Which precious metal is more expensive: platinum or gold?

Platinum is one of the most expensive metals on the planet. It was first discovered by the Spaniards in Colombia in the sixteenth century during gold mining. They found unknown impurities in it, which they could not melt then. Then this noble metal was mistaken for bad silver and so called (platinum - translated from Spanish as “bad silver”). The king was afraid to spoil the reputation of Spain, which was famous for the excellent quality of gold products, and for this purpose he ordered the destruction of all collected platinum. Thus, for almost fifty years, one of the most expensive metals was dumped into rivers due to the lack of the possibility of processing it. At present, there is active debate about what is more expensive: platinum or gold.

Platinum is the most precious metal on earth.

Platinum Basics

Platinum is a malleable metal with a density of 21.4 grams per cubic centimeter and a melting point of 1773.5 degrees Celsius. In nature, platinum is found in the form of nuggets and in ore deposits. It is almost twice as dense as gold and stronger than all known metals on earth. Platinum is a great competitor to gold, having very high corrosion resistance. Therefore, a debate often arises: what is more expensive, platinum or gold.

At the end of the 18th century, the world discovered the amazing properties of a previously unknown metal. Platinum has become a symbol of reliability and immutability. She was admired by the greatest people of civilization.

Jewelers fell in love with this beautiful white metal for its high strength and noble color, emphasizing the purity of diamonds. While a yellow gold setting gives a subtle tint to the stone, a platinum setting emphasizes all the advantages of the noble mineral. There are also more practical reasons for using platinum in the setting of precious stones: due to its strength, it acts as a more reliable element of the setting than soft gold.

A little history

This metal was discovered in Russia at the beginning of the 18th century. At that time, all over Europe everyone was talking about this element. The deposits were discovered by simple serfs - Efim Kopylov and Emelyan Rostigaev. This land belonged to the Demidovs, who at that time were very rich, they were even secretly called the owners of the Empire.

The find was considered truly successful, since the placers were large and located near the surface of the earth. All the forces of the serfs were thrown into this area - people processed huge volumes of ore with almost their bare hands.

Platinum mining in Russia

In Russia, the development of deposits of “unprofitable silver” has also begun. At the beginning of the 19th century, rich deposits of platinum were found in the Urals, near the Upper Neiva. Russia has become the leader in the extraction of this precious metal. Platenniks or Ural chervonets appeared - platinum coins weighing 10.3 grams, which were valued at three rubles. Why platinum is more expensive than gold now is a fairly common question. History knows periods when “white” metal was more expensive than its “yellow” counterpart.

The Urals contain some of the world's largest platinum deposits.

In the twenties of the nineteenth century V.V. Lyubarsky conducted a series of studies, during which it turned out that white, shiny particles of platinum are not soluble in any acids. He made the following conclusion: “Siberian metal belongs to a special kind of raw platinum, containing a significant amount of iridium and osmium.”

A little later, huge deposits of platinum were found in the Urals, which brought Russia to first place in gold mining.

Research on platinum led to the discovery of other metals close to it, which are also quite highly valued and have similar chemical and physical properties. They were named: palladium, rhodium, osmium, iridium, ruthenium.

Metals immediately found application in industry. In medicine, platinum-iridium electrodes support the cardiac activity of patients with angina pectoris. In oncology, a platinum complex can reduce a patient’s tumor. Platinum is pure, it does not contain impurities that can irritate the skin, therefore it is widely used in medicine.

Parts of medical instruments made of platinum.

Today, platinum is one of the most expensive metals, the demand for which prevails over the supply. Many companies work with this metal; many newlyweds prefer to seal their union with rings made of this particular metal. Louis 16 once declared that platinum is the only metal worthy of kings.

Why is platinum so expensive?

Why is platinum more expensive than gold on the world market? There are several reasons for this price difference. Platinum is heavier than gold. This means that a platinum ring weighing 16 grams will be heavier than a gold ring made in the same volume by 6 grams. That is, with the same processing and complexity, a product made of platinum simply outweighs products made of gold. Platinum jewelry contains 95% pure metal. While gold jewelry never contains pure gold, it is simply impractical. Platinum jewelry contains only 5% impurities of other metals. Thus, platinum jewelry is the purest and most durable in the jewelry world.

Products made from platinum are elegant and especially durable.

Processing platinum is much more difficult than processing gold. This implies an increase in labor costs and an increase in prices. The demand for gold is higher, so the production volumes of platinum jewelry are lower, which allows manufacturers to slightly inflate prices for this metal.

Jeweler's comment

Molokanov N.M.

Jeweler, 26 years of experience in jewelry production.

Platinum products are highly valued, but not by everyone. Until now, many consumers prefer gold, even if they do not know that it contains a significant proportion of platinum. These metals are perfectly alloyed, and Pt additionally improves the appearance of the alloy and changes color. Products last longer. But the price of an alloy based on such materials is higher than gold products containing a cheap alloy.

What is more valuable: white or yellow gold?

There is no clear answer to the question “which gold is more expensive”. It all depends on the alloy ligature. Yellow contains copper and silver, white contains palladium or platinum. All that remains is to calculate which of these metals is more expensive. The composition of white gold determines its high price. Therefore, it is impossible to confidently say what is more expensive: rare white gold or common yellow gold.

