You should clean any regularly-worn platinum jewelry every month. Platinum jewelry pieces you only wear occasionally can be cleaned less often. However, platinum can be expensive, and regularly cleaning all your pieces can protect the longevity of your prized pieces.
Platinum's cool white sheen is perfect for accentuating the sparkle and brilliance of diamonds as it doesn't cause any colour to be reflected in the stone. Platinum is extremely durable and strong making it ideal for jewellery that's worn on a daily basis.
Warm water and soap
The cheapest and easiest way to clean platinum rings is by soaking them in a sudsy solution of warm water and a mild washing up liquid for around 30 minutes. This will lift any built-up grime and debris from your rings, effortlessly restoring their lustre.
Rhodium, one of the five platinum metals, coats the jewelry with a bright white layer. But rhodium wears off, and must be replated. Platinum, on the other hand, is a completely white metal, and never needs plating.
Platinum develops a patina over time, and will lose its shiny finish that it has in the beginning. The platinum patina is a charming characteristic of the metal—but if you would like to restore your ring back to its original lustre, all you would have to do is take it back to your jeweller for a simple polish.
Caring for your platinum ring
Remove your platinum ring when doing manual work. Don't handle bleach or harsh chemicals when wearing your platinum wedding ring. Although they won't hurt the platinum, chemicals may discolour some of the softer gemstones.
To be considered platinum, a piece must contain 95% or more of the metal, making it one of the purest precious metals you can buy. Over time, platinum will fade in a different way. It won't turn yellow, like yellow gold; but, it will begin to lose its shiny finish and build a natural patina (more on this in a bit).
A Word About Daily Care: If you're in a secure environment, you may want to remove your platinum rings before you wash your hands or apply hand lotion, but be sure you make a habit of 1.
The cool, elegant look of platinum for engagement rings and other jewelry is especially popular today and with good reason: it is the strongest, most pure metal. Platinum is more rare than gold and will last a lifetime, resisting chipping and tarnishing.
Platinum is a very dense metal, and while this can often mean more of it is needed to craft the ring, it also means platinum rings are durable and will most likely last you a lifetime.
Example of Heavy Wear on Platinum
Heavy wear results in surface damage. Abrasive surfaces reduce the polish, resulting in a dull look to the ring. Many small scratches result in a consistent look to the ring.
Believe it or not, the chemicals present in everyday products like cleaning supplies, perfumes, hairsprays, etc. can be quite harsh. They can weaken the structure of your precious metal over a period of time. Also, the chlorine present in swimming pools can ruin the platinum's shine and cause discoloration.
Platinum. Similar to gold, this is a precious metal that won't tarnish or react to water. Platinum jewelry is so resilient that it can even withstand the most corrosive elements. However, be aware that it can discolor over time due to the chemicals present in shampoo and soap.
One disadvantage associated with platinum jewelry is its high cost relative to other types of metals, such as Gold and Silver.
Platinum is unaffected by air and water, but will dissolve in hot aqua regia, in hot concentrated phosphoric and sulphuric acids, and in molten alkali. It is as resistant as gold to corrosion and tarnishing.
Because of its rarity, platinum is valuable and will hold its value as the years pass. We now know that platinum is a naturally white metal. Because of its pure white color that won't change over time, you never have to worry about any unwanted color reflecting into the diamond.
Platinum is easier to maintain over time than white gold. Platinum is also the most hypoallergenic of all metals, because of its purity. Platinum is made of 95% pure platinum, where white gold is made out of 75% pure gold, and 25% other metals.
Even platinum which is naturally a heavier and harder metal than gold will be prone to scratches and scuffs.
Platinum is another fairly safe metal. It doesn't react at all with the chemicals in hand sanitizer, although it's still best to avoid it and keep up with regular cleaning to avoid any residue that will dull the shine. White gold, on the other hand, is more likely to be damaged by hand sanitizer.
To keep your platinum jewelry shining, you will need to regularly polish your pieces because the patina will return. If you wear platinum jewelry daily, perhaps on a wedding band or engagement ring, the metal will inevitably get exposed to oils and chemicals that can wear away at the platinum.
Only polishing will remove scratches from gold and platinum. However, the patina of fine scratches that develops over time can add beauty to the jewelry and can reflect the journey a piece has taken. The polishing process removes metal and is only recommended to be carried out a few times over the life of the piece.
Similarly, diamonds are porous and can absorb water, which can cause the stone to become discolored or cloudy. On the other hand, platinum is a strong, durable metal that is less likely to be damaged by water.
Platinum is not a hard metal. It is 4 – 4.5 on the MOHs scale of hardness. This means it can be scratched by anything harder than it is.
Ultimately, both gold and platinum have their unique advantages as investment options. While gold is a traditional safe haven asset with a long history of stability, platinum offers exposure to unique industries and potentially greater returns due to its volatility.