History: Over 3000 years ago ancient Egypt had remarkable metal smiths that became extremely skilled in the art of working with platinum. A 2500 year old coffin of an Egyptian High Priestess was discovered, that was decorated with platinum hieroglyphs. Their polish and luster were still perfect, giving dramatic proof of platinum's incomparable strength and durability. The South American Inca Indians also used platinum, before the fifteenth century. They could not melt it, but developed a technique for sintering it with gold on charcoal, to produce artifacts. 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". The Spanish considered platinum to be a worthless nuisance and impurity. They even went so far as to throw great amounts of the metal into the sea, thinking that it might become a cheap imitation for silver. Finally, during the eighteenth century, platinum's value as a metal supremely suited for jewelry started to take hold. Platinum was first used for coins in Russia in 1828. In 1865 some Spanish gold coins were counterfeited using gold plated platinum! Now the platinum fakes would be worth far more than gold originals. In the nineteenth century, platinum became the de-facto standard for setting the finest of the newly discovered gemstone, the diamond. In fact, the most famous of these gems, the Koh-I-Nor, the Jonker, and the Hope diamonds were all set in platinum. Deposits: Until large deposits were discovered by Merensky at Rustenberg in South Africa in 1924, 93% of the world's supply of platinum came from the USSR. The Rustenberg deposits are considered very rich in platinum. The ratio of platinum to palladium recovered is 2.5%! Today South Africa supplies about 70%, and Russia about 5 to 20% to of the world's production. Platinum in Jewelry: Around the mid nineteenth century, platinum started to be used in jewelry in Europe but it was not until the 1924 that it became commonly used. Platinum became very fashionable during the art deco movement. It possesses very good mechanical properties for jewelry, being strong, and highly durable. It is ideal for stone settings as it has a low "spring-back" rate. In jewelry making it is mixed with other metals to form alloys, as are other precious metals. Before 1975 there was no requirement for platinum to be assayed and hallmarked, therefore there was no recognized standard. Because of this, most early pieces marked "plat" or platinum, may vary in fineness, and most would fail modern assay standards today. Precious: Silver has its place in jewelry, particularly for larger and heavier pieces, where its low price means it can be used lavishly. Silver tarnishes easily, and needs frequent cleaning, which is its major drawback for jewelry. Its rapid tarnishing means it is less than ideal; it is also quite soft, and not durable enough for diamond settings in general. Its softness does make it an excellent medium for jewelry designers to practice in before moving on to gold. Platinum on the other hand is harder and more difficult to work in. 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 a place at the top. Platinum Jewelry Alloys: In jewelry making, like other precious metals, platinum is mixed with other metals to form alloys. Before 1975 there was no recognized standard for platinum. Because of this, most early pieces marked "plat" or platinum, and may be of variable quality, and quite low fineness. Most platinum made prior to 1975 would fail modern assay standards. Typically platinum is alloyed with copper, iridium, palladium, rhodium, osmium or titanium. Frequently Asked Questions: Is Platinum the same as White Gold? No, 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 also cheaper. What's the difference between platinum and white gold? 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. Platinum weighs 60% more than 14k gold. This is a huge difference as far as beauty and durability; platinum is by far a better metal. Are Platinum and White Gold Similar Metals? No, they are quite different. To create white gold, yellow gold is alloyed with other metals to achieve a white look, see our section "About Gold". However, it does not have the same purity, strength, rarity, durability or natural white color as platinum. White gold is an alloy of gold and some white metals such as nickel, silver and palladium. White gold can be 9k, 10k, 12k, 14k, 18k, or any karat up to 24k. For example, 18k yellow gold is made by mixing 75% gold with 25% other metals such as copper and zinc. 18k white gold is made by mixing 75% gold with 25% other metals such as nickel, silver and palladium. So the amount of gold is the same but the alloy is different. 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. Why is platinum's purity important? Two reasons. First 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. Which platinum is best for jewelry? We recommend .950 fine platinum. 95% Platinum: This alloy is 950 parts per 1000 and 50 parts other metals like iridium and ruthenium. We also prefer the platinum iridium alloy because iridium is harder and less expensive than ruthenium. Can Platinum be combined with gold? Absolutely, many platinum designs combine beautifully with karat gold. The color combination is beautiful and adds versatility to your wardrobe. Does Platinum Scratch? Like all precious metals platinum does scratch though its tremendous density makes it much tougher than other precious metals. 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. 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. Why is Platinum Expensive? Supply and demand is part of the answer. In recent years, many new industrial uses for platinum have emerged and grown. Because of the high melting point, and the other difficulties in extraction and refining, platinum is expensive to buy and process. This includes higher labor costs for manufacturing it, and also higher expense in recycling it. What are the quality marks for Platinum? Platinum Stamping: 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 are: 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. Measuring Perfection 1000 parts = 100% platinum All alloys are derived from these 1000 parts Platinum % Common Quality Marks Alloy Composition 100-99% Platinum Plat Pt999 999 parts per thousand 1 part other metal 95% Platinum Pt 950Pt Pt950 950Plat 950 parts per thousand and 50 parts other metal 90% Platinum Pt900 900Pt 900Plat 900 parts per thousand and 100 parts other metals Facts about Platinum Platinum requires special skills and tools to work with. It is completely hypoallergenic. Platinum is the hardest of the precious metals and it never tarnishes. Platinum is more resistant to wear and tear than gold or silver because it has a higher density. A six-inch cube weighs 165 lbs Platinum has an extremely high melting temperature. In its purest form it melts at 3214 degrees F, almost twice the temperature needed to melt 14 karat gold. All the platinum ever mined would produce a cube 17 feet on each side, less than 5000 cubic feet. It takes up to 10 tons of ore to produce one ounce of platinum, more than twice as much ore that is typically needed for an ounce of gold. Platinum is not susceptible to problems like stress corrosion or stress cracking as can be the case with white gold. Platinum is resistant to attack from most chemicals. 1 gram of platinum can be made into wire 2 miles long. It takes 8 weeks to refine pure platinum from the ore extracted from the earth. Platinum is used in medicine and industry for its catalytic, physical and hypoallergenic properties The ultimate stability of platinum over the years is unmatched. It does not wear, and its extreme level of durability offers a profound guarantee of strength and longevity. Please email Loewe if you have any questions.