Understanding Platinum Rolled Gold & Orion Diamonds: A Jewelry Guide

Question
Hi Thomas,
I've got a pair of earrings which the jeweler says it's made up of "Platinum
Rolled Gold" & "Orion Diamond" as the gem.
This is the first time I've heard of such terms. Could you help to throw some
light on the above please?

Thanks in advance,
Candice

Answer
Candice, sorry for the delay. I am trying to find out more to hopefully give you a better answer.  These may be marketing expressions which do not convey much actual description of what you have.  I will check it out more when back at work tomorrow.

If you get a chance to use a follow-up prior to then, please let me know if the gemstone is possibly a CZ (or other simulated diamond) or if you believe it to be an actual diamond.

Thanks. God Bless and Peace.  Thomas.

Candice, I am back--------------------------------------------

I will be able to provide basic information and you will have to use what you know already to get more, or perhaps ask the jeweler to explain the terms to you. Asking the jeweler would be the best approach for accuracy assuming the jeweler knows beyond trade names.

I have not heard of platinum rolled gold but must assume this is an overlay metal, much like gold filled. Do you have a USA quarter coin or another coin with a layered construction? Look at the edge of the coin. You may see surface layers on each side, a silverly metal in a quarter dollar coin. In the center is a darker and more copper like metal. The outside layers are overlaid, joined by a permanent process to the core. Gold filled and rolled gold are done the same way. The difference is that the layers of precious metal are much thinner in comparison but certainly much thicker than in basic electroplating such as gold plated.

This description could mean your earring is a base metal (non precious metal) with a layer of a platinum/gold mix on the outside. Or, it could be gold with a layer of platinum on the outside. I have not heard of either being marketed but with both gold and platinum prices very high any variation of this to make sales of reasonably priced earrings would not surprise me.

I wonder if the jeweler meant palladium gold instead of platinum? White gold based on palladium is a real alternative to other forms of white gold and it makes sense to use this metal as an overlay for earrings.

As for the stone, there is an Orion diamond cutting company in New York but they show no diamond with a name Orion.  The company specializes in fancy patented diamond cut styles.  If the earrings are not expensive, I would tend to believe Orion is a brand name of some simulated diamond type, perhaps a CZ or perhaps something else. You can tell much from the price of the items if there is a genuine diamond in the earrings, that is if the stone is more than a tiny one.


I am sorry I cannot provide more light on your earrings. I can only speculate and in this allexperts position I really do not like to make guesses. Please contact the jeweler for an accurate answer if you still need to seek that.

God Bless and Peace.  Thomas.