How does Platinum compare with White Gold?

Comparison	Platinum	White Gold
What about weight/feel?	Inch for inch heavier and denser metal so it feels heavier than gold	Inch for inch lighter
What about scratching?	Scratches more easily if set in a design where there are lots high polish areas. Before platinum made its comeback in the early 90's most platinum rings were finely hand engraved and/or set with pave diamonds. So there were very little high polish areas. With this type of design platinum rings need little maintenance to keep their beautiful look as the pave diamonds continue to sparkle over time and even the inner portions of the engraved areas are beneath the surface and also maintain their polish. On the other hand rings with large areas of high polish are going to need constant refinishing to maintain their original highly polished look.	Maintains it’s sheen longer than platinum
Which one is more durable? Both are durable but platinum is more so than gold	More durable than gold – lasts over many generations	Gold will last a lifetime though it wears thin over time and the shank may have to eventually be replaced
What about colour? Some people like platinum whilst others feel that it can appear dull grey compared to the sheen of white gold	Maintains the same colour forever. White is the natural colour of platinum	May eventually tinge to a very light yellow though white gold is easily re-plated with rhodium   White colour is induced by alloying yellow gold with a white metal. We use palladium in our white gold. Palladium is in the same group of elements as platinum and is similarly valuable. Other jewellers may use other base metals in the alloying such as nickel which can cause allergies.
What about cost? Platinum is more expensive though when considering the total cost of an engagement ring, the extra cost for platinum is considered by many as insignificant in relation to the whole cost.	Price is more than gold as platinum is rarer. Platinum is rarer. To produce a single ounce of platinum, a total of 10 tonnes of ore must be mined. In comparison, only 3 tonnes of gold are required to produce one ounce of gold.	Price is less expensive compared to platinum.
What about maintenance? Neither metal will always look new.  Both need eventual maintenance one way or another.	Over time, long-term maintenance on platinum involves visits for re-polishing.	Over time, maintenance on white gold rings can include re-polishing, re-plating (rhodium finish), and/or eventual replacement of shank.

For further information see Diamonds Glossary.