platinum, platinum investment, investing in platinum, platinum jewellery, platinum bullion coins numismatics

Platinum is a member of the Platinum Group Metals, or PGM’s, which consists of six metals or elements that have similar chemical and physical properties.

picture left:  The US Eagle platinum bullion and
                     numismatic collectable coin. (picture & below pie chart below source: Johnson Matthey)

Platinum is a very rare metal that is about thirty times rarer than gold and only found in small pockets around the world.  Platinum has a great demand in both jewellery & industrial / medical applications, as it is resilient to wear and tarnishing with hypoallergenic properties. Platinum jewellery is usually about 95% pure which makes it the most desirable metal of choice by those who can afford to wear it.
It is estimated that some five to six million ounces of platinum are produced each year which, on average, equals about 6% of the total amount of gold that is produced each year.


Brief History

Pre-Columbian Indians

It has been discovered that pre-Columbian Indians used platinum in their nose rings and other ceremonial items such as a gold mask with platinum eyes dating back to around 100 BC.

Spanish Conquistadors

Platinum was once again discovered in Ecuador back in the 1590`s and was given the name of platina, meaning little silver, however this was seen of little significance and was discarded as an inferior metal, as the search for gold was their prime objective.

The Metric System

The metric system was first adopted in France, where a platinum cylinder was made and used as the standard kilogram weight back in 1795.  The same platinum cylinder is stored at the International Bureau of Weights and Measures in Paris.

see also:  Platinum as an Investment Metal

see also : Platinum Group Metals (PGM's)

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