The most appealing trait of platinum is its durability. Each time other metals are scratched or polished, a very tiny bit of metal is lost. In fact in time, prongs of white gold and yellow gold may wear down enough that you need to have them reinforced with more metal for safety. While platinum may scratch and leave a patina of wear, it will not chip or break easily. Some people like this look, but if you like the shine, you can bring it back to your jeweller for polishing. This would restore its reflective finish once more.

Platinum has also become increasingly popular because of its rich, silvery-white color, deep luster and it’s unique cool white sheen. Platinum is a popular choice for settings, as it accentuates the sparkle and brilliance of a diamond like no other. as well as being tarnish and scratch-resistant. Platinum is actually an alloy of six metals - platinum, palladium, rhodium, ruthenium, iridium, and osmium. Today it is often alloyed with titanium and copper. Most platinum jewellery is 95% pure platinum mixed with 5% iridium, palladium, or ruthenium alloy. It can also be 90% pure platinum with 10% alloys. To guarantee its quality, each piece of jewellery should be stamped with "950 Plat" or “Plat” indicating 95% purity or "900 Plat" indicating 90% purity. Because of its purity, platinum is ideal for people who are allergic to other metals as it rarely causes a reaction.

Care for platinum

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 luster.