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Platinum wedding bands are growing in popularity as couples seek to make every facet of their wedding and lives together as meaningful and special as they can. Platinum has historically been a symbol of true and endless love, as well as rarity, strength, and purity.
While gold wedding bands always represented a marriage bond between two people, platinum has come to viewed as representing a stronger bond of enduring love. This strength is inherent in the characteristics of the metal as well.
Properties of Platinum
Platinum is a white-coloured metal which is both harder and more durable than gold. Platinum is preferable for rings that include gemstones as the prongs holding the gemstones are less likely to break.
And while a platinum wedding band scratches more easily than a gold band, this characteristic isn’t really a negative. When a gold band gets scratched, the scratch removes some of the gold, meaning the scratch is actually a gouge. When a platinum wedding band is scratched, the scratch simply moves the metal to either side of the scratch. All of the metal is still contained in the ring. By polishing your ring, you can easily restore the metal to its original state and lustre.
Platinum wedding bands will stay white forever, whereas white gold wedding bands can turn yellow as they age. They require more maintenance in re-polishing and re-plating to maintain the white hue over the years.
Another thing to consider when deciding on wedding bands is that platinum is completely hypoallergenic. Some people find that they’re allergic to the nickel alloy used to harden gold rings so that they hold their shape better. It can be heartbreaking to discover that the symbol of your love can no longer be worn because of allergies. Replacing a ring can also be expensive when trying to find a design that matches the design of your old ring.
Platinum as a Symbol
Platinum is seen by some of the more traditionally-minded to be less ‘romantic’ than gold. This comes from a combination of the old way of thinking that gold rings representing the marriage bond, and the use of valuable platinum in various industries.
The value of gold is also much older and more traditional. While Europeans first discovered platinum in the mid-1500s, the value of gold was established as long as people have known about the Aztecs and ancient civilisations of Egypt.
Yet, in modern times, platinum is much more valuable than gold, both figuratively and literally. Platinum wedding bands are certainly more expensive than gold bands. And ‘platinum’ credit cards are the ultimate status symbol. In marketing, only ‘diamond’ ranks above ‘platinum’ in awards, club memberships, or anything denoting a level of prestige above the ordinary.
For couples, investing in platinum wedding bands can symbolise a break with tradition, starting a life free from the past and having the strength of character to chart your own future together in whatever way you both see fit. It can be a symbol of strength as well as love.
