You are looking at two identical wedding bands—one in 18K gold and one in PT950 Platinum. You notice that the making charges on the gold ring are ₹3,000, but the making charges on the platinum ring are ₹12,000. Is the jeweler scamming you?
No. Working with platinum is a jeweler's nightmare, and you are paying for the extreme difficulty of manufacturing. Here is why.
1. The Extreme Melting Point
Gold melts beautifully at 1,064°C. A standard jeweler's torch can melt gold easily.
Platinum does not melt until 1,768°C (over 3,200°F). To reach this temperature, a jeweler must use specialized oxygen-hydrogen torches. They must wear protective eyewear usually reserved for welders, because molten platinum emits blinding white light that can damage retinas.
2. Platinum Contamination
Platinum is highly reactive when hot. If a jeweler uses the same crucible, tools, or files for platinum that they use for gold or silver, the platinum will become contaminated and brittle. A workshop must maintain a strictly isolated set of tools only for platinum. This overhead cost is passed to the consumer.
3. The Polishing Process
When you scratch gold, the metal physically flakes away and is lost. When you scratch platinum, the metal doesn't flake; it merely displaces (moves to the side).
While this makes platinum incredibly durable for holding diamonds, it makes it incredibly difficult to polish. Polishing a platinum ring to a mirror finish takes a master jeweler three times longer than polishing a gold ring.
The Verdict
When you buy platinum, you are not just buying a rare metal. You are paying for the specialized equipment, intense heat, and expert labor required to tame it. Treat platinum jewelry as an emotional purchase, not a short-term financial investment.