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PLATINUM HISTORY | RECOGNIZING PLATINUM | PLATINUM JEWELRY

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Platinum Usage: Platinum is used in platinum chains, platinum bracelets, platinum earrings, platinum pendants, platinum rings, platinum wedding rings, platinum diamond rings, platinum anniversary rings and engagement rings. France's Louis XVI proclaimed it the only metal fit for royalty. Legendary jewelers such as Cartier, Faberge and Tiffany created their timeless designs in platinum. The world's famous diamonds, including the Hope, Jonker I and Kohinoor, are secured by the permanence of platinum.

Platinum Jewelry: Composition &, Alloys. Platinum Jewelry: Composition &, Alloys.

Platinum Usage: Platinum Chains, Platinum Engagement Rings, Platinum Earrings, Platinum Pendants, Platinum Bracelets, Platinum Diamond Rings & Platinum Rings.

Frequently Asked Questions: Is platinum jewelry the same as white gold? On the contrary. To create white gold, yellow gold is alloyed with copper and silver along with small amounts of nickel and zinc to achieve a white look. As a result, it doesn't have the same purity, strength, durability, rarity or the natural white luminescence of platinum. White gold is cheaper. And the same color as platinum. What's the difference? Look closer. Yes, they're both white, but quite different. While the white gold often has a faint yellow tinge, platinum is whiter. And its luminescence makes all the difference. Now feel it. Platinum weighs 60% more than 14k gold. This is a huge difference, even with 2mm wedding bands. And an incomparably beautiful one. Are platinum and white gold similar metals? No, it is quite different. To create white gold, yellow gold is alloyed with other metals to achieve a white look. However, it does not have the same purity, strength, rarity, durability or natural white color as platinum. How should I clean my platinum jewelry? With the same care you clean other fine jewelry. Use a pre-packed jewelry cleaner or have your jeweler do it. As with all precious jewelry, store with care, separating pieces with soft cloth. What platinum do you use in your jewelry? All our platinum products are made with .950 fine platinum. 95% Platinum: This alloy is 950 parts per 1000 and 50 parts other metals like iridium and ruthenium. We prefer platinum iridium alloy because iridium is harder and expensive than ruthenium. Common quality marks are: Platinum, Plat, Pt, Pt950, 950Pt, 950Plat and Plat950.

Is platinum jewelry fashionable? Will it coordinate with my gold pieces? Never more so and absolutely. In fact, many platinum designs combine karat gold. The color combination is beautiful and adds versatility to your wardrobe. Does platinum jewelry scratch? Like all precious metals platinum does scratch though its tremendous density provides a strong barrier. With highly polished pieces, it may be easier to spot a scratch, because the contrast of the polish and the scratch is greater. Unlike most precious metals, platinum loses virtually no metal when scratched. It is merely displaced on the surface. Instead, platinum separates and makes way for the scratch. Over time, a natural patina develops, a matte luster many prefer to the "just polished" look. At any age, platinum is gorgeous and distinctive. I've heard platinum is harder to work with. Can a ring be sized? Different to work with, but not more difficult. Like other metals, platinum can be sized and adjusted by a qualified bench jeweler. I know how rare platinum is. Will I be able to acquire more matching pieces down the road? Platinum is quite rare, and while that does influence its price, a close eye is kept on supply and demand. The international mining producers will continue to mine and refine precious platinum well into the millennium. Be assured that discriminating consumers will always be able to own platinum.

Iridium: The rarest of the PGMs, iridium is second only to osmium as the densest element and is the most corrosive resistant known. It is white with a yellowish hue. Although brittle, it is extremely hard (over 4 times that of platinum itself) and with its high melting point, temperature stability and corrosion resistance, is used in high-temperature equipment such as the crucibles used to grow crystals for laser technology. Its biological compatibility is what we owe most to iridium as this enables it to be used in a range of medical and surgical applications. Iridium can be found in health technology combating cancer, Parkinson's disease, heart conditions and even deafness and blindness. A shiny, oxidation-resistant metal, iridium also adds to the brilliance and durability of jewelry.

