What is the difference between platinum and white gold?
Platinum is a naturally white metal that will never fade or change color. In jewelry, the most common purity for platinum is 95%, with the remaining 5% being another metal - often from the platinum group - which provides an alloy with a harder, more scratch resistant finish. White gold, which was first produced in the early 1900s is made by adding an alloy mix to pure yellow gold to take out the yellow color; the alloy is often nickel or palladium, in order to give the metal a whitish hue. White gold, which is typically, either 75% or 58.5% gold, is then rhodium plated to provide a white finish. The thin plating usually needs to be replaced over time to maintain its white color.
How do I know that a piece of jewelry is made of platinum?
All platinum jewelry is hallmarked. There are a number of symbols or marks that have to be displayed on a piece of jewelry to indicate that it is high purity platinum. Here are some examples of the platinum marks to look for:
PLATINUM or PLAT
PT950
950PT
950PLAT
PT900
900PT
900PLAT
PT999
PT850
