I am in the market for an engagement ring and have been going back and forth between platinum and white gold

Most engagement rings are made from one of three metals: platinum, white gold or yellow gold. For diamond engagement rings, the popularity of platinum and white gold has increased dramatically in recent years. To help you make an informed choice, here are some basic facts about the differences between platinum and white gold.

Purity

The purity of a platinum diamond engagement ring is usually higher than that of a gold ring, with the exception of 24 carat gold, which is 100% gold. Platinum is graded by a sterling number that represents parts per thousand of pure platinum. 900 sterling is 90% platinum, 950 sterling is 95% platinum and so forth. White gold engagement rings are often 18ct, which is 75% pure, or 14ct, which is just under 60% pure.

Colour

Both white gold and platinum are “white” in colour. However, the colour of white gold is actually due to its alloys and plating. Unlike yellow gold, which is alloyed with copper, silver and zinc, white gold is typically alloyed with copper, nickel (sometimes palladium is used due to nickel-related skin allergies) and zinc, resulting in gold that is light grey in colour. A white gold engagement ring is usually plated with a very hard, white metal known as rhodium. To maintain the full whiteness of a white gold engagement ring, the ring needs to be re-rhodium plated every year. A platinum engagement ring is naturally “white” and therefore does not need to re-rhodium plated. Platinum can lose its lustre over time and become greyer, but this can be improved with professional polishing.

Weight

Though rhodium-plated white gold and platinum jewellery are virtually identical to the casual eye, there is a significant difference in weight. Platinum is a very dense material and therefore much heavier than white gold. For example, a men’s diamond wedding band made from platinum will be about 1/3 heavier than one made from 18ct white gold.

Durability

Hand-worn jewellery will inevitably receive many invisible scratches that dull its appearance. The difference between platinum rings and white gold rings is that these so-called micro-scratches do not remove platinum from the ring. Polishing a platinum ring will smooth out these micro-scratches and restore the ring’s original appearance. To renew the lustre of a white gold ring, a small amount of metal is often added during polishing process to replace the gold lost due to scratches.

Cost

Platinum is an extremely rare metal that is 60% denser than gold. It is also less pliable than gold, which means that more labour is required to create a platinum engagement ring than one made from white gold. For reasons of weight, rarity, purity and labour, platinum jewellery costs much more than white gold jewellery. However, because of platinum’s natural beauty, endurance and low maintenance requirements, it is an ideal choice for long-term daily wear.