Ruthenium: Ruthenium's catalytic qualities make it a key element in catalysts for fuel cells. Due to its hardness and corrosion resistance, ruthenium is used to coat electrodes in the chloralkali process which produces chlorine and caustic soda for a wide range of industrial and domestic applications. In the future, the use of ruthenium in alloys for aircraft turbine blades will help reduce the CO2 impact of air travel on the environment. If current prototypes are successful, their high melting points and high temperature stability will allow for higher temperatures and, therefore, a more efficient burning of aircraft fuel. We prefer platinum iridium alloy because iridium is harder and expensive than ruthenium

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Platinum Historical Use: Platinum was used by the South American Indians before the fifteenth century. They could not melt it, but developed a technique for sintering it with gold on charcoal, to produce artefacts. A pre-Columbian platinum ingot was found which contained 85% pure platinum. When the Spanish conquered South America, they discovered the Indians use of platinum, and called it "platina", a diminutive which means "little silver", a somewhat derogatory term. It was considered by the Spanish as a worthless nuisance and impurity.

Platinum Group Metals: Platinum is closely related to five other metals, palladium, ruthenium, rhodium, osmium, and iridium. Together these six are known as the platinum group metals, often referred to as PGMs. They all have somewhat similar atomic structures, leading to some similarity in chemical and mechanical properties, although there are, of course, many important differences. Platinum Facts: Atomic Number: 78; Atomic Weight: 195.08; Density or Specific Gravity: 21.45; Melting Point: 1768.90 Celsius and Hardness (Moh) 4.3.

Platinum Processing: In about 1780, Janety was able to refine it using aqua regia, Smith & Tennant developed an arsenic refining method after 1800, the arsenic was used to aid in the melting. This was highly toxic and dangerous, and it is not used nowadays. Until about 1800, it was not realized that there were in fact six different metals. Palladium was not separated and identified until 1803. Platinum's melting point is very high, and consequently it is difficult to melt. It was first melted by Lavoisier shortly after 1800.

Platinum Stamping: What are the marks inside my platinum jewelry? You're familiar with the gold standard, where 24k = 100%. The platinum standard is based on parts per thousand, where 1000 parts = 100%. All platinum alloys are derived from this standard. The two most common platinum alloys found in the US. 95% Platinum: This alloy is 950 parts per 1000 and 50 parts other metals. Common quality marks are: Platinum, Plat, Pt, Pt950, 950Pt, 950Plat and Plat950. 90% Platinum: This alloy is 900 parts per 1000 and 100 parts other metals. Common quality marks are: 900Pt, Pt900, and 900Plat. Typically platinum is alloyed with copper, iridium, palladium, cobalt, ruthenium, tungsten, gallium or indium. It can also be alloyed with rhodium, osmium or titanium but these are rarely used.

Platinum Purity: Why is platinum's purity important to me? Two reasons. First, your skin. Platinum is hypoallergenic and resists tarnish, making it easy for sensitive people to wear. Second, platinum's purity makes it one of the strongest, most durable metals in the world. Platinum has often been described as the purest, or the most precious metal. Both these claims are slightly inaccurate. The price of pure platinum is generally higher than gold, but not always, therefore the claim that platinum is the most precious metal is also a typical marketing exaggeration, besides rhodium is frequently double the price of platinum. As noted previously, the Spanish conquerors of Latin America considered it a worthless nuisance.

Precious Platinum: Silver has its place in jewelry, particularly for larger and heavier pieces, where its low price means it can be used lavishly. Silver does tarnish very easily, and needs frequent cleaning, which is its major drawback for jewelry. Again its rapid tarnishing, means it is less than ideal; it is also quite soft, and not durable enough for diamond settings in general. Certainly now that platinum has earned its recognition as a precious metal, silver is by comparison a poor relation. For its combination of preciousness and purity, there is no doubt that platinum deserves pride of place, so when we query the claim about platinum being the purest and most precious metal, we are trying to give an accurate honest appraisal on a completely objective basis.