Platinum vs Silver Jewelry — Which Should You Choose?

By Dmitry Strugovshchikov, founder of STRUGA

Silver and platinum are both precious white metals, but they are fundamentally different in price, weight, durability, and character. This is an honest comparison from a workshop that works with both — what each gives you, what each costs, what each does over decades, and how to choose between them. The price difference is the obvious one, but the other differences matter just as much.

Updated September 13, 2026

In the catalogue: Signature Links V.2 Ring — $120 · Signature Links Bracelet — $520 · Signature Asymmetric Pyramid Necklace — $730

Sterling silver 925 and Pt950 platinum are both white precious metals, but three numbers decide the choice.

Platinum costs about 27× more per gram and is twice as dense, so the metal in an identical piece runs 54× higher.

Platinum does not tarnish, yet it is not automatically harder: 80 HV against 60–70 HV for cast sterling and up to 140 HV hardened.

STRUGA's standard production is silver; platinum is custom order only.

Platinum vs silver: the short answer

The difference between platinum and silver comes down to three things — density, price, and how the surface behaves over time. Platinum is nearly twice as dense (21.45 vs about 10.5 g/cm³), costs about 27× more per gram, and never tarnishes. Silver is lighter, far more affordable, more workable for sculptural designs, and develops a patina that — left uncoated as Living Silver — becomes part of the design rather than a flaw. For a ring you will never take off and never want to change, platinum's permanence wins. For a statement ring, a daily piece, or anything bold, silver lets you go bigger and lighter for a fraction of the cost. Everything below is the detail behind that — and if you also want gold and white gold in the picture, see our full metal comparison.

Which is more expensive, platinum or silver?

On 27 August 2026 platinum traded at $59.06 per gram and silver at $2.22 per gram — a gap of about 27× (Kitco New York spot). Per gram is the wrong unit for a ring. Platinum is twice as dense, so the same shape holds twice the mass, and the gap in a finished piece is closer to 54×.

What does that look like on a real piece?

Here are three pieces from our own catalogue, with their actual weights, converted to the same volume in platinum.

Piece	In silver	Same volume in platinum	Metal value
Signature Links V.2 Ring	2.1 g	4.3 g	$4.66 → $254
Signature Asymmetric Pyramid Necklace	40 g	81.8 g	$88.80 → $4,831
Blade Big Links Bracelet	85 g	173.8 g	$188.70 → $10,264

Those are metal values, not prices. On a finished piece the making usually outweighs the metal, which is why a hand-finished silver piece can cost more than a plain machine-made platinum one. Metal prices move too — silver is up 77% year on year, platinum 37% — so check a live quote before you rely on any of these figures.

The gap comes from scarcity and refining cost, not from quality. In 2025 the world mined about 26,000 tonnes of silver against roughly 170 tonnes of platinum — about 150 times less, by USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026.

For background, see platinum on Wikipedia.

What do 925, 950 and 990 actually mean?

The numbers are parts per thousand of pure metal, and each metal runs its own ladder.

System	Silver standards	Platinum standards
United Kingdom	800 · 925 · 958.4 · 999	850 · 900 · 950 · 999
United States	925 (sterling)	850 · 900 · 950 — «platinum» unqualified only at 950
Russia	800 · 830 · 875 · 925 · 960 · 999	585 · 850 · 900 · 950
Vienna Convention	800 · 830 · 835 · 925 · 958 · 990 · 999	500 · 600 · 850 · 900 · 950 · 990 · 999

Sterling 925 is the working standard for silver; 950 is the everyday standard for platinum. Below 500 parts per thousand the US rules forbid the word «platinum» outright. The two ladders never meet — which is why comparing 990 silver against 925 silver on purity makes sense, and comparing 990 platinum against 925 silver does not. The number is the same; the system is not.

Is there such a thing as 925 platinum?

No. No hallmarking system in the world recognises 925 as a platinum standard. The figure belongs to silver everywhere it appears — in the UK schedule of standards, in the Vienna Convention list, and in the Russian schedule. A piece stamped «925» and sold as platinum is almost always sterling silver plated with rhodium or platinum, and the plating is microns thick. Russian rules settle the point directly: where a piece carries a coating of another precious metal, the hallmark follows the base alloy, not the coating. In the US, describing such a piece as «platinum» without the word «plated» breaks the jewellery guides. If you are holding a «925 platinum» listing, you are looking at silver.

Is platinum heavier than silver?

Yes — for the same piece, about twice as heavy. Platinum is nearly twice as dense as silver: 21.45 g/cm³ against about 10.5. Two rings of identical shape differ by roughly half their mass, and on the finger that gap is unmistakable. Some wearers want exactly that; the weight reads as substance. Others find it tiring by evening, especially in a larger form.

Here is what it means on pieces we actually make, each converted to the same volume in platinum:

• Blade Carbon Fiber Ear Cuff — 0.3 g in silver, the lightest thing in the catalogue
• Signature Links V.2 Ring — 2.1 g in silver, 4.3 g in platinum
• Signature Asymmetric Pyramid Necklace — 40 g in silver, 81.8 g in platinum
• Blade Big Links Bracelet — 85 g in silver, 173.8 g in platinum

The median piece in our catalogue weighs 5 g. That bracelet is already substantial at 85 g in silver; at 174 g in platinum it becomes a different object. Lightness is what lets a silver piece be large — it is why statement pieces like chunky cuffs and oversized rings stay wearable all day, and staying comfortable while large is the whole point of architectural work.

