What is platinum?
Platinum is an extremely rare precious metal found only in a few places in the world. It has a very high melting point of around 2000 degrees Celsius and is difficult to work but also very durable. 10 grams of pure platinum requires rich 3 tons of ore and purification takes up to six months!
What is the history of platinum?
2,000 years ago it was already being used for jewelry by the Incas in Pre-Columbian times in Latin America. When much later the Spanish came and they started mining for gold and silver, it was set aside as an unwanted byproduct. It was then thought to be immature silver and derogatorily called the precious metal "platino" meaning small silver. At that time, Europeans were also unable to melt platinum because of its high melting point.
In the 18th, the precious metal attracted the attention of metallurgists, but it was not until the late 19th century that they actually succeeded in working the metal for use in jewelry. For jewelry making, a highly skilled French goldsmith who worked for King Louis XVI once turned to platinum. He called the metal "The only metal fit for kings."
That platinum is royal, this goldsmith was certainly right about that. It is the most noble metal is on the earth because totally unreactive with any substance. For the wearer of platinum jewelry, that means any allergic reactions are out of the question.
What are the differences from white gold?
De prijs van platina is van oudsher hoger dan dat van goud. Vanwege schaarste en natuurlijk omwille van een gunstiger prijs is ooit wit goud ontwikkeld ter vervanging ervan. Platina is van nature “wit” en kan daarom in z’n pure vorm gebruikt worden, terwijl wit goud een legering van goud met andere niet edele metalen (tegenwoordig voornamelijk palladium) om het goud wit te maken. Dit en het feit dat het soortelijk gewicht van goud lager is dan van platina maakt dat wit goud ooit goedkoper was. Door de jaren heen hebben goudsmeden hun uiterste best gedaan om wit goud de koele kleur van platina te geven. Tegenwoordig wordt er vaak zelfs een laagje rhodium aangebracht op het wit gouden sieraad om het een witte glans te geven, iets dat we bij The Gold Xperience bewust niet doen (lees hier waarom niet).
Why choose this beautiful metal?
Besides being beautifully white, the precious metal is also very strong. It hardly wears out and is hypoallergenic. The platinum we use at The Gold Xperience ® is 90% pure with a 10% addition of pure gold. You wear a very pure, exclusive and durable jewel.
