Thank you for Asking
about Platinum
The Benefits of Platinum
- Stones - even fragile ones such as emeralds and opals - are
held
securely yet gently. It "dead sets" with no sag or
spring backs that
could lead to a loose or fractured stone.
- You no longer worry about fractured or sheared prongs. Platinum's
durability makes it completely resistant to stress fracturing
and corrosion.
- It creates a feeling of exclusivity since it is not in common
use. Platinum is the ultimate symbol of status, luxury and achievement.
- The metal will last a lifetime, enhancing its value as an
heirloom that can be handed down through generations.
- You don't have to worry about it turning or smudging, since
platinum does not tarnish or oxidize.
- Its cool white color makes it the ideal choice for two-tone
jewelry, setting off the brilliance of diamonds and contrasting
perfectly with colored stones.
- This cool white tone also eliminates the need for rhodium
plating.
- A platinum piece has a heft and substance that immediately
says "quality" due to its higher density.
- Unique, airy designs such as filigree are easily achieved
because of
its strength and ductility.
- The security of platinum is great insurance against lost
stones.
Platinum
is truly the Magical Metal white and lustrous, extremely
strong and durable and tarnish-free, it is recognized as the ultimate
metal for fine jewelry.
Platinum vs. Gold
- Between 8 and 10 tons of ore must be mined to recover just
1 ounce of platinum, compared to only 3 to 4 tons of rock for
an ounce of gold.
- All the platinum ever mined would form a cube 17 feet on
a side - less than 5,000 cubic feet.
- Platinum In Jewelry Is Purer Than Gold 14K gold is
only 58.5 percent pure gold, whereas platinum is at least 90
percent pure
platinum.
- Platinum Is The Setting For The World's Finest Stones
Platinum was chosen to set the 516-carat Star of Africa in 1908
in the British royal scepter; it also holds the106-carat Koh-i-noor
of India in the State Crown of England.
- Platinum Is More Durable Than Gold Platinum alloys
are about 1.6 times as heavy as 14K gold; platinum is so dense
that a cube of pure
platinum measuring 4 inches on a side weighs 51 pounds.
- Platinum Is Stronger Than Gold Platinum is not susceptible
to
problems such as stress cracking or stress corrosion as is white
gold.
History of Platinum
Platinum is the newest of the noble metals. It was not until
1557, following the Spanish conquest of South America, that the
first published references to a hard-to-melt metal, platinum,
were noted by Julius Caesar Scaliger, the Italian scholar and
poet. Specimens of the metal were not received in Europe until
the mid -eighteenth century.
Since then, the other five metals of the Platinum Group have
been identified. These are Rhodium, Ruthenium, Palladium, Iridium
and Osmium. Each one is used in some form by the jewelry industry
- notably Rhodium as a bright, hard, tarnish-free electroplate;
Ruthenium, Iridium, and Palladium, as alloying elements with one
another; and Osmium, the least abundant, in some pen-nibs.
Perhaps the first conscious use of platinum as a decorative
material stemmed from the work of a Parisian artist/ metalworker,
Marc Etienne Janety. Today, the only known work of Janety in platinum
can be seen at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.
The glass-lined platinum sugar bowl is dated 1786 and is an extraordinary
example of the quality of design that can be executed in platinum,
and its still fine detail is testimony the durability of the metal.
During the first 40 years of this century, platinum was the
preferred metal for wedding and engagement rings, and was almost
always used to enhance the beauty of diamonds and other gemstones.
Then just prior to World War II, platinum was declared a strategic
material and its use in most non-military applications, including
jewelry, was prohibited. During this time, white gold was developed
as a replacement. Platinum never quite regained its old popularity
after it was released from its embargo.
