Choosing your metal: 18k gold vs platinum, honestly
Weight, colour, hardness, price — the real trade-offs, without the salesmanship.
Studio bench notes · 2026-07-18 · reviewed: Master goldsmith review
Eighteen-karat gold is 75% pure gold alloyed for strength; platinum 950 is 95% pure and roughly 60% heavier per volume. That weight is the first thing you notice: a platinum ring feels dense and cool on the hand, gold feels warm and lighter.
Wear and colour over time
Platinum scratches by displacing metal rather than losing it, developing a soft patina many clients love; it can be re-polished to mirror any time. Gold loses minute material with wear but keeps its colour; white gold’s rhodium surface may want re-plating every few years — we state this plainly because it is a real maintenance cost.
Budget reality
Gram for gram, platinum currently costs less than gold at the refinery but more at the bench, because it is harder to work and needs more polishing time. For most ring designs the two land within 10–15% of each other; we quote both so you can decide with real numbers.
If you have nickel sensitivity, tell us at inquiry stage. Our white alloys are nickel-free, and platinum is naturally hypoallergenic — one reason we recommend it for pieces worn every day.
Commission
Begin with a sentence, a sketch, or a photograph.
Tell us what the piece should mean. We reply with a first direction, a price range and a timeline — free, and without obligation.
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