Platinum

For a long time, platinum lived in the shadow of gold. However, at the beginning of the 20th century, it experienced its first glory days as jewellery in what became known as the Art Deco era. Today, platinum is used to a larger extent than ever.

Platinum is a member of a family made up of six metals with similar properties. They are platinum, palladium, rhodium, iridium, osmium and ruthenium. They usually occur together in mineral ores. The most abundant are platinum and palladium. These six metals have common characteristics, including high melting points and good resistance to acids, corrosion and wear.

The word platinum owes its origin to the Spaniards, who called it platina del Pinto. Platina means “little silver” and the Pinto was the name of the river in Colombia where the Spaniards found this precious metal.

Indications of platinum being used come from the intaglios of Ancient Egypt. In those days, it was undoubtedly thought of as a “type” of silver. The Indians of the pre-Columbian era produced jewels made from a platinum alloy. Louis Cartier was the person responsible for popularizing platinum in jewellery making. He was among the first to use this pale grey metal with a satin lustre in 1890. The high melting point of platinum delayed its use in jewellery because it required the use of a specially adapted blowtorch.

Platinum is totally corrosion-resistant and does not tarnish. It is insoluble and cannot be attacked by acids. Platinum is a completely hypoallergenic metal. It is extremely resistant rendering it the preferred metal for setting diamonds. It is a strong metal and wears better than gold and silver.