Platinum Earrings

The metal used in earrings has to be comfortable and durable; metals like surgical steel, nickel, and aluminium can cause problems for many earring wearers due to being hypoallergenic. However, platinum rarely causes allergies; so the answer is “yes”, platinum is good for earrings.

Keeping allergic reactions at bay isn’t the only reason platinum is good for earrings. Some other reasons are:

1. Value: Using precious metals like platinum means your earring will retain its value well into the next century. And if you plan to wear your earring repeatedly, opting for the value of platinum earrings is better, as it’s actual metal, and not something invented in a lab. More so, earrings made with platinum can become a valuable heirloom piece, which can be handed down to the next generation.

• Beauty: The best jewellers of modern times prefer to work with platinum as a precious metal due to the higher lustre and natural beauty it presents.

• Durability: Opting for a non-precious metal for your earrings means you won’t be able to appreciate that earring for very long. You may be able to wear them a couple of times but unlike platinum earrings, they won’t be able to last as long as you want to wear them.

Whether paired with a stone or standing on their own in any design, platinum earrings are the only choice for your beautiful ears.

There’s no exact answer to this as it depends on your personal preference and style. In reality, both platinum and gold earrings both have their own unique properties and benefits. However, it’s worthy to note the differences between both of them:

1. Comfort and reactions: Platinum is a hypoallergenic metal, and as such, doesn’t trigger any skin allergy in its wearer. However, when considering gold, yellow gold is the most hypoallergenic version of gold (where white gold and rose gold have higher percentages of other metals mixed in them). As such, some people may be allergic to the base metals used in alloying gold, which can cause a reaction. In regards to comfort, the weight of gold is lighter and less dense than platinum, making it more comfortable to wear.

2. Maintenance: Yellow gold and rose gold require polishing, and sometimes replating to maintain their appearance, while white gold requires the most maintenance to maintain its colour; as it needs to be polished and replated every few years to prevent it from turning yellow. However, like every piece of jewellery, platinum also tends to scratch and can become dull over time. Although, it requires low maintenance home cleaning could help keep it bright and, when you polish platinum, it smoothens the piece without thinning the metal as such, can be done as often as you like.

3. Strength and Durability: Both precious metals are strong, although platinum is more durable, compared to gold. Platinum has a high density and chemical composition which makes it less likely to break, so it lasts longer, unlike gold. Platinum also offers no wear and tear on the metal when used in earrings. As such, platinum will not become thinner or lose weight like gold. Platinum, when scratched, only has a metal shift around a scratch without any loss whereas gold, when scratched, tiny particles of the metal are shaved off. Whichever metal you choose for your earring is based on your personal preference, budget, and style.

Investing in platinum not only ensures its value will remain high, but it will last longer due to its durability. However, if you are planning to buy platinum jewellery as an investment, you might want to think again. There are several things to consider before deciding to invest in platinum:

1. Consumption: If you’re looking to buy platinum as an investment, the market doesn’t seem mature enough for that just as yet. Although the consumption of platinum is on the rise, it still isn’t as popular as gold. The consumption of gold currently stands at about 850 tons, whereas the consumption of platinum is about 40 tons in comparison. If you’re choosing gold as an investment, you can select between coins, or bars. jewellery, or biscuits. With platinum, due to the other options not being readily available, you’re compelled only to buy jewellery.

2. Supply: Despite platinum being considered a strong symbol of value and quality, its supply is much lower than that of gold as it is far more difficult to extract than yellow gold. While gold is produced in several countries around the world, almost all of the world’s platinum is mined in only South Africa and Russia. Any political or economic difficulties in both countries could have a strong impact on the price of platinum, and both countries could also artificially inflate the price of platinum. The value of platinum also depends on the laws of supply and demand rather than the sentiments of investors as platinum has a wider application in the industry.

You may choose to buy platinum to add to your jewellery collection rather than as an investment.

Platinum is resistant to chemicals and heat, as such, it’s a good option for people who often deal with chemicals, cleaning products, or open flames. Platinum is also very durable, it’s nearly impossible to crack, and does not wear down easily. It’s excellent for everyday wear in jewellery items like rings, etc. However, platinum earrings are different. Although there’s no major health risk in wearing platinum earrings every day, you can potentially damage them by constantly wearing them.

Platinum earrings require care and attention as they’re of symbolic and sentimental value. And although they possess excellent qualities, it’s not advisable to wear your platinum earrings daily in order to keep them looking their best. Why:

1. It’s advisable to take them off before you hop in the shower. Although chemicals from your soap and shampoo won’t hurt the platinum, they may discolor the diamonds or gemstones.

2. When you sleep and move around, your earrings can get caught on your bedding or hair, which could risk tearing your earlobe. Sleeping in your earrings is also a number one cause of losing gemstones.

3. Platinum is a very strong and heavy metal, so it may not be comfortable for everyday wear.

4. Wearing the same platinum earrings for a long time without cleaning the piercing can cause bacteria to become trapped, which can lead to infection.

Platinum is classified according to the percentage of platinum weight in the product. That is, PT850 is 85% platinum by weight, PT900 is 90% platinum by weight, and PT950 is 95% platinum by weight.

In countries like the United Kingdom, the fineness for Platinum is classified as 850, 900, 950, and 999, with the highest platinum grade and the most common purity being Platinum 950. The best quality platinum used in jewellery is PL950 as anything less than that doesn’t last long, and also wears with time.

However, platinum (PL950) is graded according to:

1. PL950/Iridium: Made up of 95% platinum and 5% iridium by weight. It can be regarded as 100% precious as iridium is one of the platinum group metals, although it’s not considered the highest quality of grades. This metal mixture is soft and as such, can bend and scratch. Over time, this type of platinum can look dull or take a lot of scratches.

2. PL950/Ruthenium: Made up of 95% platinum and 5% ruthenium by weight. It can also be regarded as 100% precious as ruthenium is one of the platinum group metals. This metal mixture is durable, it’s almost scratch resistant and can achieve a beautiful mirror polish.

3. PL950/Cobalt: Made up of 95% platinum and 5% ruthenium by weight. This type isn’t 100% precious, although it’s considered superior and has the highest quality of platinum compared to other platinum grades. This metal mixture is strong and durable, can be made into different shapes and designs, and offers incredible brilliance.