The rise in platinum use has made people ask, ‘is platinum better than gold?’ There’s no straight answer to the question. Knowing the traits and facts about platinum, you can select the better metal.
There are various reasons you can select platinum. People do not view it as an honored metal like gold. But it is better when making jewelry than pure gold. Here are a few facts about platinum.
History
Native South Americans found platinum before people from Spain settled in their land. The metal would create their art pieces and jewelry. They used pure platinum or alloys. Sometimes, they could combine platinum and gold to make art pieces.
Julius Scaliger was the first to reference platinum in 1557. It was near modern-day Mexico. William Hyde Wollaston was the first chemist to purify platinum in 1803. The largest miners and traders of platinum today are South Africa and Russia.
Before the discovery of platinum, silver was the known white metal. Thus, the new white metal was likened to silver. Spanish people called it Platina, which means little silver.
Density
Platinum is a transition metal. It’s in the third row and tenth column of the periodic table. Also, it has tightly packed atoms. Thus, it is a dense metal.
Platinum has an atomic number 78. The number is derived from the 78 electrons and 78 protons in its atom. It has 117 neutrons.
Melting and Boiling Point
Platinum has a high melting point of 3215F. The melting point stands at 6917F. Ancient Egyptians and Americans would say it’s the metal that never melts. It is hard to reach those heat levels under a standard furnace.
The high melting point makes the valuable metal in many areas. Its most important uses are in the jewelry industry. We will look deeper into its benefits in another section.
Appearance
Platinum is a shiny white metal. It’s a naturally white metal, and it does not need polishing to acquire a shiny luster. People liken platinum to silver, white gold, and other white metals.
Hardness
The density does not affect how hard metal is. Platinum is a dense but soft metal. It is easy to bend it into various shapes. However, it is hard enough to remain in that shape and holds writings and designs.
Platinum is an easy to bend metal. Yet, it does not lose part when you scratch it. Thus, it keeps its size and width over the years. It gives platinum a lead over many metals.
Availability
Platinum is a rare metal. You can easily find the platinum ore. But you will need many tons of platinum ore to get 3 ounces of platinum.
The rarity makes the prices of platinum shoot up. But the durability of the metal makes it available in the market. You can recycle old platinum and use it to make other items.
It is rare to find pure platinum in the earth’s crust. A few people are lucky to find it. You’ll discover platinum in other compounds. Thus, you will need to purify it to get pure platinum.
Annual Production
The current annual production of platinum stands at 100 tons. They get this amount after a hefty process to purify many tonnes of platinum ore. The production of platinum is expensive than other metals since the process is complex. You will need simple heat treatment to get pure gold.
Uses
Platinum makes fine jewelry. Besides that, several countries use platinum to make currency coins.
In the medical field, platinum makes pacemakers, dental crowns, anti-cancer drugs, and other tools that are used in human bodies. They are great since they are hypoallergenic and do not rust or corrode.
Platinum is also used to make weights, magnets, and watches. It is also used as a catalyst in various chemical reactions, research, etc.
Conclusion
Is platinum better than gold? You can deduce that answer when you go through the facts about platinum and gold. There are some pros of platinum over gold. But that is relevant in some sectors. Also, you can find that gold is better than platinum if you compare it to a different setting and needs.
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Naman Modi is a Professional Blogger, SEO Expert & Guest blogger at https://alexandcompany.com/, He
is an Award-Winning Freelancer & Web Entrepreneur helping new entrepreneur’s launches their first
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