Jewellery

Due to its rarity and purity, and its natural white colour, associated with its enduring quality and resistance to tarnishing, platinum has been used for decoration since the 7th century BC.

Key facts:

• Platinum is 30 times rarer than gold. If all the platinum ever mined were melted and poured into an Olympic-sized pool, the platinum would barely reach your ankles.
• Platinum’s purity makes it a hypoallergenic metal.
• Platinum is a great choice for engagement rings and wedding bands because it’s naturally white, so it won’t fade or change colour over time.
• According to a study conducted by fem Research Institute Precious Metals + Metal Chemistry, in association with TechForm Advanced Casting Technology and PGI, platinum alloys demonstrate superior wear resistance over white gold alloys with the absolute and relative volume losses of the platinum alloys demonstrating to be lower than that of the gold alloys.
• The research has provided conclusive evidence that platinum is the superior precious metal for fine jewellery, and the securest setting for diamonds.

Today, platinum is a very popular metal for bridal jewellery in many countries and for fashion jewellery in Asia in particular. With the rise of consumer wealth, China has become the largest market accounting for 50% of the world's platinum jewellery off take.

To find out more about platinum in jewellery, visit the website of our partner organization PlatinumGuild International.

As jewellery metal on its own, palladium has become attractive as a wedding band for men because it is strong, durable and its low density allows bigger and bolder jewellery designs to be created and worn with ease. Palladium has attracted a growing number of fashion-forward jewellery designers.