Platinum jewelry is often asked about in jewelry stores, especially when shopping for an engagement ring, but seldom well understood.

Platinum was first used in the late 19th century by Louis Cartier and the high end brand still has his name to this day. (If you're in New York, stop by the Cartier flagship store to be amazed by the décor and jewelry. This stuff is for the kings and queens of the world.)

Let me cut to the quick and be clear about the facts that you may want to consider in deciding to buy Platinum or not for an engagement.

It is not gold or silver. It is as different as an apple is to a banana. It is typically made of 95% platinum which is denser, and more durable, than gold. Comparatively, 14k gold is defined as an object that is 58.5% gold.

Platinum is naturally "white" in color and is practically immune to corrosion or oxidation. ("White" gold is made from yellow gold because yellow IS the only color of gold naturally out of the ground. Jewelers mix white metals with yellow gold and then plate the 14k ring with RHODIUM to give it better lustre and the "white" appearance you see.)

Platinum is 30 times more rare than gold and is typically much more expensive to purchase than gold. However, their prices on the market are very near each other now because gold is unusually high.

When polled, one study showed that 81% of women preferred platinum for their engagement ring. One reason that many people who want it don't get it is because of cost (it's more expensive typically than gold) and availability (many stores don't carry it so they don't talk about it.)

And one of the biggest reasons women want it is because it's naturally "white" unlike white gold which will need re-plated from time to time.

Unknown to most customers is that platinum's durability will prevent loss of set diamonds because platinum really does not wear away from a ring as it comes in contact with the world. You know...shopping carts, file cabinets, and gardening - all the places your hands go in a day.

Lastly we, as jewelers, need to offer customers platinum as an option when deciding to purchase the most important ring of their lives and for about 10-15% of the population that option is platinum.

Abby's carries several rings everyday and can order any gold ring you see anywhere in the most noble of metals -- platinum.