Warner Co. | Since 1867

Why is Platinum The Most Precious?

Quite simply, platinum is one of the earth's rarest elements.
Its naturally white color will not oxidize or decay over time.
Scarcity makes platinum highly prized, but its demanding nature also means that only the most skilled artisans can work with it. A single ounce of platinum not only requires exceptional effort to mine and refine, it involves weeks of expert handling to craft into a piece of jewelry.

A BRIEF OVERVIEW TO CONSIDER

...YELLOW GOLD if you prefer a yellow color metal surrounding your diamond.
...WHITE GOLD if you prefer white color and don't mind a ring that may lose its whiteness over time or due to wear.
...PALLADIUM for a silvery white color that lasts, but is less treasured than platinum.
...PLATINUM for an eternally white, naturally enduring metal, whose beauty and rareness will be treasured for generations.

Below are seven factors you should consider when you are deciding on the metal for your bridal jewelry.

INTRINSIC VALUE

This is the basic worth of the metal. Prices of all metals fluctuate according to supply in the market and demand by consumers. The more pure and precious a metal, the more limited its availability tends to be. Scarcity drives demand, making a metal like platinum more likely to maintain its intrinsic value over time.

LIFE SPAN

In addition to a metal's ability to withstand wear and tear, lifespan is judged by certain practicalities. Both platinum and tungsten are highly durable. But tungsten rings can not be resized. If your fingers change over time, and they usually do, a tungsten ring would have a far shorter lifespan than platinum.

PRECIOUS-METAL PURITY

How much precious metal content does your ring actually have? 14K gold is a mix of 58% pure gold and 42% non-precious metal. 18k gold is 75% pure. Platinum, palladium, titanium and tungsten are all at least 90-95% pure, but of these metals, only platinum and palladium are considered precious.

HYPOALLERGENIC

Hypoallergenic metals reduce or minimize the possibility of an allergic response by minimizing potentially irritating substances. Platinum and palladium are the only hypoallergenic precious metals.

SURFACE STRENGTH

How much metal (and consequently value) will a ring lose to scratching and denting? All metals scratch, but with gold that scratch actually removes a sliver of metal. With platinum, scratching just ripples the surface. The displaced metal can be moved back into place by polishing.

RESTORATION FACTOR

Can your ring be made to look new again? Can it be refinished, re-sized, or re-conditioned easily? Platinum performs beautifully in each case. Something that can't be said for the other metals.

RARITY

This relates not only to the scarcity of a given metal, but to the demand for it in uses other than jewelry. For example, while supplies of both platinum and palladium are very limited, platinum is utilized in far more ways than palladium. Medical and industrial interests also compete for this already scarce metal. Greater demand on a smaller supply makes platinum more highly prized.


	Why is Platinum The Most Precious? Quite simply, platinum is one of the earth's rarest elements. Its naturally white color will not oxidize or decay over time. Scarcity makes platinum highly prized, but its demanding nature also means that only the most skilled artisans can work with it. A single ounce of platinum not only requires exceptional effort to mine and refine, it involves weeks of expert handling to craft into a piece of jewelry. A BRIEF OVERVIEW TO CONSIDER ...YELLOW GOLD if you prefer a yellow color metal surrounding your diamond. ...WHITE GOLD if you prefer white color and don't mind a ring that may lose its whiteness over time or due to wear. ...PALLADIUM for a silvery white color that lasts, but is less treasured than platinum. ...PLATINUM for an eternally white, naturally enduring metal, whose beauty and rareness will be treasured for generations. Below are seven factors you should consider when you are deciding on the metal for your bridal jewelry. INTRINSIC VALUE This is the basic worth of the metal. Prices of all metals fluctuate according to supply in the market and demand by consumers. The more pure and precious a metal, the more limited its availability tends to be. Scarcity drives demand, making a metal like platinum more likely to maintain its intrinsic value over time. LIFE SPAN In addition to a metal's ability to withstand wear and tear, lifespan is judged by certain practicalities. Both platinum and tungsten are highly durable. But tungsten rings can not be resized. If your fingers change over time, and they usually do, a tungsten ring would have a far shorter lifespan than platinum. PRECIOUS-METAL PURITY How much precious metal content does your ring actually have? 14K gold is a mix of 58% pure gold and 42% non-precious metal. 18k gold is 75% pure. Platinum, palladium, titanium and tungsten are all at least 90-95% pure, but of these metals, only platinum and palladium are considered precious. HYPOALLERGENIC Hypoallergenic metals reduce or minimize the possibility of an allergic response by minimizing potentially irritating substances. Platinum and palladium are the only hypoallergenic precious metals. SURFACE STRENGTH How much metal (and consequently value) will a ring lose to scratching and denting? All metals scratch, but with gold that scratch actually removes a sliver of metal. With platinum, scratching just ripples the surface. The displaced metal can be moved back into place by polishing. RESTORATION FACTOR Can your ring be made to look new again? Can it be refinished, re-sized, or re-conditioned easily? Platinum performs beautifully in each case. Something that can't be said for the other metals. RARITY This relates not only to the scarcity of a given metal, but to the demand for it in uses other than jewelry. For example, while supplies of both platinum and palladium are very limited, platinum is utilized in far more ways than palladium. Medical and industrial interests also compete for this already scarce metal. Greater demand on a smaller supply makes platinum more highly prized. *Source: "http://www.novelldesignstudio.com/choosing_your_metal/index.php"