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The main distinguishing physical characteristic between gold and platinum is color. While platinum is naturally white, gold is naturally yellow. If one want a yellow ring, then gold (also termed yellow gold) is the best option. However, if one want a white ring, one can opt for platinum or white gold.

India, one of the three largest markets for gold jewelry in the world, with China and the United States, where owning and acquiring gold jewelry has great cultural significance from time immemorial, is set to break with age-old traditions, according to a recent research conducted by the London-based Platinum Guild International. In the wake of escalating world gold prices, and measures taken to curb gold imports, such as the imposition of high import duty, that necessarily resulted in the prices of manufactured gold jewelry skyrocketing beyond the reach of the average Indian gold consumer, the study conducted by PGI had shown an increase in tendency among the Indian middle-class consumer to turn towards platinum-based jewelry. The study showed that during the period 2013-14 the platinum jewelry market in India witnessed a staggering growth of 41% over the previous year, so much so, that India today has become the world’s fourth largest platinum jewelry market.

India's platinum demand is likely to rise a staggering 35% in the calendar year 2014 on rapidly changing consumer preferences especially from bridal segment, which was earlier confined to gold and diamond.

E-tailing has emerged as the new way of selling jewellery. With the advent of internet and smartphones, online gold sales has seen a substantial rise in the last two years as people log on to e-commerce websites to buy various types of gold and silver items including coins.

Sales of platinum jewellery have been on the rise for a number of years, but none more so than in India. While US and European sales increased 11 per cent and 10 per cent respectively, the Indian market achieved a 35 per cent increase in the 2013/2014 financial year over the previous year.