Platinum vs Sterling Silver: Which One Is Better?

Choosing wedding bands is a serious task that should not be taken lightly!

You have to find your way between a plethora of designs, brands, colors, gems and, of course, metals.

Of these different types of metal used in wedding rings, two of the most popular ones are platinum and sterling silver.

They are easily mistaken for one another.

• Should we buy platinum or silver wedding bands?
• Do platinum engagement rings tarnish?
• Do we have to spend the bank on platinum rings?

These are just 3 of the frequent questions people ask before weddings.

While very alike, there are clear differences that you should know about before any purchase.

Here are the most important facts about platinum vs sterling silver.

This post will enlighten your path towards making the best-informed decision about which one, is the right one, for you.

Platinum is denser than Sterling Silver

Platinum is a pure metal which has its own place on the periodic table.

On the other hand, sterling silver is an alloy with 92.5% silver purity. The remaining 7.5% comes often from copper to increase strength and durability.

Both of these metals have a whitish gray color, akin to white gold.

Platinum is more dense than sterling silver. It has a density of 21.45 g/cm3 to sterling’s 10.25 g/cm3.

For example, a solid cube of platinum would weigh double the weight of a similar sterling cube.

Thus, jewelry made of sterling will be much more lightweight.

Some people are very sensitive to the weights on their ring finger. They want the most light ring possible.

If this is your case, sterling clearly takes the lead on this basis.

Platinum is harder than Sterling Silver

Silver is a soft metal that has to be mixed with others to become fit for jewelry.

Sterling or 925 silver is the most popular alloy with 92.5 percent purity.

This type of silver is durable for jewelry and soft enough for intricate designs where silversmiths can show their craft and art.

However, even in this version, it is one of the softer jewelry metals.

It is not a piece of jewelry you’d take for outdoor sports or garden work.

Platinum is much harder and a better choice for tougher conditions.

The hardness of metals is measured on the Mohs Scale of Mineral Hardness.

Platinum rings get a 4-4.5 grade on this scale.

Sterling pieces are much below, with a 2.5 rating.

Sterling Silver Does Tarnish

Sterling silver is open to tarnish.

Tarnish is the dark spots that appear on the surface of sterling pieces. These are the result of chemical reactions between silver and sulfur dioxide.

The presence of copper combined with humidity, heat and chemical agents like deodorant perfumes speeds it up.

Tarnish makes sterling pieces dull and takes away their brightness.

Fortunately, there are ways to bring back shine and luster.

There are commercial solutions like silver polishes and silver wipes.

You can also prefer DIY homemade solutions.

On the other hand, platinum does not tarnish.

It has strong corrosion resistance. It does not rust.

It is an ideal metal for jewelry.

You can enjoy your platinum jewelry much longer, with very little care and maintenance.

What is patina on platinum?

With daily wear, platinum rings and other jewelry get a cooler, more hazy finish. This is called patina.

This resembles to a satin finish where the luster gets reduced.

Some may enjoy this cool look and prefer to keep their platinum pieces this way.

Others, who want to get the shine back, can easily ask a jeweler for a polish.

After all, it’s a matter of personal taste!

Platinum is a hypoallergenic metal

People with sensitive skin may experience unease with some jewelry metals.

This is called metal hypersensitivity.

The common skin reactions are itching, rashes and, coloring.

The main culprit for metal allergies is nickel.

Approximately 10% of the US population is allergic to nickel.

According to the Nickel Institute, the skin has to experience prolonged direct contact with nickel and a sufficient amount of nickel has to be released and absorbed by it to cause allergic reactions.

This may lead you to the simple solution of avoiding nickel alloys, but there is more to the story

Trace amounts of nickel may be indirectly included in alloys via other metals.

One of this latter group is copper.

If the copper present in sterling silver, brought nickel into the mix, you might experience skin irritation.

So, it is important to prefer nickel-free jewelry to stay safe.

Platinum is a precious metal which is nickel-free. It is hypoallergenic.

This means it is very unlikely to cause any irritation.

Although this is not a guarantee because a very, very small percentage of the world population may have platinum allergy.

Prices Can Vary

Both platinum and silver are precious metals, that are traded in the markets.

Just to give a rough idea, at the time of writing, the price of gold was twice the price of platinum.

And silver’s price was about 1/40th of the latter.

These prices and ratios are subject to change every second with fluctuating supply and demand.

For the sake of simplicity, we can say a platinum ring will significantly cost more than a similar designed sterling engagement ring.

The Verdict on Sterling silver vs Platinum: Which One Should You Choose?

Platinum rings have important pros like durability and little to no care and maintenance.

They are much harder than sterling items. They have much more scratch resistance, which is something we’d like to have in jewelry that we’ll frequently use.

Platinum jewelry does not tarnish like 925 silver pieces.

However, it will develop a matte finish which some may cherish and some may prefer a more shiny, lustrous look.

But, this is not comparable to tarnish, which we truly do not want on sterling silver rings.

Happily, you can easily have your platinum rings polished and, voilà, the show goes on!

If you are on a quest for white engagement rings, you may also want to compare platinum vs palladium vs white gold.

Another very desirable aspect of platinum wedding rings is their hypoallergenic property.

Platinum is a hypoallergenic metal which is very unlikely to cause any skin irritation.

On the other hand, some sterling pieces may include small amounts of allergenic metals like nickel.

Long term use of this kind of jewelry may cause metal allergies.

If you prefer silver jewelry, just make sure it is made of high-quality sterling silver which is nickel-free.

All these benefits of platinum come with a higher price than silver rings.

Probably, if we could level the price, platinum would clearly win this match.

But that silver shine… it’s not so easy to give up!

Thus, no one can blame you for going for sterling silver wedding rings!

Where to buy platinum and sterling silver jewelry?

You can check the designs and prices of sterling silver and platinum rings on Amazon.