White gold or platinum?

Laid side by side on a tray, new, the two look alike: white, bright, hard to tell apart.

The difference doesn't show on the first day. It shows after two years, and then it is absolute.

What the two metals actually are

White gold isn't white. It's gold — yellow, therefore — alloyed with pale metals to soften the colour. The result stays slightly grey, faintly warm. What gives it that bright whiteness is a fine layer of rhodium laid over the surface.

Platinum is white. With no treatment, no layer, nothing. It is on the first day and it will stay so.

Everything else follows from that.

How they age — the real difference

White gold keeps its brightness for as long as the rhodium holds. As the layer wears, the warmer tone of the alloy begins to show through, usually first on the areas that rub: the underside of the band, the edges. Replating returns it to how it looked at the start. It's simple, periodic upkeep, explained in detail in this article.

Platinum doesn't discolour — it scratches. And its scratches behave differently: rather than taking material away, they move it. The surface gradually gains a web of fine marks known as a patina, a softer, more matte grey.

That's the real choice, and it isn't a technical one: do you want a piece that stays as it was on the first day, or a piece that takes the mark of time?

Some people love platinum's patina and feel it tells them something. Others find it dull and want the brightness. Neither is wrong. Polishing returns platinum's shine whenever you'd like it back, in any case.

The weight

It's the first thing people notice when they try both on, and the thing nobody mentions.

Platinum is considerably denser than gold. At identical design, a platinum ring is noticeably heavier on the hand. Many people like that weight — it reads as solidity. Others find it cumbersome on a piece worn day and night.

Try both. It's a physical reaction rather than a matter of opinion, and five seconds settles it.

The price

Platinum costs more, for two reasons that compound: it's denser, so more of it by weight is needed for the same volume; and it takes more time at the bench.

The gap is real, but it's worth keeping in perspective: on a ring with a centre stone, the stone remains the first line by a long way, well ahead of the metal. Changing the metal moves the figure; changing the stone transforms it. The detail is in what does a bespoke ring cost in Geneva?

If your skin is sensitive

Some white gold alloys contain nickel, which is the most common contact allergen. While the rhodium is intact the skin doesn't touch the alloy; as it wears, contact becomes possible. The white gold I use is alloyed with palladium and contains no nickel.

The platinum used in jewellery is very pure and doesn't raise it either.

If you've reacted to a piece of jewellery before, say so at the first meeting. It shapes the choice before the design, and it's a simple thing to mention.

How to decide, in practice

Choose white gold if you want the bright white and accept periodic replating; if platinum's weight doesn't appeal; or if the budget should go to the stone rather than the metal.

Choose platinum if you want no surface upkeep to plan for; if you like the weight; or if the patina appeals rather than bothers you.

And one practical note: for a wedding band worn constantly, next to an engagement ring, it's better to keep both in the same metal. Two different metals in permanent contact wear against each other, and the softer one pays.

Common questions

Does platinum tarnish?

No. It scratches and takes a patina; it doesn't discolour.

Can you switch from one to the other later?

Not on the same piece: it amounts to remaking the setting. Better to decide now.

Is unplated white gold possible?

Yes, and the result is a warmer, softer white, fairly close to platinum to the eye. It's a genuine design choice, rarely offered — ask for it.

Which stands up better day to day?

Both hold. They wear differently: one loses its surface layer, the other takes marks.

Come and see them

The only honest way to choose is to have both in your hand for a few seconds. Consultations at the boutique-atelier, Rue Ancienne 3 in Carouge, are complimentary and commit you to nothing. The metals are also covered in the engagement ring guide.