Platinum Vs White Gold
White colored jewelry is making a popular appearance in the fashion world today. The white metals that are considered to be the most well-known for making fine jewelry are, platinum and white gold. The jewelry made from these metals make an elegant impression on the eye however, there are some basic and most important differences between these two metals. Let's study about all the aspects related to the metals in order to compare and judge which is the best between these two.
Platinum and White Gold
Chemical Properties
The symbol of platinum is Pt and its atomic number is 78. It's a naturally occurring metal and has a very high density of 21.4 g/cubic cm. It is white originally with a specific gravity of 21.4. It is a very rarely found metal and can cause some allergic reactions in some people. It has a boiling point of 3800 C and a melting point of 1772 C. Its atomic mass is 195.078 amu.
The chemical symbol of gold is Au and atomic number is 79. White gold has to be synthesized from natural gold by mixing various metals like silver, platinum, nickel, palladium, zinc in different combinations. Natural gold's density is 19.3 g/cubic cm. It has a specific gravity of 19.32. Its melting point is 1064.43 C and boiling point is 2807 C. Its atomic mass is 196.96657 amu. This element rarely causes any allergic reactions.
Physical Properties
Platinum is a whitish silvery metal and more lustrous than white gold. However, when white gold is coated with rhodium, it becomes as shiny as platinum. A white gold ornament has to be periodically polished with rhodium to maintain its luster. Platinum being naturally lustrous does not need any coating at any point of time. Platinum is heavier and harder than white gold. Natural gold is more ductile (can be drawn into wires) and malleable (can be made into thin sheets) than platinum however the same may or may not be true about white gold, since different white gold alloys consists of different proportions of palladium, nickel and zinc metals that vary in their ductility and malleability when compared to platinum. However, platinum is definitely more durable than white gold.
Jewelry Uses
Platinum jewelry is made of 95% of platinum whereas white gold jewelry is generally a combination of 75% of natural gold with 25% of platinum or palladium and another combination can be 75% of natural gold with 10% of palladium, 10% of nickel and 5% of zinc. The composition of both the metal jewelry gives a clear explanation about the rift between its market values. Also, due to the above strong physical traits that platinum displays and the fact that platinum is less ductile and malleable than gold, the cost of crafting platinum metal adds further to the overall cost of the platinum jewelry. Platinum jewelry needs less maintenance than white gold jewelry hence makes a good choice for wedding rings that have to be worn all the time. White gold jewelry may need a small amount of gold to be added in addition to rhodium polishing to maintain its luster and fill-up the gold lost due to scratches. Platinum jewelry does not lose any metal due to scratches and rarely requires polishing to restore its original look.
The most simple way to decide whether the metal is platinum or white gold is the scratch test. If the metal gets easily scratched it is white gold else, it is platinum. Another test, that is a little risky, is the heat test. Heat the metal till it turns red-hot. Then, let it cool. If the metal turns dark and dirty then it is white gold and if there is no change after cooling, it is definitely platinum. More advanced tests include acid and electronic tests for which you will have to take help from a jeweler.
On a more emotional background, due to the superior nature of platinum, people gift platinum jewelry to express their feelings to their loved ones. The platinum jewelry conveys the value that you have in that person's life. White jewelry also has a considerable value and looks great when combined with different colored gold jewelry.
