There is not one but several reasons that a platinum anniversary ranks higher than a gold anniversary. The namesake metal is notoriously difficult to mine, as it lies well below the Earth’s surface and is an increasingly rare commodity in the world we live in today.
In saying that, it is also difficult to melt and reuse this platinum once it’s set in jewelry, which explains why it resells at a lower price than gold jewelry.
Although the world’s platinum reserves are depleting faster than its gold reserves, many have yet to grasp how valuable they might become in the foreseeable future.
Sell your jewelry online for a fair price, but first, check out the following facts about your platinum items.
1. Platinum is (Not Quite) a South American Discovery
An Italian scholar, poet, and physician called Julius Caesar Scaliger is often credited with discovering platinum because his writings contained references to the metal. Scaliger wrote about platinum, describing it as a metal that wouldn’t melt in 1557.
The metal would take another two centuries to reach Europe, where scientists from Britain, Sweden, France, and Germany would examine it.
Further exploration would bring the scientific community to the realization that platinum was used long before they ever discovered it. They based this conclusion on the traces left by the pre-Columbian civilizations.
2. Platinum, aka ‘Little Silver’
Since platinum was discovered in a Spanish colony, it was derived from the Spanish word ‘Platina,’ meaning ‘little silver.’ The ‘little’ in this context stands for inferior, which is how the Spanish colonizers initially saw platinum. They realized the error of their ways soon enough when they tried—and failed—to melt the metal.
Not soon enough, however, as platinum was used to deceive people into thinking they were buying silver. Did we describe a victimless crime?
Platinum was platina until 1812, 71 years after it was formally recognized as an element. The metal earned the -ium ending around the same time as all the periodic table elements were homogenized.
3. Platinum is Ideal Heirloom Material
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines an heirloom as an object handed down from generation to generation. The assumption is that this item last long enough to be handed down to at least one generation.
Platinum makes the perfect heirloom material because it ticks the durability box. Here’s a fun fact about platinum: As a noble metal, it is resistant to oxidation and acids. Although very susceptible to scratches, this metal will not tarnish or rust for a long time.
4. Platinum is a Lifesaver
Do you know how gold is often used in dental products like crowns and dentures because it’s noncorrosive and nontoxic? Well, so is platinum. The two metals share some similarities, making them interchangeable in some contexts.
Take platinum’s applications in the field of medicine, for instance. It has good electrical conductivity and is less hypoallergenic than gold and other noble metals. Therefore, it is used in pacemakers as biological electrode material.
Platinum is also incorporated in stents, defibrillator implants, catheters, and as an antitumor agent in chemotherapeutic drugs, making them all the more precious as an industrial metal.
5. Platinum is Out of the World!
Platinum is a rare commodity on Earth, with reserves mined in the following countries:
South Africa
Russia
Zimbabwe
Canada
United States
However, the hegemony of these platinum producers may see an end, what with platinum reserves being discovered in space. Moon rocks and meteorites have unrefined platinum in their crust. With the first two missions set to refine platinum, it’s only a matter of time before we find this extraterrestrial metal in our jewelry.
6. Platinum for a Greener Future
Did you know platinum is directly responsible for reducing toxic gas emissions from automobiles? A little over half the platinum refined yearly is used in catalytic converters. Since platinum melts at 3,225 degrees Fahrenheit, it can withstand the high temperatures inside these converters, reducing carbon emissions.
When mulling over your decision to sell platinum jewelry online, remember that its underlying metal might be melted and repurposed in these catalytic converters for a cleaner environment.
7. Platinum is Vulnerable to Household Chemicals
Platinum is a funny metal; it can take the kind of heat not fit for life on Earth but crumbles under substances like sulfur, chlorine, halogens, and caustic alkalis.
You can keep it under the sun, in humid weather, and even wear it on your beach swims—it will not corrode. However, household substances have a knack for getting under this metal’s skin.
8. Platinum Makes a Better Investment Option
While platinum jewelry costs the buyer a prettier penny than gold jewelry, its high melting point doesn’t do you any favors when reselling it. Don’t get us wrong: Platinum is a stunning investment, but not so much as jewelry as coins and bullion.
You could diversify your portfolio by investing in the precious metal. The supply deficit would work in your favor, as Astro Platinum is still years away. If you want to make quick cash instead of tying up your wealth in metals, you can always sell gold jewelry to online buyers like Gold to Cash.
Trust our 4.8-star rating on Trustpilot, and apply for a free appraisal kit today. Receive the highest offer on your silver, platinum, or gold jewelry online, and accept it to accept cash in your preferred payment option within 24 hours.
Feel free to reach out if you have doubts about our one-of-a-kind appraisals.
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