About platinum

Of all the precious metals used to manufacture jewelry, platinum is the most valuable. Because of its resistance to chemicals and high temperatures, as well as being a superior conductor of electricity, it also has many industrial applications. Not only is it used in jewelry, it is also used in laboratory equipment, dental and surgical equipment, the automobile industry to make catalytic converters, and for various electrical uses. Both its rarity and its demand make it a highly sought after commodity.

Platinum is an ideal metal for manufacturing jewelry as it is tarnish resistant, strong yet malleable and has a lustrous, silvery-white appearance. Platinum and white gold look similar, but platinum is a naturally white metal whereas white gold is created by adding alloys to yellow gold. Over time, white gold may need to be replated to maintain its white color. Platinum is also denser than gold and would be around 60% heavier than an identical item made out of 14kt gold.

Using Platinum in jewelry manufacture first caught on in Europe when special tools were invented to work with this extra strong metal. It first became popular in the U.S. in the early 1900's, and then all jewelry made of platinum was discontinued at the beginning of WWII because the metal was needed for the war effort. Platinum jewelry has become popular again over the past few decades for it's beauty, rarity, luster, strength and durability. It's more expensive than silver and gold, but platinum lovers wouldn't consider wearing anything else!

When checking your jewelry, look for stamps such as PT, 950, 950 Plat, Platinum 950 (which is 95% pure platinum), 950 Plat, Platinum 900 (which is 90% pure platinum), and Plat Irid, meaning 90% Platinum and 10% Iriduim.

In 1975, the first Platinum bars that were small enough for individual investors to buy were introduced in Japan, and in the 70's and 80's, investor interest spread to Europe and the U.S. In November of 1983, The Isle of Man issued a one ounce Noble platinum bullion coin. The highly successful Noble enticed other mints to follow suit and mint their own platinum coins. During the second half of 1988, Australia (the Koala) and Canada (the Maple Leaf) introduced platinum legal tender bullion coins within three months of each other. Despite the proximity of the launches, both introductions were enormously successful, bringing the level of investment demand to new highs. For nearly ten years, Australia’s Koala and Canada’s Maple Leaf were among the leading platinum coins in annual sales. Not until 1997 was the platinum American Eagle released. Two platinum fabricators, Johnson Matthey & Co. Ltd., and Engelhard Corporation began to produce one and ten ounce platinum bars soon after.Today, a number of prestigous government mints strike platinum bullion. After 100 years of no investment options, the platinum investor now can choose between legal tender coins, bullion bars, or even various numismatic coin products.

Click here for a handy precious metals pricing calculator. Please refer to the chart below for spot prices on platinum:

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