Why is Platinum More Expensive than Gold

Are you on a hunt of choosing the perfect metal for your wedding ring? Can’t decide between the beauty of white gold and the charm of platinum? Well, to tell you the truth, there isn’t a huge difference between the two in terms of appearance. However, the price difference is worth considering. 

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Platinum is more expensive than gold, and there are many reasons to support the statement. The most prominent characteristic of platinum is its density and weight, which makes it pricier than gold. Here are some more points to ponder on before investing in one of these metals. 

1. Rarity

Due to its abundance and demand, you can find gold just anywhere and everywhere around the globe. Whereas, platinum is not too common, making it more precious metal among the two. As a matter of fact, Platinum is known to be around 30 times rarer than Gold. 

Besides, it is believed that approximately 80 tons of Platinum is mined every year as compared to a whopping 2700 tons of Gold. In addition to this, Platinum is found mainly in South Africa, and that too in small amounts as the country’s geopolitical issues tends to affect its supply.

Since Platinum is hardly mined anywhere else; it isn’t easily available at all jewelry shops, unlike Gold. Thus, jewelers who do have it, tend to price Platinum higher than Gold.

2. Density

Another important element, which affects the price of the pure metals and makes the value of Platinum higher than Gold, is their durability. This can also be described as how dense the metals are, or how easy is it to work with them. 

Well, Gold as we know is highly malleable and feasible for jewelry making, while Platinum is much harder and difficult to mold. Nonetheless, since the labor cost adds up in the final price of finished products, the harder material incurs higher labor cost.  

Nonetheless, Platinum is more thick, solid and hard. In fact, it is known as the most durable precious metal that can sustain scratches and wear and tear easily. Platinum is preferred for holding precious stones securely in place. Especially when it comes to diamond, it pairs up beautifully with platinum. Jewelers are therefore rightly inclined towards putting a bigger price tag on it. 

3. Weight

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It is a common fact that precious metals are priced in terms of their weight rather than their volume. This obviously means that since Platinum is more solid and denser than Gold, it is the heavier one too.

For instance, if you two order rings, exactly the same in size and design, one in Platinum and one made of Gold; their weight is likely to differ by 50 percent. Higher weight means higher price, thus making platinum more expensive than gold. However, the look-wise final outcome of the rings will be the same. 

4. Purity

Talking about how pure these precious metals are, we need to first understand their composition. As mentioned earlier, Platinum is stronger and heavier than Gold, which is why it is higher in value too. People often tend to prefer White Gold over the denser precious metal, but this does not affect its individual price despite the low demand.

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According to Mike Burnette, director of gemology at Gem Shopping Network, Platinum is 95% pure and alloyed with metals like palladium and copper, which cost almost the same! 4K Gold on the other hand is 58.5% pure and 41.5% alloys like silver, zinc, and copper which cost lesser than gold, and hence reduce the over cost of the jewelry piece too. Even 18K gold is only 75% pure. 

Regardless, since Platinum is undoubtedly the densest metal around, its composition and cost will remain higher than Gold anyhow, even after being alloyed. Besides, platinum also has high potential to be used in making hypoallergenic jewelry due to its purity. 

5. Longevity 

Platinum and white gold may have the same appearance at the time of purchase. However, they age differently. When talking about the long term care of both these precious metals; it is understandable that platinum – being the purer among the two, is unlikely to lose its shine earlier than a piece of gold jewelry that has a decent composition of other alloys in it.

In fact, white gold is lesser in purity than yellow gold, and it is apparently rhodium plated to give the jewelry a shinier finish. This, however, tends to wear off with time, depending on how frequently you adorn the specific piece of jewelry. On the contrary, platinum – the purest metal, is low maintenance and retains its shine for a much longer period regardless of how often you wear it. 

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White gold fades to a yellowish tinge which needs to be polished with rhodium once again in order to restore its original shape. While, platinum dulls to a whitish color. A lot of people prefer this dull shine, especially if the platinum jewelry is fitted with diamond. The faded color tends to enhance the brilliance of stone. Moreover, restoring platinum’s shine is much simpler than doing so for gold. Hence the longevity and long term care play a vital role in keeping the value of platinum high.  

Will White Gold Make Your Wedding Ring Any Less Precious? 

By this moment you must be clear about the high pricing of platinum, and reasons behind it. Now it is the time to recheck your budget to choose according. However, consider that white gold is not less than platinum in terms of beauty and quality. You can get your desired design made in white gold, and it will turn out as great as you imagined for sure. Only two important things should be kept in mind before making any final decision. 

  • White gold ages earlier than platinum. Because of frequent and rough use, its outer layer (rhodium coat) may scratch off and you may see pale yellow color behind it. But, if you maintain it will, do cleaning often, and get it polished, then it will remain as good as new. 
  • Secondly and most importantly, white gold is an alloy of different metals, and it can be uncomfortable for a person with sensitive skin. If your partner is one of them, then skip this idea altogether because you wouldn’t want to harm her/him. 

Conclusion 

Almost everyone on this planet is all excited for his/her wedding, and everything related to the event. When it comes to the wedding band/ring, it holds a special sentimental value for the couple, and they want it to be equally special. Usually platinum and white gold are the two primary choices of buyers in that case. 

These metals are similar to each other in so many characteristics, but the price difference is huge. Platinum is expensive yet a great investment for those who can afford. It is a rare metal that is crafted with delicacy by professionals. Also, platinum is a dense and pure metal that doesn’t age quickly. All of these add up to its cost and hence platinum becomes 4 to 5 times expensive than gold. However, if you budget is a bit low, then you can always look for white gold. It is not an unfair deal either. Good luck.