| | Platinum Information and Availability
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For all its power, platinum is never ostentatious. Once you experience the heavy feel and unusual elegance of platinum you will never choose to buy jewelry made in any other medium.
Almost all our original John Christian designs can be custom crafted in platinum. The information below is designed to answer questions you may have about this extraordinary material. We hope you find them helpful. Additionally, you will find links to all our platinum designs.
1. Are platinum and white gold the same or similar metals?
Platinum and gold are both precious metals and excellent for the craft of jewelry making. When platinum is mined from the ground, it is naturally white and maintains this look throughout the years with no added maintenance. White gold starts out as yellow gold from the mine and is then mixed with zinc and nickel to make it white in color. Over time, it will "yellow" and need to be cleaned in order to maintain its white appearance.
2. Why does platinum cost more than gold?
Platinum costs much more than gold for several very good reasons. Platinum is approximately 60 times more rare than gold. Platinum is a purer metal (90% in the case of our designs) than either 14-karat (58.5% gold) or 18-karat (75% gold) gold. Platinum, made in the same size as 14-karat gold designs, weighs 60% more due to its higher density. The same dies and molds we have created for our unique John Christian products in gold, are also used for items cast in platinum. The end result is a much more valuable, heavy and luxurious heirloom quality piece.
3. How can I tell if the jewelry I'm buying is platinum?
All platinum jewelry sold in the U.S. must be stamped with a common quality mark that shows the percentage of platinum used in the alloy. All John Christian designs will be marked with "John Christian", our "anchor" logo and "Plat" or "18K + Plat" as applicable.
4. Does platinum scratch?
Like all precious metals, platinum does scratch. Platinum's surface, when scratched, will actually separate and make room for the scratch without loss of metal. This means that platinum does not lose the minuscule amount of metal that disappears when other precious metals are scratched. Over time, platinum develops a natural patina that many people prefer over the "just polished" look. This patina is one factor that makes platinum very special at any age. At any time you can send your ring back to us to be re-polished to a high gloss look for just the charge of shipping.
5. What is your warranty on pieces made in platinum?
All John Christian designs come with a full 30-day money-back guarantee, less any shipping or special handling charges. Due to the high casting and refining costs of platinum there is an additional $200 recycling charge on any platinum return. Additionally, we will clean and re-polish your ring for life at no charge; you just pay for return shipping. This warranty is highly unusual for custom-made jewelry and is generously offered because we consistently exceed our customer's expectations and rarely receive returns. When we do, we happily honor this warranty.
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