I don’t work with Platinum so I am not very familiar with how it is
in jewelry. I do know that it is nice in a ring that has a lot of
fine detail because it won’t wear away. However, I have a customer
that wants a heavy platinum chain to hold a heavy cross with diamonds
on it that her husband had made for her. I have had two people
involved in the jewelry business tell me that a platinum chain will
not hold its shape as well as gold (it will bend easier) and the
platinum chain will end up looking like a silver chain because it
will tarnish. I didn’t think platinum would tarnish. I know I will
get a truthful answer here. . . so HELP.
Thanks in advance for the knowledgeable answer!
Susie Morgan
Elegant Metal Creations
Spokane, WA
I didn't think platinum would tarnish. I know I will get a
truthful answer here. .
It won’t tarnish unless, ghod forbid, the links were soldered shut
with low karat gold solder or silver solder. If they were, you’ve
not bought good chain…
As to shape, if you’ve got heavy enough links, and a style where a
little pull on the chain won’t deform the links, then it should be
fine. Platinum can bend more easily than karat golds, especially
white golds. So if the pendant is too heavy for the chain, the links
may stretch out a bit. But they’ll not break as easily as gold does,
nor will they wear down over time, as quickly as gold would do. The
main problem with platinum chain is that it’s not as widely
available as are gold chains, so you may have to hunt around for the
style and weight that you wish.
Hope that helps.
Peter
I have a customer that wants a heavy platinum chain to hold a
heavy cross with diamonds on it that her husband had made for her.
I have had two people involved in the jewelry business tell me that
a platinum chain will not hold its shape
Heck, Susie… if you have a customer who wants a platinum chain,
who are you to stand in her way?!? Sell her what she wants! Unless
she’s going to be pulled aboard a moving train by the chain around
her neck (or some other such abuse), I wouldn’t’t be too concerned
about the durability of the chain.
All the best,
Dave
Dave Sebaste
Sebaste Studio and
Carolina Artisans’ Gallery
Charlotte, NC (USA)
dave@sebaste.com
http://www.CarolinaArtisans.com