# Engagement Ring - Platinum vs. White Gold? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 8, 2004, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/engagement-ring-platinum-vs-white-gold/278712 "2004-12-08T07:06:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crankyasanoldman/32/11670_2.png) [@CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrankyAsAnOldMan)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2004, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/engagement-ring-platinum-vs-white-gold/278712/21 "2004-12-09T15:33:41Z")
> [@samclem](#): > > I buy and sell used jewelry for a living. I see rings that have been made from 1880-2004. In every conceivable metal combination and color. It’s a damned good thing you don’t live closer to me. I’d be scoping your wares at every mutual Dopefest. ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2004, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/engagement-ring-platinum-vs-white-gold/278712/22 "2004-12-09T15:40:20Z")
I don’t wear yellow gold ever, so my wedding band is white gold. It’s smooth, and so within a few weeks showed a buff of thousands of small scratches. It cleans up fine, and I only have had it polished once or twice in 19 years. Aside from that band, I only wear silver. Inexpensive, gorgous when worked well. Titanium is a joke since as previously pointed it it’s so strong it’s impossible to stretch without damaging. Other jewelry? Sure, I love the way it looks. A ring? Lunacy. Unless you only plan to wear your wedding band on a chain around your neck, I’d avoid titanium. Unlike gold and plantinum, it’s wicked complex to weld and making or altering a band in titanium might be a mess and a half. Cartooniverse ---
**Author:** ![Jurph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/50afbb/32.png) [@Jurph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jurph)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2004, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/engagement-ring-platinum-vs-white-gold/278712/23 "2004-12-09T17:18:54Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > Get a titanium band! It looks just like platinum, is lighter, and costs less than 10% the price of platinum…and only you will know! Not only can titanium rings not be resized easily, but an EMT friend of mine (and yes, I know EMTs are prone to telling whoppers) dislikes them because if you are injured or ill and encounter swelling, they can’t be cut off of your hand using the standard tools. His anecdote ended with the victim losing her _finger_. A hospital can crack the ring off (necessitating the purchase of a new one) but an EMT in the field might not have that equipment. ---
**Author:** ![Gaius.Cornelius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b487fb/32.png) [@Gaius.Cornelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gaius.Cornelius)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2004, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/engagement-ring-platinum-vs-white-gold/278712/24 "2004-12-09T17:47:00Z")
> [@FilmGeek](#): > > We’re going with titanium, though, I think. It’s gorgeous, hard, and cheaper than platinum. Are you sure it is Titanium you want? You can certainly buy Titanium rings, they are light and inexpensive, but I am not sure they are particularly hard. Perhaps you are thinking of [Tungsten](http://www.titaniumera.com/tungsten.html?engine=google)? ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2004, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/engagement-ring-platinum-vs-white-gold/278712/25 "2004-12-09T20:02:17Z")
Heh. I was an EMT for 3 years. We never exaggerate. 😃 😃 😃 I know some EMT’s/Paramedics who carry a ring cutter in their kits. Not on their bodies but in their so-called “Jump Bags”. I never did. Emergency Departments all have them, as mentioned. Titanium is SO much harder to cut that average jewelry that I have to think about whether or not a Dremel Tool with a diamond-dust grinder bit might or might not cut through it. Might gore into the finger some, but you might get away with it. The odds of that happening are so tiny, I’m not sure I’d shy away from Titanium for that reason. Other reasons give, sure ! ---
**Author:** ![spingears](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@spingears](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spingears)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2004, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/engagement-ring-platinum-vs-white-gold/278712/26 "2004-12-09T20:30:29Z")
> [@Gaius.Cornelius](#): > > Are you sure it is Titanium you want? You can certainly buy Titanium rings, they are light and inexpensive, but I am not sure they are particularly hard. Perhaps you are thinking of [Tungsten](http://www.titaniumera.com/tungsten.html?engine=google)? Relative hardness (Brinnel HN) Silver 24.5 Titanium 716 Rhodium 1100 Gold 2450 Tungsten 2570 Aircraft grade titanium rings may be obtained as hard or harder than gold. Cost of a tungsten ring will be about twice or more that of titanium. The aircraft grade used for rings is alloyed and much harder. ---
**Author:** ![scotandrsn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a4c791/32.png) [@scotandrsn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scotandrsn)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2004, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/engagement-ring-platinum-vs-white-gold/278712/27 "2004-12-09T23:38:01Z")
> [@Maera](#): > > Thanks Everyone (and thanks **Jurph** , best of luck to you too!) > > I guess with proper care, both white gold and platinum will do a good job. The question becomes whether the trendy status of platinum is worth the extra cost. I’ll have to find a subtle way of asking the future (with luck!) Mrs. Maera 🙂 You just need a really good jeweller, as defined in a helpful book I read when I was a groom myself a few years ago… > [@](#): > > A good jeweller will tell you that the white gold ring looks just like platinum > A REALLY good jeweller will tell your BRIDE the white gold ring IS platinum [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/engagement-ring-platinum-vs-white-gold/278712.md?page=1)