Hi everyone!
I’m curious to have opinions-
When creating a non traditional (no prongs) engagement ring what are the pros & cons of using 18k gold or platinum?
I was initially going to cast the ring in gold but now am not sure if I should send out to be casted in platinum. The stone is approx 2 carat round diamond
Photo attached to show what the design will look like
Perhaps if it is for you, what ever your personal preference is.
I do like prong less setting’s. Best wishes on which ever route you take.
I’m not sure if I’m reading the image correctly? Are the stones cast in place? If so, you can’t do that in platinum. It has too high of a melting temperature.
It’s crazy that right now platinum is almost half the cost of gold! I can see why you’d consider using platinum.
Platinum is a much denser metal than gold. It’s takes more time to polish. That’s good to know before you start to polish. Platinum is great for stone setting. Prongs and bezels often bend easier and last longer. Platinum has a much higher melting temperature than gold. It requires a special casting set up. Most platinum users that I know send it out to professional casting companies to cast. The higher metaling temperatures can make platinum more difficult to repair, especially if you don’t have a laser welder. Platinum solders don’t work the same as gold solders. Because of that folks often weld platinum instead of solder. Because of platinum’s high melting temperature, torch welding platinum takes some practice.
Platinum is different enough from gold that you’ll find there is a learning curve to figure out how to work with it. But once you get over the learning curve, then it’s personal preference and a cost comparison.
Most folks I know charge more labor to work in platinum.
I’m sure that others here have more to add, but that’s a start!
Jeff
You are absolutely right- is casted in place in the picture. I wasn’t thinking of casting in place with the diamond bc of obvious reasons, but creating a similar fluid setting and removing the diamond before casting.
Thank you for all of the info about platinum! I would definitely send it out to be casted, I figured that casting in platinum is a bit tricky and as I have no experience with this metal it’s better to be safe than sorry!
It is for me, I want to be sure that the metal I’m using is going to be secure enough to hold the stone… getting nervous about losing it 
even more so because the setting isn’t a traditional one, trying to do my due diligence to avoid a catastrophe!
There are two considerations regarding plat vs gold.
First is durability. Platinum alloys, whether Ru or Ir, are significantly more wear resistant than gold, so platinum settings are more secure in the long run.
Second is color. A gold setting will impart a slight yellow tinge to the appearance of the stone via reflection. A “D” color diamond may look like a “G” or “H” color stone in a closed, gold setting. For a colorless or near colorless stone platinum is the better choice. If the stone is slightly off-color, then gold is fine.
I agree 100%
I personally love working with platinum. Do not contaminate platinum with any other metal when heating to solder or weld. Even gold dust from a file used on gold can create a problem.
And always wear welders goggles #10 is good to protect your eyes.
Now for the good news… platinum takes much longer to wear down then gold… example… 14k gold prong in a ring used daily will usually last 3-7 years has been my experience… in platinum same situation 18-30 years. After 34 years I had to retip 2 prongs on my wife’s engagement ring set in platinum.
Love it.
