18ct Gold vs. Platinum

Platinum vs Gold Metal Comparison:
Which is right for your Engagement Ring in Melbourne?

Deciding between gold or platinum for your engagement ring can feel like a monumental decision. It not only impacts the engagement ring aesthetics but also durability and overall wearability. Each precious metal offers distinct advantages, making them suited to different engagement ring designs and preferences.

Understanding their characteristics will help you make an informed choice tailored to you.

Let us explain below in detail the appeals of these timeless metals. Giving you insights on their compositions, visual impact, long-term maintenance considerations - to explore which is best suited for your engagement ring in Melbourne.

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18ct Gold: What is it? 

18ct Gold is composed of 75% pure gold and 25% metal alloys such as palladium, copper or silver. Which not only enhances its strength, but is also responsible for creating its bright white colour (for 18ct White Gold) or warm yellow colour (for 18ct Yellow Gold).

An 18ct Gold alloy composition is durable and suitable for all engagement ring designs,  especially intricate styles such as pave settings, halos and detailed diamond bands. Gold maintains a reflective and shiny surface for long periods, requiring only periodic polishing to preserve its lustre. 

Advantages of 18ct Gold

Durable - 18ct Gold is a hard metal providing the strength necessary to securely hold diamonds and precious stones. It is resistant to bending, making it a durable option to firmly hold diamonds in place for rings and many other fine jewellery pieces.
Bright finish - 18ct Gold provides a brilliant white or rich yellow tone that enhances jewellery pieces and diamonds
Light Feel - 18ct Gold has a light feel that is comfortable for extended wear 
Easy Resizing - 18ct Gold is adaptable for any future resizing and adjustments

Platinum: What is it? 

Platinum is a precious metal known for its density, strength and purity. Platinum 950 is the purest form recommended for jewellery, containing 95% platinum and 5% cobalt to maintain its strength and also preserve its beautiful white colour.

Platinum is a little less reflective than white gold. It offers a more of a unique matte finish that develops into a patina over time, giving it a vintage appeal compared to a rather reflective white gold. The strength of platinum makes it ideal for solitaire rings but not suitable for intricate designs with multiple small diamonds due to its mallebility.

Advantages of Platinum: 

Longevity - Platinum doesn’t wear away when scratched, it moves to another area on the ring when it marks. This simply creates a duller finish rather than losing any material.
Dense and Heavy - When crafted into a ring, Platinum creates a substantial and heavy feel on the hand when worn.
Natural Patina - With wear platinum will develop a soft, vintage aesthetic over time. The overall appearance will dull and have a slight loss of lustre for an antique look.
Hypoallergenic - Platinum is hypoallergenic, making it an excellent choice for sensitive skin

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Durability and Wear 

18ct Gold: How it Wears 

Crafted for longevity, 18ct Gold offers impressive durability for engagement rings as it is resistant to bending and scratching. 18ct Gold strikes a balance between beauty and practicality while maintaining its luxurious appeal. It is the safest choice for securing your precious diamonds - especially for styles with tiny stone settings such as pave bands, halos and intricate designs.

While no materials are completely immune to wear, 18ct Gold is certainly less prone. It requires little long-term maintenance and will stay bright and shiny for the longest time. 18ct Gold offers elegance and is less likely to mark in comparison to other materials, with only periodical polishing or plating required.

Platinum: How it Wears

Platinum's density ensures it will never wear away. However, its softness makes it susceptible to scratches with daily wear and more prone to bending under pressure. Over time, platinum will inevitably develop a natural Patina (a slightly worn, dulled, appearance) especially on the underside of the ring towards the base. While a platinum’s natural whiteness never fades, its patina will take the shine to a more silvery-gray tone, exhibiting more of a matte finish. Scratches and marks on platinum will also become more visible as the surface is not as reflective as white gold.

Engagement rings crafted from Platinum need to be worn a little more cautiously, as platinum claws securing a centre diamond are much more easily bent. Platinum is a strong, yet more malleable metal, meaning it bends rather than breaking when subjected to force. However, this can make it prone to deformation over time if caught on something


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How It Feels 

18ct Gold: Lighter Feel

Gold Light and effortless feel, making it comfortable for everyday wear. It is appreciated for engagement rings, where its presence feels like an extension of the hand. 18ct Gold will sit securely on the finger even in larger and intricate designs, without feeling cumbersome. This makes it perfectly elegant ensuring ease of wear, avoiding the ring spinning or feeling uncomfortable.

