When people buy luxury jewelry, especially diamond jewelry, they often think that the diamond is the only part that matters. I won’t deny that, yes, your diamond quality is incredibly important, but the precious metal that you select to surround your diamonds should also play a crucial role in the decision-making process.

When I first looked at diamond engagement rings, I didn’t understand the differences in my metal options. I knew I didn’t want yellow gold, so that left white gold and platinum as my options (note on another lesson I learned: silver isn’t something that should be used with high-quality diamond jewelry!). But which would I choose? To be honest, I thought platinum was just a more expensive version of white gold and to me, I didn’t think it mattered. But, boy was I wrong.

Not wrong in my selection of white gold for my engagement ring – because it’s still dazzling and I truly love it – but wrong to not give myself the benefit of understanding the options. Because, especially when it comes to engagement rings and wedding bands, jewelry that you will hopefully wear for the rest of your life, this decision is one that shouldn’t be taken lightly.

So, what do you really need to know about platinum versus gold? Here are a few pointers that are easy to remember:

• Before getting into the details, know that this decision is usually a personal choice. So guys, the safest bet is to pay attention to the type of jewelry that your lady already wears.
• The price differential? While gold and platinum are currently trading at comparable prices, platinum has historically sold at a higher price tag due to its denser metal (however, with that denser metal comes more durability and more protection against wear and tear!)
• The upkeep differential? All fine jewelry needs a little TLC over time; however, white gold needs more care to help retain its luster. Both white gold and platinum will dazzle again after occasional polishing, but white gold will require the rhodium finish to be re-done from time to time.
• Something important to know? Some people have allergic reactions to wearing gold; though it’s usually an allergy to one of the metals in the alloy, often Nickel. 
  

The bottom line? Luckily, you can’t really make a “wrong” choice (well, unless you buy yellow gold when she clearly doesn’t want that…) as white gold and platinum look about the same and both truly dazzle. Platinum is a bit more expensive and white gold needs a bit more upkeep…so what would you choose?

♥ HOF Girl

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• Hearts On Fire
• platinum vs. gold
• diamond jewlery
• platinum diamond jewelry
• white gold diamond jewelry
• engagement rings