Platinum Education

Platinum is 30 times rarer than gold, but this precious metal's most appealing characteristic may be its durability. When other metals are scratched or polished, tiny bits of the metal may be lost. A scratch in platinum may leave a mark on the metal, but this metal is so strong that it will not readily chip or splinter. Even very slim platinum designs will permanently retain their shape. For that reason, platinum makes an excellent overall choice for jewellery.

Platinum is the strongest of jewellery metals, but it will eventually develop a patina of wear. Many people prefer this unique look, but if you prefer the shine, a jeweller can polish your jewellery to bring back the original reflective finish. In the mean time, buffing with a soft cloth can give your jewellery renewed lustre.

While there are accepted purity hallmarks for 850, 900, 950, and 999 parts per 1000, the majority of our platinum jewelery is 95 percent pure platinum combined with 5 percent iridium, palladium, ruthenium or other alloys.

There are three compulsory hallmarks applied to precious metals as a quality control: a sponsor's (maker's) mark, a fineness mark, and an assay office mark. These marks establish the origin and fineness of the precious metal and ensures it has been accurately and independently tested. For guaranteed quality in platinum, look for the correct 950 or 999 hallmarks along with the sponsor's mark and assay office mark.

There are few exemptions to the hallmarking laws. One exemption is by weight; compulsory hallmarks are not needed on gold under 1g, silver under 7.78g and platinum under 0.5g. Also, the UK is required by the European Court of Justice to accept other European national hallmarks as sufficient hallmarking, providing those hallmarks represent an equivalent guarantee of quality.

Soaking platinum in a mild solution of soap and warm water and gently scrubbing it with a soft-bristled brush is usually all that is required to maintain the metal's lustre.