PLATINUM
Platinum is an extremely rare metal, even rarer than gold. There isn't much of it around and it has only been found in select locations across the planet. Platinum is a strong, dense metal, which allows it to be used in many different ways. Besides jewelry, it is also used to make catalytic converters, and it is helpful in the medical field because it resists oxidation. As the perfect material for pacemakers, platinum not only makes lovely jewelry, but also helps save lives.
Despite its strength, platinum is a very supple, workable material, making intricate designs and details far easier to achieve than with gold. Since it is so pure, platinum jewelry is the perfect hypoallergenic accessory for those who cannot wear gold. Part of the reason people cannot wear gold is often associated with the alloys involved in the jewelry making process. Since platinum jewelry contains very little alloy, it is a good choice for those who are sensitive to metals.
Platinum jewelry is made from very pure platinum. As compared to gold, platinum falls between the 18-karat and 24-karat range, with 18 karat being approximately 75% pure and 24 karat being the purest. Since 18-karat jewelry is 75% pure, that means that the other 25% of the piece is an alloy, such as silver, zinc or copper. This simply means that platinum requires very little alloy to be combined with it in order to make platinum jewelry.
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GOLD
Gold is a remarkable, rare metal, with an unparalleled combination of chemical and physical properties. It is the only yellow metal and bears its name from the Old English word for yellow, 'geolu'. It is also the only metal that forms no oxide film on it's surface in air at normal temperatures, meaning that it will never rust or tarnish.
Gold's chemical symbol, Au, comes from the latin word for gold, aurum. Gold may be alloyed with various other metals to give it special properties. In its pure form, gold has a metallic luster and is sun yellow, but when mixed or alloyed with other metals, such as silver (Ag), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), nickel (Ni), platinum (Pt), palladium (Pd), tellurium (Te), and iron (Fe), creates various color hues ranging from silver-white to green and orange-red. Usually, red, yellow and green golds are made by adding varying amounts of copper (Cu) and silver (Ag) to produce alloys of 10 to 14 carats. White golds have traditionally been made by alloying nickel (Ni), zinc (Zn) and copper (Cu) with gold, but more recently silver (Ag) and palladium (Pd) have replaced the zinc. These color variation treatments to gold are mostly used in jewelry.
Fineness is a metallurgical term indicating the purity of gold and is expressed in parts per 1,000. Minted coins and bars have a fineness of 999.9 parts per 1,000. The purity of gold in an item or the amount of gold in an alloy is measured with a unit called a carat. An item of fine or pure gold is 24 carat, with lesser carat values indicating the proportion of fine gold content as a fraction of 24. For example, an 18 carat gold item contains 18/24 (or 3/4) fine gold and 6/24 (or 1/4) alloy by weight
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PALLADIUM
Palladium is a lustrous silvery white metal with the atomic number 46 and chemical abbreviation of Pd. It is used in electronics, jewelry, and certain other industries. Because the metal is extremely rare, palladium is considered to be a precious metal, and it can command a high price on the open market. Consumers are probably most familiar with palladium in the form of alloys with other metals, or inclusion within electronics. When electronics are recycled and stripped down, palladium is one of the metals which is frequently removed so that it can be reused.
The metal was discovered in 1803 by William Hyde Wollaston, who named it palladium after the asteroid Pallas. The asteroid, in turn, was named for a Greek Goddess of Wisdom. Palladium often occurs in conjunction with platinum, and it is frequently associated with gold, nickel, and copper. The metal resists tarnish, and is extremely ductile, meaning that it takes readily to working. When palladium is cold worked, the tensile strength greatly increases.
Alloys with palladium are used to make electronic components, especially contacts. Palladium is also used in the manufacture of surgical instruments, and in some jewelry, especially in the production of white gold, which is an alloy of gold with a white metal. The metal is also sometimes used in purification and processing, and it is able to absorb up to 900 times its volume in hydrogen. This property of palladium is harnessed in scientific experiments.
