Metal & Jewelry - Is a platinum ring setting stronger than a 14K gold setting?

Question

After a few years the 14K gold prongs that hold the stone on my sister's wedding ring shift a little. She has it repronged by the jeweler, but I wondered if platinum setting would be stronger and more resistant to bending.

Answer 1

Neither. Platinum is fairly strong, almost as strong as iron. And platinum is also a very "still" metal and resists bending well. Gold, however, although being very soft, has a certain "spring back" affect where it will tend to move back to its original position after being bend very slightly.

White gold is the best choice, as it resists bending very well and tends to "spring back" a bit too. If the prongs are bent too far, they can break off completely instead of bending like gold or platinum, but this is normally nothing to worry about and usually requires a lot of force (but can also occur when corroded from excessive contact with household cleaners).

Answer 2

Yes.

Platinum is denser and therefore, heavier, than gold. You can get a six-prong platinum head put in a gold setting. In a perfect world, you would want to have a platinum ring shank as well. The only thing is that platinum is not cheap. Platinum is approx double the cost of gold (www.kitco.com). In closing, yes, platinum is stronger but it is significantly more expensive.

Answer 3

Depends on the purity of the metal used. The higher percentage of foreign material will increase the strength of the platinum/gold but will also reduce it's selling value. Of course the percentage of foreign metal mixed in gold/platinum is only a very very small value. Ask the jeweler for his advice, he knows best :))

Answer 4

Actually, platinum is known to be softer

Answer 5

Totally agree with Nymph