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The History Of Platinum

History of Platinum : For the most part those who wished to buy jewelry had two major choices. They could choose silver or gold. Today, there are quite a few more, though both silver and gold remain popular, Platinum is becoming more and more stylish to own.

Early Platinum History

There have been objects found dating back to 700 B.C. containing Platinum. For example the casket of 'Thebes' and others artifacts of that time were adorned with Platinum and other PGM's (platinum group metals).

In the 16th century the Spanish came across this 'white metal' while panning for gold in New Granda. Perplexed by the 'white nuggets' found amongst the nuggets of yellow gold they considered the platinum more of an inconvenience than anything. They thought platinum to be an immature form of gold and named it Platina, a derogatory reference to the spanish word for Plata (silver).

Modern Day History Of Platinum

The modern day history of platinum actually goes back to the 1700s when it was first discovered and named.

In the early part of the 1700s, this metal was found in South America. It is still found there, as well as in parts of the western US, Russia, and even in Canada. Though it is said that this was the first discovery of platinum, the metal has been found on artifacts dating back as far as 700 BC. Most thought of this metal as a nuisance, as it often came up when mining for gold. Many thought it was gold in an early form, and not anything that might have held any value.

Early on many were confused in regards to what to do with this new white metal. Its best traits were a high melting point, and a strong resistance to corrosion. In Sweden, researchers finally found a way to melt the metal, and it was given its own classification as a unique metal in 1751. However, it would be more than two decades before it could be used in any large amounts. It was used mostly in laboratories and as a embellishment on different types of decorative touches.

If you look at the history of platinum through the 1800s, you will see that much time was spend on learning how to work with the metal, and also about determining each type of this metal in the same family. New uses were found for it, and it was found to have properties that outdid other types of precious metals for practical uses. The Ural Mountains in Russia became and important source for this metal, and remained so for the next century.

In the 1900s, the history of platinum changed a bit, as it was found in larger quantities in Canada and South America. It is estimated that three quarters of all platinum mined today comes from South Africa from what is known as the Bushveld Igneous Complex. More research was done and today, researchers and scientists are still finding new uses for this metal.

The History Of Platinum Jewelry

You will find that the first successful applications for jewelry occurred in Japan in the 60s. The United States found ways to help keep pollution down through the use of platinum in catalytic converters in the 1970s, and in the following decade, it became a metal for coins. It is also useful in the fight against cancer and some forms of heart disease as well as a now sought after type of jewelry.

Platinum is found in more places that people might think. Jewelry is a common application, but it is used in many sectors of our world. This metal does things that others can not, though the quantities of it are actually very low. It has aided in reducing car emissions as well as in saving lives. It's resistance to corrosion and high melting point are both useful in the scientific world. All of these combined make it one of the most precious metals in the world.

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