Monday, June 16, 2008
Platinum is Rare.
Ten tons of ore must be mined to produce a single ounce of platinum. It takes five months to process platinum ore into pure platinum. Only after this time can skilled hands work their creativity and craftsmanship, transforming platinum into pieces of wearable art.
Platinum is Pure.
In America, platinum jewelry contains either 90% or 95% pure platinum. By comparison, 18 karat gold is 75% pure and 14 karat is 58% pure gold. Platinum will never tarnish or lose its rich white luster.
Platinum is Strong.
It is the heaviest of the precious metals, weighing almost twice as much as karat gold. Its strength ideally secures diamonds and other precious gems.
Even after many years, platinum will not wear away or wear down. For example, after many years of wear, a gold wedding band's shank will wear down and become thinner. This is not the case with platinum.
As with all precious metals (gold, silver, etc.), platinum can be scratched. However, with platinum, there is actually no material lost from the scratch as there is with gold. If your platinum jewelry becomes scratched, simply take it to your jeweler for a quick polish.
Even after many years, platinum will not wear away or wear down. For example, after many years of wear, a gold wedding band's shank will wear down and become thinner. This is not the case with platinum.
As with all precious metals (gold, silver, etc.), platinum can be scratched. However, with platinum, there is actually no material lost from the scratch as there is with gold. If your platinum jewelry becomes scratched, simply take it to your jeweler for a quick polish.
The Strengths of Platinum
Beneath its subtle beauty and understated elegance lie the properties which make platinum truly unique.
Platinum Group metals (Pt, Ir, Pd, Ru, Rh, Os)
Group of precious metals (platinum, iridium, palladium, ruthenium, rhodium, and osmium) that share similar chemical and metallurgical properties.
Most "platinum" used in jewelry is composed of 90% platinum and 10% iridium, which makes it much harder than pure platinum. 5% ruthenium serves same purpose.
Much like gold, platinum purity and alloys are commonly stamped, in abbreviated fashion, on items. Unlike gold, in the U.S., purity is given relative to 1000 parts (per mil), e.g. "950Plat" is 95% pureplatinum.
Palladium and small amount of ruthenium is used in setting heads for platinum jewelry; lighter, less expensive.
Rhodium is used as a plating metal. It gives white gold and platinum a hard, bright finish and slows tarnish on stainless steel.
Platinum has a specific gravity of 21.45.
Most "platinum" used in jewelry is composed of 90% platinum and 10% iridium, which makes it much harder than pure platinum. 5% ruthenium serves same purpose.
Much like gold, platinum purity and alloys are commonly stamped, in abbreviated fashion, on items. Unlike gold, in the U.S., purity is given relative to 1000 parts (per mil), e.g. "950Plat" is 95% pureplatinum.
Palladium and small amount of ruthenium is used in setting heads for platinum jewelry; lighter, less expensive.
Rhodium is used as a plating metal. It gives white gold and platinum a hard, bright finish and slows tarnish on stainless steel.
Platinum has a specific gravity of 21.45.
Silver (Ag)
Pure silver has a specific gravity of 10.5
"Fine Silver" is 99.9% Ag
"Britannia Silver" is 95.84% Ag
"Mexican Silver" is 95% Ag + 5% Cu
"Sterling Silver" is at least 92.5% Ag; harder than pure Ag.
U.S. "Coin Silver" is 90% Ag
Vermeil (Vur-MAY) is sterling silver with gold plating.
Crude fineness testing is done with dilute nitric acid. Silver + dilute HNO3 yields a creamy white to brown liquid. Alloys containing Cu, Ni, and brass effervesce and yield a green, yellowish green or bluish green color. More precise technique involves gauging reaction and resulting color with Schwerter solution (HNO3 + KCr2 + H2O).
"Fine Silver" is 99.9% Ag
"Britannia Silver" is 95.84% Ag
"Mexican Silver" is 95% Ag + 5% Cu
"Sterling Silver" is at least 92.5% Ag; harder than pure Ag.
U.S. "Coin Silver" is 90% Ag
Vermeil (Vur-MAY) is sterling silver with gold plating.
Crude fineness testing is done with dilute nitric acid. Silver + dilute HNO3 yields a creamy white to brown liquid. Alloys containing Cu, Ni, and brass effervesce and yield a green, yellowish green or bluish green color. More precise technique involves gauging reaction and resulting color with Schwerter solution (HNO3 + KCr2 + H2O).
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