18k White Gold or Platinum for Engagement Ring?

Hi Danny, I’m in the midst of shopping for an engagement ring, and am wondering which is best, 18k white gold or platinum for an engagement ring? My fiancé is extremely active and enjoys a wide variety of competitive sports. We’re looking for a halo style engagement ring, and I’d appreciate any recommendations you might have for round ideal cut diamonds in the range of 1.10 – 1.49 carats, near-colorless, and VS-2 or higher in clarity. My budget is around $15-16k, and I’m open to options with medium to strong blue fluorescence, but don’t know how I feel about very strong blue, so it is probably best to avoid that spectrum. I’m hoping to get this done in time for a Valentine’s Day proposal. – Chris B.

Which is better, platinum or white gold?

Ever since the government released their hold on platinum and allowed it to be used to manufacture jewelry again, a debate has raged within the jewelry community as to which is better, platinum or white gold? The truth is that there are pro’s and con’s to using either platinum or white gold for jewelry manufacturing, and the decision to use one metal over the other, most often has to do with the characteristics of the jewelry item being made, and the personal preference of the person who will be wearing the jewelry item.

It seems that the majority of hand engraved engagement rings, like this engraved cathedral style engagement ring with pavé set diamonds from Brian Gavin, are only available from some jewelry designers in platinum, and thus people are inclined to believe that platinum is somehow better than white gold. However the reality is that it is easier for the jeweler to engrave this kind of finish on a platinum ring… but recent advances in computer aided design, which have been applied to the art of custom designing jewelry, have made it considerably easier to apply this kind of finish to jewelry which is made of white gold as well, thus we offer both options to our customers.

While both platinum and white gold yield well to a high, bright polish, 18k white gold is more likely to hold the polish for a longer period of time, while platinum will tend to “patina” and pick up a kind of dull, gray tone which a lot of people find quite pretty. It is important to note that both metals, platinum and white gold, can be easily polished to be bright again within minutes by a qualified jeweler.

Generally speaking, platinum tends to be more durable in terms of holding up to being rubbed against something, such as being continually being dragged against pieces of paper while a teacher might be grading papers.

White gold is recognized as being more pliable, so a white gold prong is more likely to bend to the side if it is caught on something, where a platinum prong might shear off upon being struck hard. However the reality is that in either instance, the prong is going to require some sort of repair and there is a possibility that the stone being held by the prong might fall out of the setting… hence the moral to the story is buy whichever metal suits your preferences, and insure your jewelry against accidental loss.

Platinum & 18k White Gold Halo Engagement Rings:

One of my favorite designs for a halo style engagement ring is this platinum halo with pave set diamonds from Brian Gavin, which is designed in such a way that the prongs which hold the diamonds in place are provided with a little bit of protection by the outer edges of the ring, this seems like a perfect option for your fiancé who lives a more active lifestyle. Note that jewelry is intended to be ornamental and is more often designed to be decorative than it is designed to be extremely durable, and thus it should be taken off and stored safely when participating in things like sporting events… it’s simply not built to be worn while rock climbing, working out, gardening, etc.

I realize that most women never want to take their engagement ring off, but it’s much easier to take it off and store it in a safe place while participating in activities which might damage the setting, than to have to be without your ring for an extended period of time while it is being repaired or replaced… if it’s truly important to wear a ring at all times, I recommend also buying a simple wedding band and wearing that when it is not appropriate to wear something more intricate like a diamond engagement ring.

Diamonds Suggestions from Brian Gavin:

I took a look at our current inventory of Brian Gavin Signature and Brian Gavin Blue diamonds with blue fluorescence, and really like the look of this 1.328 carat, H-color, VS-1 clarity, Brian Gavin Signature diamond with hearts and arrows. It provides the largest carat weight within your desired price range, and delivers maximum light return and visual performance. The H-color is on the high end of the near colorless range, and the diamond has an overall cut grade of AGS Ideal-0 with an incredible degree of optical symmetry and diamond cut precision, so the diamond is going to face-up as a nice, bright white, with an incredible degree of sparkle!

If you want something with blue fluorescence, then I recommend this 1.257 carat, G-color, VS-2 clarity, Brian Gavin Blue diamond with strong blue fluorescence. It also has an overall cut grade of AGS Ideal-0 and offers exceptional optical symmetry, and the strong blue fluorescence will help to push the G-color towards the high side of the spectrum when the diamond is exposed to strong ultra-violet light, such as direct sunlight.