Does platinum tarnish — and does silver?

Platinum does not tarnish, and it wears well — but not because it is the harder metal. On the Vickers scale the trade actually uses, Pt950 with iridium comes in around 80 HV, cast sterling at 60–70 HV, and hardened sterling as high as 140 HV. The real difference is in how each metal takes a scratch.

A scratch on platinum mostly displaces metal instead of removing it. Ridges rise along the edges of the groove and the surface work-hardens. Over years those scratches merge into a soft matte surface the trade calls platinum patina. Mass is still lost, only far more slowly than in gold or silver — and polishing takes metal off either one.

Silver tarnishes when exposed to sulfur compounds in air, sweat and skin chemistry. But here's what most guides won't tell you: Living Silver — uncoated sterling allowed to develop patina — produces a character that many find more interesting than the original mirror polish. The «tarnish» is really a designed feature in this aesthetic. STRUGA built around this approach deliberately.

For wearers who want a stable mirror finish, platinum delivers exactly that. For wearers who want metal that records wear, Living Silver delivers exactly that. Different choices, both valid.

Why do jewellers not like platinum?

This is the question people ask most often around this comparison, and the honest answer has nothing to do with how platinum looks. It is about what platinum does to a workshop.

• It melts at 1,768 °C against 962 °C for silver, so an ordinary jeweller's torch will not touch it.
• It needs a hydrogen–oxygen flame. Carbon from a normal propane flame contaminates the metal.
• It needs its own tools. Particles of gold or iron picked up from shared files melt into platinum and never polish out.
• It cuts badly. The metal drags and smears under a tool rather than shearing cleanly.
• Repairs are welded, not soldered. That is why a platinum seam is invisible and needs no plating — but it usually takes a laser, and laser welders are expensive.

The result is simple. Fewer workshops accept platinum, and those that do charge more for the same job.

How can you tell platinum from silver?

Start with the hallmark, because it settles the question faster than any test at home. Platinum carries 850, 900, 950 or 999, usually written «PLAT», «Pt950» or «950 Plat». Silver carries 800, 925, 958 or 999, often alongside the word «STERLING». On a ring the stamp sits inside the band. On a chain it is on the clasp or on a small tag beside it. On earrings it is on the post or on the back of the setting.

Which home checks actually work?

• Weight — the reliable one. Platinum is twice as dense as silver, so two pieces of the same size and shape differ by roughly half their mass. Hold one in each hand and the difference is unmistakable.
• Magnet — a negative check. Silver is not pulled by a magnet. Pure platinum is not either, but the Pt950 casting alloy with cobalt is slightly ferromagnetic and follows a magnet weakly. A firm pull means base metal or a steel core; a faint one can simply be a platinum-cobalt alloy.
• Colour — weak. Platinum reads slightly greyer, silver slightly brighter. The signal disappears entirely once silver has been rhodium-plated.
• What settles it. Nothing done at home is conclusive. An acid test, an electronic tester or XRF analysis at a jeweller gives the answer.

Are platinum and silver hypoallergenic?

Both 925 sterling silver and platinum are hypoallergenic for the great majority of wearers. The 7.5% copper alloy in sterling silver — when the alloy partner is pure copper, no nickel — rarely causes reactions. If you have extreme metal sensitivity, platinum is usually the safer bet, though its 5% alloy matters: ruthenium and iridium are inert, while cobalt — common in cast Pt950 — is itself a frequent contact allergen. For most wearers, both work.

Which metal allows bolder design?

Silver is softer and more workable, which actually makes it better for intricate designs. The wax-and-mold casting technique used at STRUGA creates details that would be much more expensive — and sometimes structurally impossible — in platinum. Platinum's hardness limits some sculptural directions; silver's flexibility allows them.

For architectural designs (Brutalism, Blade, Thorn) silver is structurally sufficient and aesthetically right. For rings expected to take heavy daily impact (wedding bands on people in physical professions), platinum's hardness has practical advantages.

Side-by-side comparison

Property	Sterling silver 925	Platinum (Pt950)
Per-gram cost (spot, 27 Aug 2026)	$2.22	$59.06
Density	10.49 g/cm³	21.45 g/cm³
Hardness (Vickers, the scale the trade uses)	60–70 HV cast · up to 140 HV hardened	80 HV with iridium · 130–135 HV with ruthenium or cobalt
Tarnish behavior	Develops patina	Does not tarnish
Hypoallergenic	Yes (with copper-only alloy)	Yes
Repairability	Easy — most workshops solder it	Invisible seam, but needs a specialist
Resale value	Modest	Higher (precious metal market)
Best for	Statement design, daily wear, dark aesthetic	Investment pieces, fine bands, wear-resistant

So which should you choose?

Choose platinum if you want:

• a thin band you will never take off
• weight that reads as value in the hand
• a surface that never changes colour
• a budget where metal cost is not the deciding factor

Choose silver if you want:

• a large or bold form you can wear all day
• freedom to change pieces often
• a dark aesthetic where patina belongs — the RITUAL world
• a metal that records wear instead of resisting it

Most STRUGA pieces are built on the silver vocabulary, because the architectural and brutalist register works better with silver's properties than with platinum's.

Related

• Silver vs gold, white gold & platinum — full metal comparison
• Silver wedding rings vs gold
• Why couples choose silver over gold
• Living Silver philosophy
• Alternative engagement rings guide
• Dark Fashion Jewelry collection