The quick answer is no, Platinum on its pure form is not magnetic (a paramagnetic metal).
Platinum is a very rare and expensive metal. Therefore, all platinum jewelry will be marked to show authenticity. 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.
Does this mean that diamonds have some iron or any other magnetic materials inside or the jewelers have ripped us of? A: Pure diamond is not magnetic.
The short answer is that most wedding rings are not magnetic. There are a few factors to consider when considering whether or not a wedding ring is magnetic: the base metal and the ring's finish. Wedding ring metals are decided upon to suit the individual's taste, finances, and lifestyle.
Platinum is commonly used in jewellery and electronics. Although this precious metal looks great and is an excellent conductor, it has no magnetic properties.
If it's real gold it will not stick to the magnet. (Fun fact: Real gold is not magnetic.) Fake gold, on the other hand, will stick to the magnet. If that necklace leaps to the magnet, your significant other has some explaining to do.
The main reason why your platinum jewelry is sticking to magnets is probably because of the alloys used. Your platinum jewelry may have been combined with magnetic alloys or other magnetic or corrosive metals. Platinum is very soft, around 4-5 in the Mohs scale of hardness (only slightly harder than gold).
Metals such as silver, gold, titanium, platinum, palladium, stainless steel, zinc, pewter, copper, aluminum, and tungsten are not magnetic.
Gold Isn't Magnetic
If that new “gold” ring is attracted to your most powerful kitchen magnet, it's not real gold. That's not to say that if your piece doesn't cling to the magnet, it's 100% real (silver and other metals also aren't magnetic). The magnet test is simply one way to test for gold content.
Are platinum rings worth anything? Yes, platinum rings are, at a minimum, worth their weight in platinum.
Platinum jewelry should be stamped “PT” for pure platinum or “PT900” or “PT950,” indicating the number of parts per thousand that are pure platinum.
Approximately 88 tons of platinum are used to make jewelry every year compared to 2,700 tons of gold. Because of its rarity, platinum is valuable and will hold its value as the years pass.
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.
Hold a strong magnet on your piece of jewelry. If the magnet sticks, this is an immediate indication of a fake material being used. Most simulated gold and silver is made of brass, copper, or other base metals commonly known as “pot metal." These are not attracted to a magnet, so this test won't work on them.
While platinum will hold up better against impacts that might dent your ring, palladium is more resistant to scratches. For example, the prongs holding the center stone of a platinum engagement ring are less likely to break than those of a gold engagement ring.
Jewellery will only set off metal detectors if it's made from magnetic metals. This means that you don't need to remove good-quality rings, necklaces, bracelets and piercings if they're made from silver, gold or platinum.
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.
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.
Metals you may encounter less often but are magnetic include neodymium, samarium, and gadolinium. The only time an item containing gold or silver could stick to magnets is if it was silver or gold plated.
In their pure, natural forms, gold, silver, aluminum, copper, brass, and lead are not magnetic. This is because they are all weak metals. Adding iron or steel to these metals can make them stronger and magnetic. Gold is often used in coins, jewelry, electronics, dentistry, aerospace, and awards.
Many common metals such as aluminum, copper, brass, gold, silver, titanium, tungsten, and lead are not ferromagnetic. They cannot be made into magnets and will not be attracted to magnetic fields.