Platinum: Heavier Feel

Platinum is significantly heavier than gold, weighing around 30% more. This added weight gives rings a bulkier feel, particularly in larger designs. For men, this may be appealing as the substantial weight adds a sense of permanence and luxury. However, for engagement rings the added weight may cause discomfort for prolonged wear and cause the ring to become top-heavy - increasing the likelihood of spinning on the finger. Especially in designs featuring larger diamond centre stones.

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Engagement Ring Design Versatility

18ct Gold: Suited to any Ring Design  

Gold is incredibly versatile offering two distinct tones that cater to a variety of styles and preferences. With 18ct gold, the design possibilities are virtually limitless! Its adaptability allows for stunning combinations of diamonds and gemstones, offering endless options to customise your engagement ring.

18ct Yellow Gold: A warm, classic look that pairs beautifully with many traditional engagement ring styles and complements the natural beauty of diamonds.
18ct White Gold: A cool, neutral tone that enhances the brilliance of diamonds, making them appear whiter and brighter.

From sleek, minimal styles all the way to ornate, elaborate multi-stone designs - 18ct Gold provides the perfect foundation for any engagement ring setting. Its strength ensures your chosen design is not only beautiful, but also crafted to last.

Platinum: Suited to Solitaire Rings 

Platinum's silvery-gray tone exudes understated elegance. It is a sophisticated choice for minimalist solitaire designs. Its inherent strength makes it well-suited to solitaire rings, yet isn’t appropriate for intricate designs featuring a halo or side diamonds. 

This is because platinum is highly malleable, its softness means it may deform more easily under pressure by impact. For rings set with side stones or diamond bands this can cause the settings to loosen - increasing the risk of stones shifting or even falling out over time. Designs are best kept minimal and simple when choosing platinum.

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Future Considerations: Resizing and Repairs 

18ct Gold Resizing

18ct Gold allows for easier adjustments and repairs, ensuring a safe process even for more intricate designs. Gold has a lower melting point temperature and therefore greater workability and reducing the risk to centre stones and any side diamonds. When rings are crafted, this also reduces the risk of defects and structural concerns.

Platinum Resizing 

Resizing platinum requires greater skill due to its high temperature melting point. The process can pose to be quite challenging, Jewellers need to be extremely cautious resizing as the high melting point temperature can risk damaging to stones, causing them to burn or loosen from their setting. It requires a greater skill to solder, resize and repair, as the high temperature increases the risk of porosity (small holes or air pockets) in the final piece if the conditions aren’t perfectly controlled. Greater care needs to be taken about the overall structural quality of the ring.

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Two-Tone Rings: Mixing Gold and Platinum together 

Often we have clients which request Two-tone engagement ring designs (Those with white metal claws framing the diamond with a yellow gold band). We understand, as white claws will make diamonds appear whiter and brighter due to its neutral tone, enhancing the brilliance and size perception of the centre stone!

If clients want a combination of platinum and gold in a ring, the significant difference in melting points when crafting the ring will make the joint weaker and more prone to separating. Often struggling to adhere to the platinum effectively because the melting point is so much higher. 

The joint between platinum and gold can be challenging to execute properly due to the significant difference in their melting points. Without experience, the weld between the two components of gold and platinum will not last long. The solder often struggles to adhere to platinum because the metal does not flow or bond effectively at lower temperatures.

If the soldering process is not done with precision, the joint can easily fail, leading to the two metals separating over time.

Also platinum is heavier than white gold; so when crafting a ring with platinum claws it will become quite top-heavy top and more likely to spin. Which a lot of our clients find this can be irritating.

For those after this intended look of a two-tone ring, 18ct White Gold claws paired with an 18ct Yellow Gold band is a more reliable and attractive combination.  The contrast between the cool, neutral tone of Palladium White Gold and the warm, rich hue of Yellow Gold creates a sophisticated and modern design.

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Conclusion

Choosing between 18ct Gold or Platinum for your engagement ring ultimately comes down to your personal preferences and priorities. Both metals offer unique qualities for engagement ring designs.

At Janai, we recommend 18ct White or Yellow gold for your custom engagement ring design. 18ct Gold is a versatile and practical choice, with the most options for styles whilst maintaining a bright and luxurious finish. Its ability to be easily resized, effortless feel and adaptable to intricate designs make it the ideal option. 18ct Gold ensures your engagement ring is as lasting as beautiful as the bond it represents.