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White Gold vs Palladium vs Platinum for engagement ring

White Gold vs Palladium vs Platinum for engagement ring

Hey Danny, my girlfriend absolutely loves the look of the Brian Gavin Signature Cushion cut diamond set in the La Fleur solitaire engagement ring from Brian Gavin (pictured above) so maybe you can suggest something for us to consider in the range of 8-9k; but what we’re really stuck on is whether we should go with white gold, palladium, or platinum for the ring itself. We’d love for the diamond to be at least a carat, and prefer color over clarity, but also want the diamond to be 100% eye clean if that is possible, we’re open to the idea of blue fluorescence, provided that it does not impact the appearance of the diamond negatively. Thank you for your assistance. – Eric B.

Differences between white gold, palladium, and platinum:

We could spend a fair amount of time discussing the technical differences between 18k white gold, palladium, and platinum, but I’ve already covered most of that in the article “Platinum vs Palladium, the other white metal”, so there is no need to repeat myself.

But suffice to say that the look of the La Fleur solitaire engagement ring from Brian Gavin is pretty much the same, regardless of whether you order it in 18k white gold, palladium, or platinum; however the ring is a little less expensive in palladium, because that is the least expensive of the alloys.

Additional benefits of palladium are that it is light weight, is hypo-allergenic, stays whiter than white gold, and tends to offer the same durability as platinum, so it seems like a perfect choice for people who like white metal rings, and prefer the look of platinum, but don’t want to bear the extra expense dictated by the more expensive alloy, nor have a ring which is a bit heavier.

On the flip side of the coin, there are people who prefer the heavier feel of platinum, who might feel like a white gold or palladium ring is too light on their finger, and who therefore should order the ring in platinum.

And of course, there are people who prefer the brighter tones of 18k white gold, to the slightly grey undertones provided by palladium and platinum jewelry… and this is why we offer the La Fleur solitaire engagement ring from Brian Gavin in three different types of white metals.

Personalized Diamond recommendation from Brian Gavin:

Brian Gavin Signature Cushion Cut Diamond

I presented the diamond selection parameters that you expressed to Brian Gavin, and he recommended this 1.148 carat, G-color, VS-2 clarity, Brian Gavin Signature Cushion cut diamond, which exhibits medium blue fluorescence, and has an overall cut grade of AGS Ideal-0. The diamond is going to face up bright and white, and sparkle like crazy as a result of the extreme optical symmetry that is required for the production of the hearts pattern that is pictured to the left. The proportions of the diamond are optimized to provide a virtual balance of white and colored sparkle (brilliance and dispersion) with a high volume of scintillation; it goes without saying that this diamond will capture her heart!

Effect of medium blue fluorescence on G-color diamond:

The medium blue fluorescence will not have any negative impact upon the visual performance or overall appearance of the diamond, it is essentially an identifying characteristic which will only be visible when the diamond is exposed to black light; the rest of the time, the diamond will face-up white and look perfectly normal.

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