The Differences between Platinum vs. White Gold vs. Yellow Gold vs. Rose Gold

What is Platinum?

Platinum is known as being a naturally white colored metal and is mainly used in its purest form. Platinum looks very similar to white gold and will hold up its appearance as long as it is properly cared for through the years. If you are considering purchasing a jewelry item of platinum material, consider our pros and cons list below:

Pros of Platinum Gold

• Rarity in comparison to gold

• Hypoallergenic

• Considered prestigious

• More durable and heavier than similar materials

• More expensive than white gold

• Gets scratched easily and requires upkeep

• Color is striped through the years with polishing

• Two of the most popular choices when choosing a setting for your diamond ring are white gold and platinum. Although they look fairly similar in appearance, the real difference between them lies in price and their material makeup. The main things you should consider when choosing between these two setting materials are; cost, composition, care and color preference.

Cost Differences between Platinum and White Gold

There is a major price difference between platinum and white gold, even though upon looks one might not be able to tell them apart. Platinum requires more material to construct a ring because of its higher density. If you decide to go with a platinum ring, we suggest choosing a diamond cut or higher carat weight.

Composition Differences between Platinum and White Gold

Platinum material found in jewelry is of a more pure platinum material with it typically ranging anywhere between 95%-98% with the rest of the composition being rhodium and/or silver.

For reference, 18 Karat jewelry is mostly made of gold alongside other high durability metals like copper or rhodium plating, and is usually at least 75% pure gold. Platinum is actually known as the densest and heaviest precious metal; more so than gold.

Caring for Platinum Jewelry vs. White Gold

Yellow and gold jewelry in comparison to platinum or white gold show more of a distinct color to the naked eye. However, platinum jewelry is known to scratch easier when compared to 18/14 Karat gold jewelry. The upkeep for platinum jewelry is known to be higher because you must polish it regularly to maintain its sparkle. Gold also needs to be repolished, but not as regularly.

Different Types of Gold Materials



White Gold: Known as a mixture of white metals such as nickel or silver with pure gold material. Usually finished with a coating of rhodium. Some of the pros of white gold include:

• More affordable

• Alloyed with other durable metals, making it more scratch resistant

• Known to complement rosy or fair skin tones

• Rhodium plating will need to be replaced every couple years

• May cause allergic reaction due to mix of nickel material

• Not hypoallergenic

Yellow Gold: A combination of metals including copper, zinc and pure gold. The amount of gold in a yellow gold material depends on the karatage:

24 Karat | 99.9% Pure Gold
22 Karat | 91.7% Pure Gold
18 Karat | 75% Pure Gold
14 Karat | 58.3% Pure Gold

If you are looking to get a purer gold content, then you would choose a higher karat amount. However, when you opt for a higher karat amount you are choosing a less durable metal makeup. Therefore, we recommend a 14-18K gold to mount jewelry like a wedding or engagement ringseeing as they are usually worn regularly.

Some of the pros of yellow gold include:

• Considered the most hypoallergenic in comparison to other gold colors

• Known to be the most popular for wedding and engagement band settings

• Easiest to maintain out of all the golds

• Often matches with diamonds in a lower color grade

• Needs to be polished and cleaned regularly

• Can scratch easily

Rose Gold- Mainly refers to the whole color scheme of red, rose and pink gold shades. This gold is mixed or alloyed with copper to produce its color. For a more red toned rose gold, there is a higher amount of copper used in the metal; many times seen as an alloy mix of 75% gold and 25% copper.

Some of the pros of rose gold include:

• Universally fashionable for men and women

• More affordable than comparable golds considering its high amount of mixed copper in its makeup

• Highly durable due to the strength of copper mixed in

• Not considered a hypoallergenic metal

• Not as often seen as yellow or white gold