10 Interesting Facts About the Most Precious Metal: Platinum

• Platinum is the most precious of metals and also rarest and heaviest of precious metals. All of the Platinum ever mined would fit in the average size living room.
• 90% of the worlds annual supply of Platinum is extracted from four mines. Three of these mines are located in South Africa.
• The melting point of Platinum is 1,769°C and its boiling point is 3,827°C.
• As with other precious metals (Gold & Silver), Platinum can be scratched. However, with Platinum, there is actually no material lost from the scratch unlike Gold. This makes it very useful in industrial applications.
• 50% percent of the Platinum produced annually in all mines is used for industrial applications.
• Platinum is hypo-allergenic. Hence like gold and silver, Platinum also has so many medical and dental applications and this is a large factor in it’s popularity as jewellery.
• Platinum is very resistant and doesn't tarnish unlike gold or silver. It is extremely rare metal.
• Platinum's durability increases by alloying with small amounts of Iridium. This finds many industrial uses.
• Platinum is mined at the rate of 130 tons per annum, which is very small relative to Gold's rate of 1782 tons per annum.
• In the periodic table, the medicinally useful and industrially or financially useful metals copper, silver and gold are in the same column of period table. The value of the metal rises as you go downt the column. However Platinum is in the same row as Gold and an atomic number less but still more precious than Gold due to its rarity and industrial benefits.

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