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. Diamond is ten on the MOHs scale and can easily scratch platinum.
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 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.
Chlorine can damage and discolor metals such as gold and platinum, and can slowly erode the finish and polish of gemstones. While gardening. Dirt and small rocks are abrasive to jewelry. If not cleaned right away, jewelry can be permanently damaged.
Platinum is very durable. When scratched, the scratch actually displaces the metal, leaving ridges on the edges of the scratch. This is where durability comes in. Whereas other precious metals, if scratched, lose metal, and thus wear down, Platinum does so at a much slower rate.
Don't handle bleach or harsh chemicals when wearing platinum jewelry. Although they won't hurt the Platinum, chemicals may discolor diamonds or gemstones. All precious metals can scratch and Platinum is no exception however, a scratch on Platinum is simply a displacement of the metal and none of the volume is lost.
On the other hand, platinum is a strong, durable metal that is less likely to be damaged by water. Another factor to consider is the setting of the diamond. A prong setting, for example, leaves the diamond more exposed and vulnerable to damage from water.
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.
Platinum is the strongest and purest jewelry metal available, making it especially resistant to chipping and tarnishing. It is more rare than gold, making it a perfect choice for engagement rings.
Caring for platinum can keep your ring looking bright and beautiful for years to come. Daily doses of soap and water, hand creams and just being out in the elements leave their mark on your jewelry over time, especially if you wear your platinum every day.
Damage to platinum by salts, halogen compounds and acids
At room temperature platinum only dissolves slowly in aqua regia. Amongst the most severe effects are the melting of alkali metal hydroxides and alkali cyanides at high temperatures.
Platinum is extremely durable and strong making it ideal for jewellery that's worn on a daily basis. It's highly resistant to stress and withstands both extreme heat and extreme cold, which means platinum jewellery will retain its good looks better than any other metal.
This is so neither ring scratches the other. For example, platinum scores higher on the Mohs Scale of Hardness than gold. If you place a platinum wedding band alongside a gold engagement ring, it's almost guaranteed that the gold will become heavily scuffed and scratched over time.
It's not just chlorine that can damage your gold jewellery and diamonds; saltwater can damage them too. Salt causes erosion of soldered gold, silver or platinum elements. As a result, the precious metal may weaken meaning your jewellery could potentially break.
Platinum and diamonds are both naturally tough metals and aren't chemically reactive to alcohol, however, your ring could lose brilliancy by constantly exposing it to hand sanitizing ingredients.
Some metals have the ability to withstand environments such as salt-damaged areas and acid rain. For example, taking seawater as an example, platinum and gold are completely unaffected. The same goes for titanium. However, stainless steel will rust depending on the grade of steel.
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).
Can you wear platinum in the shower? A similar scenario to gold, you should refrain from wearing your platinum jewelry in the shower as it will reduce its shine and luster. Water itself will not harm the platinum, but it well affect the overall look of it down the road.
Platinum is an extremely durable and dense metal which does not degrade in quality over time.
Although Windex shouldn't harm any hard gemstone, we seriously recommend using this method only for diamonds, and only for platinum, gold, and silver. Windex is an ammonia solution, and harmful to soft gemstones (for example, emeralds and pearls), so using it for anything else is just too big a risk of damage.
You can clean a ring with Windex if it just has diamonds set in a gold, silver, or platinum setting. But if you have an antique diamond ring or a ring with colorful stones, porous stones, or treated jewels, it's better to forego this procedure.
The short answer is no. Toothpaste is not a good option for cleaning your ring. Toothpaste contains scrubbing particles to polish your teeth, but these particles are often harder than the metals in your ring, especially gold or white gold. Using toothpaste on your jewelry could cause scratches or pitting in the metal.
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.
A: Durable materials like platinum and fine gold should be fine as long as you take them off before going in the water. It's the same with diamonds or precious stones because they're harder materials. No damage can come to a diamond ring at the beach.
It is the most durable metal used to make jewellery. Platinum should last a lifetime and you should not have to reset your platinum engagement ring. Platinum is a naturally white metal that is highly resistant to tarnish.