Platinum for Jewellery

Platinum is produced all over the world with South Africa (5,030,000 ounces), Russia (850,000 ounces) and the United States of America (385,000 ounces) leading the way in global fabrication. Other leading countries include Canada and Zimbabwe. The precious metal has a variety of uses within many industries including as an auto-catalyst and also within chemical, electrical, glass and petroleum production. However, the rise in popularity of platinum jewellery over the past two decades has been remarkable.

Japan has long been a traditional source of platinum jewellery demand, but double digit growth rates over the past several years in both China and North America now make these two markets highly important. Combined they count for over 40% of world total platinum jewellery demand. Platinum is prized the world over for its understated elegance and its tensile strength, making it the most secure high-quality metal for setting precious stones. The most popular choice of platinum jewellery is rings, in particular platinum wedding rings, and platinum coins.

This precious metal is highly valued for its beauty and purity together with its particular properties. Although in Europe and USA the normal purity is 95%, in certain countries the purity may be down to 85%. Platinum colour, strength, hardness and resistance to tarnish are some of the advantages of this metal in jewellery. It provides a secure setting for diamonds and other gemstones, enhancing their brilliance. Moreover, its flexibility is an important element for jewellery designers. Platinum jewellery is often regarded as the precious metal for the "New Millennium."

Other platinum group metals - palladium, ruthenium, iridium, copper and cobalt are commonly alloyed with platinum to optimise its working characteristics and wear properties.
Among the main advantages of platinum for jewellery fabrication are its strength and resistance to tarnish. It can be repeatedly heated and cooled without hardening and oxidation effects, while even the most slender sections of platinum permanently retain their shape, providing a secure setting for diamonds and giving jewellery designers a freedom of invention not always possible with other materials.

Platinum does place certain demands on the jeweller's skills. It requires high temperature melting and casting equipment (pure platinum melts at 1769C) and a scrupulously clean working environment. Careful attention to polishing technique is needed to achieve the highly reflective finish which shows a diamond or other precious stone at its best. This ensures that the customer will, when dealing with a well-established producer, always achieve value for money and a product of excellent quality.