Platinum

Once mistaken as an inferior variety of silver, platinum is now set to take the jewellery market by storm. It is unbelievable that this metal now is one of the most influential and dominant elements in the ornaments industry. The qualities of platinum are rapidly becoming recognized among consumers. The result has been a steadily growing body of consumers for platinum jewellery and needless to say, the prospects do look bright for the future.

One of the advantages of platinum is its durability. Gold and silver, though comprising the group of metals categorized as precious, are soft substances that are easily malleable and definitely not sturdy or durable. Silver tends to tarnish i.e. get oxidized over time. Gold invariably has to be mixed with other metals to produce more durable alloys that can then be made into ornaments. However, platinum by itself is capable of withstanding external influences attempting to deform or erode it. Nevertheless, it has enough ductility and malleability for the convenience of the industry.

The chemical symbol for platinum on the Periodic Table is Pt. The same symbol is used to denote the purity of a sample of the metal. 1 Pt denotes 0.1% of the metal’s proportion being pure platinum. In other words, a sample of platinum having 100% of the metal is designated as 1000Pt. Like most precious metals, the purity of Platinum increases its value and is designated by higher values of Pt.

Platinum closely resembles silver in its appearance. It is silvery-white in colour and has a smooth surface. The texture of this metal is one of the reasons why many qualify it as one of the most elegant precious metals that jewellery is made from nowadays. Moreover, this is one of the rarest metals to be found in the surface of the Earth. The most interesting fact about platinum in this context is that even gold is more abundant than this metal is.

The market for platinum (especially platinum jewellery) has prospered at a steady rate. Correspondingly, the price of the metal has also been rising. Statistics reveal that the price of platinum has increased by at least US$ 1000 in the last year.  Over the last decade, the price has risen to nearly quadruple of the initial value. Now platinum is considered as one of the most expensive metals in the ornament industry. In fact, in most occasions it is more expensive even than gold.

Combining versatility with durability, platinum does not provide any room for defect or discontent when used to manufacture jewellery. However, platinum does become soluble in Aqua Regia – the solution that can also dissolve gold. Moreover, the metal is also chemically vulnerable to halogens, alkalis and sulphur.

The colour and temperament of platinum make it the ideal choice for most kinds of ornaments – including earrings, wedding rings, pendants, necklaces and bracelets. It has an appearance statelier than silver and less exorbitant than gold. There are very few words that can qualify this metal, one example being “class”.