Education Centre
Platinum
Platinum is the rarest and most valuable of all the precious metals
Compared to gold and silver, platinum is a relatively recent discovery. To some, this makes platinum a symbol of progress and innovation.
Only a small amount of platinum is produced each year, which enhances its rarity. It is one of the strongest and most durable of all metals, it will resist wear even after a lifetime of use, and is one of the best precious metals for setting gemstones and diamonds.
However, platinum’s physical properties made it a challenge to use in jewellery manufacturing. One of the biggest challenges to early scientists was its very high melting point: approximately 3224∘F (1773∘C). Use of the high-heat oxyhydrogen torch finally allowed jewellers to melt and solder platinum in the nineteenth century.
Other platinum group metals are iridium, osmium, palladium, rhodium and ruthenium. Today, manufacturers alloy pure platinum with other platinum group metals, mainly ruthenium or iridium. Mixing platinum with different members of its group creates new alloys that can be harder than platinum alone. Platinum alloys that are 950 parts out of 1000 platinum and 50 parts other platinum family group metals are typically referred to as “platinum” without reference to the alloy, and stamped with the letters “plat”