why is platinum popular in the jewelry industry?
Platinum is the most noble of the noble metals. It is totally
non-reactive (at least for jewelry purposes). It will not tarnish. It
will not cause allergic reactions. It is valuable. It is very
resistant to wear, hence the difficulty in polishing it. It is very
white in color, and does not impart color to stones that are set in
it. It makes sense to the general public to use the most noble of
metals to commemorate their most important occasions and to use the
most valuable jewelry metal to set the most valuable stones. Plus, it
feels good. There is also the so-called âsnob appealâ, but an
argument could be (and has been) made that âsnobberyâ applies to the
entire jewelry industry. As a disclaimer, I am slightly biased
towards platinum, enough to name my business âPrecision Platinumâ. I
might be a bit of a platinum snob, but I drive a 1982 Dodge minivan.
what characteristics make it more desirable to work with than
white gold?
From a custom shop retailerâs perspective, it is somewhat more
profitable. Not from a profit margin standpoint, as my profit margin
on platinum is actually a little less, but from a net dollar return.
I net more dollars selling a piece made from platinum than selling
the same piece made from gold, even though the margin for gold is
better, just as the margin for silver is better than gold. I can also
charge more for labor in platinum, just as I can charge more for
labor in gold than in silver. The current changes in the metals
market may change the margins some, but thatâs how itâs been for me
for quite some time.
Another reason is that it is a pure joy to work with, at least for
me. It doesnât firescale, itâs easily welded, you can form it, forge
it, draw, roll and push it around very easily, and it will hold
stones very securely if used properly within itâs properties. It
works better with a laser welder than any other metal I have worked
with. It is also an outstanding metal when used with contrasting
colors. I especially enjoy doing 22K inlay in platinum and then
engraving it. The two contrasting colors really show well, as opposed
to white gold and yellow gold. In a highly polished piece, 14K yellow
and white gold are almost indistinguishable, unless the white gold is
rhodium plated.
Stone setting in platinum is also a joy, especially when compared to
white gold. White gold is brittle and hard as nails, comparatively
speaking. Prongs made of white gold are far more prone to cracking
and breaking than platinum, even when done properly. This is more
true of traditional white gold than palladium white gold, which has
itâs own idiosyncrasies, but sets pretty nicely.
White gold is generally not as white as platinum. There are new
alloys that are much whiter than the old ones, but they still have a
brownish color when compared to platinum. I like using the new 18K
white gold alloys especially for gentâs bands. I really do like the
warm color, and very rarely plate it. A lot of white gold is rhodium
plated to make it look more like platinum, but rhodium can wear off
quite quickly. I have had far more complaints from my customers about
their white gold âturningâ than platinumâs patina, but it was usually
because I didnât properly explain about rhodium plating. White gold
is more resistant to denting and bending than cast platinum, but not
that much more than work-hardened forged platinum.
what characteristics make is more desirable to wear than white
gold?
Its white color, its resistance to wear, its more permanent nature
and ability to safely hold valuable stones, its hypoallergenic
properties, its value, its heft and probably most importantly, its
luxurious and exclusive reputation. Even banks, credit card companies
and airlines reserve their best services for their âPlatinum
Membersâ, reflecting itâs regal stature.
There is no âperfectâ metal. Each metal has positive and negative
properties, and platinum is no different. The key when selling or
designing any metal jewelry is to help the client understand each
metalâs properties and help them to make an educated decision. Their
choice of metal is somewhat dependent on the design they want, and
conversely their design might well be influenced by the metals they
choose. Long slender pieces of platinum are very easily bent, so it
does not lend itself to tall skinny prongs without some sort of
under-gallery. Rhodium plated white gold earrings donât usually have
the wear problems that a ring might, very thin (24 - 28 gauge) pieces
hold their shape much better, and they will weigh (and therefore
cost) substantially less than platinum, generally making white gold a
superior metal for earrings. Platinum is sticky and not very springy,
even when work-hardened, so clasps and other pieces requiring a hard
and springy nature or needing to move freely under pressure (like
Omega style earring backs) usually work much better if made from
white gold. White gold posts and friction backs are far superior to
platinum in virtually every respect, except for those with allergies.
Hinges on the other hand will last much longer if made from platinum,
due to itâs superior wear resistance, but require slightly heavier
gauge components to avoid deformation and much more care in fitting
and finishing if they are to be frictionless.
I have virtually no complaints from customers about how their
jewelry wears as they know before it is even created how their chosen
metal will look, both new and with time, what care it will require
and what they can expect from it over the long term. If someone is
getting complaints from customers about the metal their jewelry is
made of, regardless of the metal, they probably did a poor job of
explaining itâs properties, both positive and negative, up front. At
least thatâs my experience.
Dave