T:
Marylebone, London
0
Platinum is a naturally white precious metal, which perfectly offsets the diamond in an engagement ring. Indeed, platinum engagement rings have a high-end allure, being more expensive than equivalent engagement rings in gold.
The price premium for platinum is due mainly to its scarcity: about fifteen times more gold is mined each year than platinum. Additionally, platinum is more difficult (and therefore more expensive) to extract, refine and work with than gold; and the 18ct gold used for high end jewellery is 75% pure (and 25% alloys), whereas the platinum 950 used for fine jewellery is 95% pure (and just 5% alloys).
Platinum also wears slightly differently to white gold. Firstly, platinum is about 50% more dense than gold, and so platinum engagement rings weigh a little more than their gold equivalents. Secondly, the surface of platinum scratches more easily than the rhodium coating that is present on most white gold jewellery. So, whereas white gold engagement rings may need to have their rhodium coating restored after a number of years, platinum engagement rings may benefit from an occasional repolishing.
At Ingle & Rhode, we have a collection of engagement rings available to buy now, but we also specialise in making bespoke engagement rings. Please feel free to get in touch if you have any questions.
Call us on 020 7499 2012 or come and see us in person at our showroom close to Bond Street station, London. You’ll be able to discover our stunning collection, speak to our experts one-on-one and explore the option of creating your very own bespoke ring. We aim to respond to appointment booking emails within 1 hour.