Precious Metals
Platinum
Naturally white, hypoallergenic, and dense enough that you feel it on the finger, here is what Platinum 950 means, how a patina forms, and where the cost actually comes from.
Platinum is roughly thirty times rarer than gold, and about a third of all platinum mined each year goes into jewelry. The rest is industrial, which is part of why its price moves differently from gold’s.
For a ring, though, rarity is not the interesting part. What matters is that platinum is naturally white, unusually dense, and worn almost pure: three properties that shape how it looks, what it costs, and how it ages.
Platinum 950: worn nearly pure
Jewelry platinum is typically 95% pure, hallmarked Pt950 or PLAT, alloyed with about 5% ruthenium, iridium, or cobalt. Compare that with 14K gold at 58.3% gold, and the contrast is stark: a platinum ring is almost entirely the precious metal you are buying.
That purity is why platinum is genuinely hypoallergenic. There is no nickel in it and very little of anything else, so it is the safest choice for skin that reacts to jewelry.
How platinum ages: displacement, not loss
This is the most misunderstood thing about platinum, and it is worth getting right.
Platinum is not harder than gold. A 14K gold alloy is generally at least as hard on the surface. Platinum will scratch, and on a new high-polish ring it will scratch fairly readily in the first months.
Whether you like the patina is personal. Some wearers prize it; others prefer the original bright polish. Either way it is a surface effect only, and a jeweler can repolish a platinum ring back to new as often as you like, free for life on 25karats pieces.
Why platinum costs what it does
Platinum rings cost significantly more than the same design in gold, and people are often surprised by how much. There are two multipliers at work, not one.
- Density. Platinum is about 60% denser than 14K gold. Because precious metal is priced by weight, the identical ring in platinum simply contains more metal: often half again as much.
- Purity. That heavier ring is also 95% precious metal instead of 58.3%.
- Workshop time. Platinum has a much higher melting point and calls for dedicated tools and separate benches, so labor runs higher than for gold.
The density that drives the price is also what people mean when they say platinum feels expensive. A platinum band has a distinct heft on the finger. Some wearers love it; others find it more than they want to notice all day. It is worth trying one on before committing.
At a glance
| Property | Platinum | What it means for a ring |
|---|---|---|
| Purity | 95% (Pt950) | Hypoallergenic; no nickel |
| Color | Naturally white | Never plated, never replated, never yellows |
| Density | ~60% denser than 14K gold | Noticeably heavy; more metal, so a higher price |
| Wear | Displaces rather than sheds | Develops a patina but keeps its weight for decades |
| Stone setting | Strong and ductile | Prongs hold well and bend without snapping |
Platinum’s combination of strength and ductility is why it is so often chosen for engagement rings: a platinum prong can be bent over a stone and will hold, and it gives before it breaks.
Platinum is the right call when…
- You want a white metal and never want to think about replating again.
- Your skin reacts to other jewelry, or you would rather not find out whether it will.
- You like the weight, and you would rather a ring announce itself a little.
- You are setting a significant stone and want the most secure prongs available.
Still deciding between the two? Our gold vs. platinum comparison puts them side by side on color, weight, durability, maintenance, and price.
Try platinum on
Our platinum bands are made to order in New York City’s Diamond District, with free lifetime cleaning and repolishing.