroplated. Again, it works, but it also wears off with time.

In the meantime there are good alloy adds for resistant 18 Kt nickel-
white-gold in really good bright color. There is no necessity to plate
anymore.

The
palladium white golds vary some in color, but tend to a dark greyish
white with a sometimes almost brownish tone, especially in higher
karats like 18K.

Platinum, by contrast, is a beautiful cool greyish white. No
problems with yellowing, tarnishing, or corrosion.

From a strictly consumers, shopping, standpoint, understand that
platinum jewelry sometimes needs to be made with some parts a bit
heavier than in white gold, but that when this is then done well,
the resulting jewelry is often sometime that can be expected to last
a lifetime, with stones that should stay safe and secure for a much
longer time than with white gold.. Little white gold jewelry can
come anywhere close to that degree of longevity The color of
platinum is more stable, and sets off stones beautifully. But it can
be often expected to get more scratched and dinged. Unlike white
gold, which looks crappy when it's gotton all worn, platinum retains
it's color when like this, and unless you're enamored of a perfectly
polished finish all the time, the day to day look of platinum
jewelry that's gotton a bit worn (the usual finish on jewelry we
wear) is clearly better overall. And the heft and weight of platinum
is, for many people, just plain nice. Feels good.

For all these benefits, however, you're going to be paying
substantially more money. Here is the real crux of your decision.
Unlike a car, which serves utilitarian needs, and often is essential,
jewelry, even those types we've come to truly make part of our
essential routine, is in essence, a luxury we can do without if we
need to. The benefits of platinum over white gold are a lot more
optional, if your budget is tight, than, say, the benfits of good
nutritious food over junk food. Personally, I love working in
platinum, and hate it when I have to go back to working in white
gold. But that's me, as a jeweler. For you, as a consumer, you
know what your budget is, and what your desires and needs are. if
you think about why you want these rings, and how important they are,
or are not, to you, the choice should become reasonably clear.

Hope this helps.

Peter Rowe

As a consumer, one wants the best and platinum seems to be the
'best'
metal out there. I didn't think white gold was that bad?

It is a difficult choice.

That´s true ;-)

--
Heinrich Butschal
casting technologies
http://butschal.de/werkstatt

In article ,
Michael wrote:

The only reason/s I can gather why jewellers were encourging white
gold, is that they don't have the jewellers skilled enough to deal
with plantinum.

My partner and I have platinum wedding bands we are very happy with. We
got them from www.sumiche.com. They tend toward less-traditional ring
styles. Their work is wonderful.

--
Stef ** avid/sensible/sensual/wise/essential/elemental/tangle
** * http://www.cat-and-dragon.com/stef
**
Censorship like charity should begin at home; however, unlike charity, it
should end there. --- Clare Booth Luce