Yellow gold is more common, but .999 pure gold alloys are very rarely used for jewelry.

This is explained by the physical properties of gold, which make the metal impractical for everyday wear. Therefore, in order to give gold strength, copper and silver are added to it. Depending on the amount of copper, the shade of gold changes. White gold alloys are platinum, palladium, and nickel. White gold with platinum is an elite metal that costs more than white gold with palladium and yellow gold. Platinum will give the alloy hardness and wear resistance. It imparts its shine and impeccable color to the alloy. White gold with palladium has a subtle yellow tint, and white gold with nickel is banned in many countries due to the allergic effect of nickel on the skin. But you should not make hasty conclusions about what is more expensive, the malleable metal gold or palladium, which belongs to the class of platinum metals.

The cost of gold does not depend on the color, but on the composition of the alloy.

In many ways, the price of the alloy depends on the complexity of processing. Because of the high melting point of the platinum metals added to white gold, it is much more difficult to process than the easy-to-work yellow metal. Which gold will cost more to the jewelry buyer, white or yellow, remains for the consumer to judge.

Rating of metals for investment

Considering how the cost of precious metals is formed (see above), it becomes clear that the market price is not always influenced by the properties of the material alone. Many banks (Sberbank, VTB, Gazprombank, etc.) offer several investment options. Metals available for investment, by level of popularity:

• silver is several percent ahead of gold, it is a cheap metal, but due to high volatility it is in demand, because the price is constantly changing, sometimes quite sharply, the material is lighter and softer than platinum;
• gold is another popular type of precious metal, but it cannot be compared with silver in cost and stability (Au is more valuable), in many qualities the gold alloy is on the same level as Pt, it surpasses this material in popularity due to the fact that it has long been known, investors give it more trust;
• platinum - is in third place in the ranking of precious metals for investment, but is unlikely to catch up with gold, because in some properties it does not reach the level of the material that should constitute a gold reserve;
• palladium: found in large quantities in nature, although it was discovered relatively recently, it has already become widely known.

Platinum is often used for the production of counterfeits, which negatively affects the reputation of the metal and its rating as a precious metal. This is because Pt's gray color makes it resemble steel.

Properties of platinum

Platinum is a malleable white metal. Platinum is capable of absorbing some gases, including hydrogen and oxygen, on the surface. It enters into a full chemical reaction only with hot aqua regia.

There is no clear answer to the question of what is more expensive: dazzling platinum or white gold - these are precious metals, the cost of which is too dependent on external factors.

Metal nanoparticles can painlessly penetrate body cells and affect vital processes. One of the main characteristics of platinum is its ability to destroy free radicals, which contribute to aging. Platinum is also used to treat cancer.

Therefore, the answer to the question of which gold is more expensive: white, containing platinum or yellow, can be simply answered - the one that contains a minimum of impurities.

Conclusion

First decide what you need: white gold or platinum, find out which is better. You couldn't imagine a harder choice.

It’s easy to choose a platinum ring for a girl – just follow simple recommendations. If your fingers are the same length, narrow rings with various inserts will suit them. And if you have long fingers, you can afford to wear jewelry with impressively sized gemstones. When choosing earrings, focus on your face shape. They should be in harmony with the color of the owner's eyes.

Only you can choose: Pt or gold! Now you can see the difference. It is believed that not all properties of Pt have been revealed yet. This means that the cost of platinum will rise. Therefore, investing in this metal is profitable, since it is possible to obtain significant profits.

In addition, investing in precious metals is considered the safest.

Platinum mining

Pure platinum is practically not found in nature, therefore, it is mainly found in various ores: cuproplatinum, polyxene, nickel platinum, platinum compounds with arsenic, sulfur, antimony.

Open pit platinum mining in Zimbabwe.

Ore is mined using both open and closed methods. For most placer and some primary deposits, an open method is available; for primary deposits, only a closed method is used. After wet enrichment, raw concentrate is obtained - a concentrate with a high percentage of metal minerals. Subsequently, it is sent for refining.

Application of platinum

Over the past couple of decades, demand for platinum has outstripped supply. Perhaps this, to some extent, can explain why platinum is more expensive than gold. If before the Second World War half of the platinum was used by jewelers, now almost all of the mined platinum goes to the development of science and industry. Its chemical properties played an important role: acid resistance, heat resistance and constancy of characteristics during ignition. Platinum is used to make: crucibles, cups, glasses, spoons, spatulas, spatulas, tips, filters, electrodes. The largest consumers of platinum were the chemical and oil refining industries. Platinum is one of the best catalysts for the oxidation of ammonia to nitrogen oxide NO in the main process of nitric acid production. Platinum catalysts accelerate many other practically important reactions.

The automotive industry uses the catalytic properties of platinum, which helps neutralize exhaust gases. In addition, platinum is used in the manufacture of:

• Insoluble anodes in electroplating;
• Galvanic coatings;
• Heating elements of resistance furnaces;
• Permanent magnets;
• Electrodes for the production of perchlorates, perborates, percarbonates, peroxodusulfuric acid.

In medicine, platinum is used to make surgical instruments that cannot oxidize when sterilized with an alcohol burner. Medicines containing platinum are used in chemotherapy and successfully shrink tumors.