The simplest tests are heating and discoloration. If the item is heated, for example, in a Bunsen flame, platinum will be more difficult or impossible to melt and the platinum will not discolour. The effect of acid is another basic test. None of the common acids will attack Pt.
Look for an inscription that says "platinum" on the item.
If your piece is marked with the word "platinum," it is at least 95% pure. More commonly, you will see a number like 850 or 85 followed by "pt" or "plat." This indicates that 85/100 parts are platinum, meaning the piece is 85% pure.
Find any marks indicating platinum jewelry.
Look for the words “Platinum," “PLAT," or “PT” followed or preceded by the numbers “950” or “999." These numbers refer to the purity of the platinum, with “999” as the most pure. For example, an authentic piece of platinum jewelry might have a stamp reading “PLAT999."
Platinum is detected when in the metallic state by its physical characters and insolubility in acids. In alloys it may be found by dissolving them in nitric acid or in aqua regia, evaporating with hydrochloric acid, and treating the filtrate with ammonic chloride and alcohol.
Generally platinum is not magnetic. However, it depends on the platinum alloy: if the platinum is mixed with ruthenium, iridium or palladium then no, none of these are magnetic; if it's mixed with cobalt then yes, cobalt is magnetic so, theoretically, platinum can be attracted by a very powerful magnet.
While at first glance both silver and platinum appear silver in color, the two metals are actually easily discernible to the naked eye. Both have gray undertones, unlike white gold which has a warmer, yellow undertone, but platinum is much brighter and shinier and silver has a duller, gray appearance.
Myth Six: “Metal detectors cannot find platinum.”
This is wrong. Metal detectors can find platinum items that are buried underground or covered with sand. The thing is, people who use detectors don't find these items very often, because statistically speaking, they are rare.
Testing for Platinum
Scratch the test item on the stone and apply one drop of acid to the application on the stone. If the material is platinum, it should keep its white, bright color.
Anything labeled “pt” or “plat” with no other markings is at least 95% platinum. You'll also occasionally see a stamp that simply says “platinum.” You can also torch a suspected bit of platinum, so long as it doesn't contain stones. Platinum should remain the same color and won't melt easily.
Platinum is a very strong and heavy metal. The wearer of a platinum piece will have to decide if they can handle a heavier metal like platinum over a lighter metal like white gold.
Platinum is a metallic white to silver-gray colour. Its streak is a shiny silver-gray.
Platinum has the symbol Pt, its atomic number is 78, and its atomic weight is 195.09. The name is derived from the Spanish platina, meaning "silver."
Pure platinum jewelry, or jewelry that is at least 50% platinum, is typically marked with a stamp (also known as a hallmark). Usually, this mark will include a number like 850 followed by “plat or “pt”, which indicates the piece is 85% pure.
Platinum is commonly used in jewellery and electronics. Although this precious metal looks great and is an excellent conductor, it has no magnetic properties.
Hydrogen peroxide decomposition on platinum is a cyclic reaction where Pt oxidizes to Pt(O) and reduces back to Pt.
To keep your platinum jewelry shining, you will need to regularly polish your pieces because the patina will return. If you wear platinum jewelry daily, perhaps on a wedding band or engagement ring, the metal will inevitably get exposed to oils and chemicals that can wear away at the platinum.
Platinum is unaffected by air and water, but will dissolve in hot aqua regia, in hot concentrated phosphoric and sulphuric acids, and in molten alkali. It is as resistant as gold to corrosion and tarnishing.
Platinum is a pure metal that doesn't rust because it doesn't contain iron. Platinum doesn't rust, corrode, tarnish, or change color.
About Platinum
Platinum is our most popular metal for engagement rings and wedding bands. Platinum's naturally white sheen will never fade or change color, and accentuates the sparkle and brilliance of a diamond.
While white gold and platinum are both shiny and beautiful, white gold is the shinier metal while platinum is the brighter metal due to its purity. Both metals require maintenance to keep their shine.
Yes. Platinum and white gold are both shiny, but platinum is shinier because it reflects more visible light than gold. Most white gold alloys used for jewelry contain at least 58.3% gold content, which makes them less shiny than platinum. However, keep in mind that polished metals shine more than unpolished metals.
Platinum is 30 times more rare than gold. If all the platinum ever mined were melted and poured into an Olympic-sized pool, the platinum would barely reach your ankles. Gold, however, would fill three pools.
Known as the precious metals, platinum, gold and silver are all pure metals, therefore they contain no iron and cannot rust. Platinum and gold are highly non-reactive, and although silver can tarnish, it is fairly corrosion-resistant and relatively affordable by comparison.
Palladium is a slightly harder metal than platinum, meaning it is more difficult to scratch and it does not require rhodium polish to maintain its luster. Platinum is one of the most popular choices for jewelry, despite being less hard than palladium, it is extremely malleable.