Platinum is an extremely rare metal, even rarer than gold. There isn't much of it around and it has only been found in select locations across the planet. Platinum is a strong, dense metal, which allows it to be used in many different ways. Besides jewelry, it is also used to make catalytic converters, and it is helpful in the medical field because it resists oxidation. As the perfect material for pacemakers, platinum not only makes lovely jewelry, but also helps save lives.
Despite its strength, platinum is a very supple, workable material, making intricate designs and details far easier to achieve than with gold. Since it is so pure, platinum jewelry is the perfect hypoallergenic accessory for those who cannot wear gold. Part of the reason people cannot wear gold is often associated with the alloys involved in the jewelry making process. Since platinum jewelry contains very little alloy, it is a good choice for those who are sensitive to metals.
Platinum jewelry is made from very pure platinum. As compared to gold, platinum falls between the 18-karat and 24-karat range, with 18 karat being approximately 75% pure and 24 karat being the purest. Since 18-karat jewelry is 75% pure, that means that the other 25% of the piece is an alloy, such as silver, zinc or copper. This simply means that platinum requires very little alloy to be combined with it in order to make platinum jewelry.
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GOLD
Gold is a remarkable, rare metal, with an unparalleled combination of chemical and physical properties. It is the only yellow metal and bears its name from the Old English word for yellow, 'geolu'. It is also the only metal that forms no oxide film on it's surface in air at normal temperatures, meaning that it will never rust or tarnish.
Gold's chemical symbol, Au, comes from the latin word for gold, aurum. Gold may be alloyed with various other metals to give it special properties. In its pure form, gold has a metallic luster and is sun yellow, but when mixed or alloyed with other metals, such as silver (Ag), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), nickel (Ni), platinum (Pt), palladium (Pd), tellurium (Te), and iron (Fe), creates various color hues ranging from silver-white to green and orange-red. Usually, red, yellow and green golds are made by adding varying amounts of copper (Cu) and silver (Ag) to produce alloys of 10 to 14 carats. White golds have traditionally been made by alloying nickel (Ni), zinc (Zn) and copper (Cu) with gold, but more recently silver (Ag) and palladium (Pd) have replaced the zinc. These color variation treatments to gold are mostly used in jewelry.
Fineness is a metallurgical term indicating the purity of gold and is expressed in parts per 1,000. Minted coins and bars have a fineness of 999.9 parts per 1,000. The purity of gold in an item or the amount of gold in an alloy is measured with a unit called a carat. An item of fine or pure gold is 24 carat, with lesser carat values indicating the proportion of fine gold content as a fraction of 24. For example, an 18 carat gold item contains 18/24 (or 3/4) fine gold and 6/24 (or 1/4) alloy by weight
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PALLADIUM
Palladium is a lustrous silvery white metal with the atomic number 46 and chemical abbreviation of Pd. It is used in electronics, jewelry, and certain other industries. Because the metal is extremely rare, palladium is considered to be a precious metal, and it can command a high price on the open market. Consumers are probably most familiar with palladium in the form of alloys with other metals, or inclusion within electronics. When electronics are recycled and stripped down, palladium is one of the metals which is frequently removed so that it can be reused.
The metal was discovered in 1803 by William Hyde Wollaston, who named it palladium after the asteroid Pallas. The asteroid, in turn, was named for a Greek Goddess of Wisdom. Palladium often occurs in conjunction with platinum, and it is frequently associated with gold, nickel, and copper. The metal resists tarnish, and is extremely ductile, meaning that it takes readily to working. When palladium is cold worked, the tensile strength greatly increases.
Alloys with palladium are used to make electronic components, especially contacts. Palladium is also used in the manufacture of surgical instruments, and in some jewelry, especially in the production of white gold, which is an alloy of gold with a white metal. The metal is also sometimes used in purification and processing, and it is able to absorb up to 900 times its volume in hydrogen. This property of palladium is harnessed in scientific experiments.
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Jewelry Education | ||||||||
