Platinum v/s White Gold : The similarities & the differences

This post has been updated & migrated to What is the difference between Platinum & White Gold?


Platinum, White Gold, sound familiar? Look similar?

Wait, aren't they the same?
NO

Platinum & white gold are not the same, no matter what anyone says. They may look similar under special finishings, but they are two different metals. In fact they are two different chemical species, to be precise. Platinum has a a chemical symbol Pt, while Gold is represented as Au.

Though they do have some similarities,

Similarities:

1. Both look white - This is also dependent on the type of finishing the product has.
2. Both are noble metals - A special category of metals, which do not react easily.
3. Both are used in jewelry.
4. 
   

Differences:

1. They are different metals.
2. Platinum is about 40% denser than white gold, much more stronger and heavier.
3. Platinum is 30 times rarer than gold.
4. Platinum does not lose metal when scratched, the metal is only displaced. Effectively your net platinum weight will not change over time, due to scratching.
5. White Gold is an alloy of gold with nickel & silver & it will lose its white look over time to give you a yellowish white creamy color look. Actually, white gold is never pure white, it is creamy in color, it looks sparkling white due to the rhodium plating on new jewelry.
6. Some customers are allergic to Nickel and hence allergic to white gold. We recommend Platinum as the preferred white metal for customers who are allergic to white gold.
7. We craft platinum jewelry in Pt 950 only, i.e. 95% Platinum which is a much higher purity than even 22K Gold, which is 91.6% pure. White gold is an alloy of gold with gold purity of 75% or less (18K White Gold has 75% purity, 14K White Gold has 58.5% purity and 9K White Gold has 37.5% purity)

How do I know if the metal is Platinum or White Gold?

Every jewelry item you purchase from Suranas Jewelove™ is hallmarked. Platinum jewelry by  Suranas Jewelove has a hallmark of Pt 950 while Gold items have a hallmark of Au 18K or Au 14K. Moreover every piece of Platinum jewelry is accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity issued by the Platinum Guild International.

Views/Opinions/Questions are welcome. If you know more differences or similarities, we'd love to know!

Here is an infographic that explains the differences between platinum & white gold.

Click on the image to enlarge