Question about Wedding/Engagement Rings

[Evie]

Is it okay to have a platinum engagement ring and a white gold wedding band? Will there be a noticable difference?

Also, what the heck is the difference between the two? Why is platinum so much more expensive? Does it last longer?

[MLA]

Yes, there can be a difference. White gold will yellow over time, and I've found that even white gold that hasn't yellowed looks yellow next to my platinum ring. So, I'd definitely stick with one or the other and not mix the metals.

Platinum is more expensive because it's more durable. It scratches more easily than gold, but it bends and breaks much less easily.

[amew]

I have a platinum engagement ring and wedding band and a diamond and sapphire band set in white gold that I occasionally wear with my wedding set. The white gold band looks downright yellow next to my platinum rings. If you care about the metal looking the same, stick with one or the other. As for the difference in cost, platinum is rarer and heavier, both of which lead to a higher price (because it is harder to find and it takes more platinum ore to make a platinum band than it does gold ore to make a similarly sized gold band). Platinum is stronger than gold, though it does scratch more easily. But I have also heard that it can be polished/refinished more easily and cheaply than gold.

[wendalah]

I have a platinum e-ring and a white gold wedding band (due to a mishap on the part of our jeweler). Nothing catastrophic has happened yet and I still get compliments on my set.

ETA you can't tell the difference one bit between the two rings. Seriously. I'd take a photo if my digicam worked. I'm a huge snob about certain things, but platinum is not one of them.

[MLA]

ETA you can't tell the difference one bit between the two rings. Seriously. I'd take a photo if my digicam worked. I'm a huge snob about certain things, but platinum is not one of them.

Hmmm . . . Maybe there are different grades of white gold that make a difference? I have a white gold ring that I sometimes wear on my right hand, and if I put it near my wedding band and engagement rings (both platinum), it looks yellow -- but by itself it's perfectly white.

[laura]

My friend has a white gold wedding band and a platinum engagement ring. The only different you can tell is that her e-ring looks a lot more beat up & scratched than her wedding band; otherwise they look like the same metal. I think it might depend on the set (?).

I have no personal experience, my rings are yellow gold.

[carrie9142]

I have a platinum e-ring and white gold band. Since the band has diamonds in it you really don't get much of a comparison from the front. From the back you can *barely* tell a difference. I have had it for 2 years now and it was never very yellow. I have also read you can get it redipped if the color starts to change.

I say go for it! It's waaaay cheaper than platinum ;)

[julietchicago]

I don't see a problem mixing white gold and platinum. Now...don't go mixing yellow gold and white gold or platinum...then we have something to discuss ;)

[pixiecat]

I posted this exact question on the WC about 3 years ago! Overwhelmingly, people told me not to do it, but I did anyway :rolleyes: and I am happy that I did! The band that I wanted could not be made in platinum, but is exactly what I wanted... it looks great next to my solitaire e-ring (in plat), not yellow at all. That said the band on my e-ring is very thin, so maybe it would have looked worse if it had been bigger??

[cyd_96]

In terms of looks, I wouldn't think it would matter if your rings weren't of the same material. Most of the time, I can't tell if something is platinum or white gold.

The great thing about platinum is that it doesn't wear down. It will scratch, but it just diplaces itself instead of wearing away. And you can have the scratches buffed back into place.

Gold tends to get thinner as the years go on, but platinum will retain it's thickness.

[amew]

I have also read you can get it redipped if the color starts to change


I have had my white gold ring replated with rhodium twice now (I have had the ring for six or seven years). It looks great afterwards (the same as my platinum rings), but it yellows again after a couple years. It isan't really a big deal to have a ring replated, but it does get to be kind of a pain.

[MLA]

I have had my white gold ring replated with rhodium twice now (I have had the ring for six or seven years). It looks great afterwards (the same as my platinum rings), but it yellows again after a couple years. It isan't really a big deal to have a ring replated, but it does get to be kind of a pain.

Another note about white gold and getting the rhodium replated . . . my best friend had a white gold engagement ring. She ended up replacing the setting with platinum because after 6 months the gold had already started to yellow. It had to do with the way her body chemistry affected the rhodium, so you may want to be sure that won't be a problem for you. I think a great way to do that would be to buy a nice white gold ring to wear on your right hand and see how it goes. It would be a good excuse for another piece of jewelery -- it's research. ;)

[BethElena]

I have a ring that is platinum and one that is white gold that i wear on my right hand. there is a big visual difference if i'm staring at them very close. the white gold looks yellow. I had the platinum re-plated, and it definitely looks different against the white gold, but not the white gold b/c the ring was like $99 and the replating was like $20 and it didn't seem worth it.

But honestly, who is going to get close enough to your rings to notice? Just re-plate it or whatever if it starts turning yellow on you...

I would agree with MLA and do some sort of "research" to make sure you're not having to get the thing replated numerous times a year :)

[Kaleidoscope]

I have my 14K white gold engagement ring soldered to my platinum wedding band and you truly cannot tell the difference. I have had my rings for about a year and a half now and haven't had to do any type of special maintenance beyond a cleaning every 6 months or so because I like my rings to bling. :D

I will try to post a picture of my rings when I get home tonight, they honestly look exactly the same and I get tons of compliments on my "platinum set".

I ended up purchasing a platinum wedding band because the quality of the diamonds in the white gold setting was poor (i.e., yellowish in color) in comparison to my engagement ring and I don't regret making the decision. Like you I was intially concerned about the difference but I was assured that they would maintain the same appearance when cleaned properly.

[Vishenka69]

May be it depends on the gold but everything I have in white gold looks significantly different than my platinum set. All the gold pieces look perfectly white but when I put them next to the platinum they have a noticable yellowish tint. But I also tend to notice more subtle differences that others don't pick up. I wouldn't mix, my platinum band really wasn't that expensive and I plan on wearing it forever.