Most people might believe from the current fashion rage for platinum that this was a recently discovered material. In reality, this is far from the truth. The Spaniards stumbled on platinum in 1590, but treated it with disdain because it looked like silver, rather than the yellow metal that they cherished. What the Spanish explorers failed to realize was that platinum is 34 times more rare than gold. Platinum only originates from meteorites. That’s one basis for its scarcity.
Platinum is ever more used in jewelry since it is more ductile than gold. It can be drawn into fine wire, enabling the craftsman to produce more delicate styles than is possible with gold. The silvery shade of platinum also sets off diamonds more beautifully than gold.
Platinum is completely unreactive chemically, so it can never interact with oxygen or hydrogen sulfide and tarnish. It will always stay shiny.
If you have an allergy to certain jewelry, think about changing to platinum. Platinum jewelery has no nickel, the metal that is mixed with gold that causes an allergic attack. Being fully unreactive, platinum can never create a rash or other allergic reaction. Platinum is used to make pacemakers because it is so well accepted by the body.
Platinum has a multitude of far more important uses than jewelery. It is a catalyst. This means platinum permits other chemicals, like gases, to react easily on its surface without affecting the platinum itself in any way. The platinum is not impacted by the reaction at all. It is still there after the reaction to carry on working. Very beneficial.
Probably the most well-known instance of platinum use in this way is in automobile exhaust catalysts. It is also used in making nitric oxide, which is necessary to making nitric acid, one of the essential chemicals that our present day chemical sector depends on in making everything from prescription drugs to explosives.
