In the 18th century, King Louis the XV of France declared Platinum the “only metal fit for a King”, perhaps due to its natural luster and strength.  This was becoming a popular opinion, many were choosing this stunning white metal as an alternative to gold jewelry.  Unfortunately, because of its rarity only the wealthy could afford this luxury.  

One of the biggest boosts for platinum came during the Edwardian era.  This short but influential era started in 1901 and ran to around 1910 during the reign of King Edward VII. Jewelry from this era has been described as “lace transformed into platinum and diamonds” because of its combination of filigree and milgrain designs.  

 Its rise was temporarily interrupted when the government banned the use of platinum for non-military functions during World War II.  This may seem unnecessary, but there isn’t much platinum available, even today.  In fact, if you collected all the platinum ever mined, it would fit inside a 20 square foot room

With its dazzling white luster, it is easy to see why platinum became so fashionable. It is practical as well, stronger and more dense than gold. This is one reason center stones of many engagement rings are set in platinum.  Not only for its durability, but to accentuate a diamond’s brilliance.  A diamond is judged by its lack of yellow, and when set in gold the diamond can display a yellow tint.

As with gold, it is required by law that Platinum jewelry include a stamp indicating the amount of platinum present in the piece. The chart below shows come common alloys and markings or stamps that you will see on platinum jewelry. The FTC (Federal Trade Commission) allows jewelry that contains at least 950 parts out of a 1,000 to be labeled “Platinum”.

Platinum Content	Common Stamps	Explanation
95% and up	PLAT PT 950 Plat Plat 950 Pt950	950 parts out of 1000 -pure platinum 50 parts -other metals
90% Platinum	Plat PT 900 Plat Plat 900 Pt90	900 parts out of 1000 -pure platinum 10 parts -other metals

Common alloys include: ruthenium, rhodium, palladium and other members of the platinum group.

Platinum Facts:

• Platinum comes from the Spanish word platina meaning “little silver”
• Chemical symbol-Pt
• Platinum won’t tarnish or corrode, and is difficult to scratch or bend
• It takes 10 tons of ore to produce just one ounce of platinum
• Most cars catalytic converters contain Platinum-it aids in reducing emission
• Only 1/3rd of the platinum mined is used in jewelry
• South Africa is the largest producer of platinum

What is the difference between white gold and platinum?


Sources:
http://www.professionaljeweler.com/archives/articles/1998/apr98/0498fp1.html
http://www.govmint.com/knowledgebase/PreciousMetals.aspx
http://www.studiosoft.it/AntJewelryEdwardian.htm