The Mysterious White Metal That’s Rarer Than Gold | Platinum Jewelry (2024)

Platinum is 30 times more rare than gold. If all the platinum ever mined were melted and poured into an Olympic-sized pool, the platinum would barely reach your ankles. Gold, however, would fill three pools. Think about that when you compare platinum with other precious metals, especially if you’re in the market for an engagement ring or wedding band. Precious platinum is truly as rare as your love.

The Mysterious White Metal That’s Rarer Than Gold | Platinum Jewelry (1)

The metal you choose to symbolize your marriage has some amazing beginnings. Johnson Matthey, one of the world’s largest platinum producers, gives us a little history: When the Spaniards searched for gold in the New World, they found a strange white metal. Unaware of its potential, they hurled the ore into nearby rivers, hoping that in time, the rocks would “mature” into gold. Calling it “platina,” or “little silver,” the prospectors did not realize that the very rocks they threw away contained an element that was more precious and rare than the metal that drove their ambitions.

The Mysterious White Metal That’s Rarer Than Gold | Platinum Jewelry (2)

If translated into numbers, platinum—for all of its known deposits—is considerably more rare than gold and is the rarest metal of all. And it is, truly, a gift from the heavens. Found in just a few known regions of the world, including Russia and South Africa, platinum has also been discovered in heavy concentrations in meteorites- first reported in F. G. Hawley’s research papers, published in 1939. Yes, the precious metal that graces your beloved engagement ring is a celestial metal with incomparable qualities of strength, purity and durability.

The Mysterious White Metal That’s Rarer Than Gold | Platinum Jewelry (2024)

FAQs

What metal is rarer than gold? ›

Platinum, palladium, and rhodium are rarer than gold. Iridium, osmium and ruthenium are even rarer than the other three.

What metal is white gold? ›

White gold was originally developed to imitate platinum (a naturally white metal). White gold is usually an alloy containing about 75% gold and about 25% nickel and zinc. If stamped 18 karat, it would be 75% pure gold.

What is the most valuable metal in jewelry? ›

RHODIUM: TOP MOST VALUABLE METAL

Rhodium is the most valuable metal and exists within the platinum group of metals. It is used in jewelry for a final finish on white gold jewelry. It occurs in the very same ore in which gold and silver exist – only, in smaller quantities.

What metal is precious other than gold? ›

The best known precious metals are of course gold and silver, which have both been made into currency and objects of art since before recorded history began. However, the platinum group of elements (platinum itself, palladium, iridium, osmium, rhodium and ruthenium) are also important precious metals.

How much is rhodium going for today? ›

The current price of Rhodium is $164.17 per gram.

What is white metal in jewelry? ›

They are also sometimes known as pot metal. Made from elements such as lead, zinc, cadmium, bismuth and tin, white metal is commonly used for coatings of everyday objects like flatware, ornaments, bearings, medals, and household objects.

What metal is similar to white gold? ›

However, white gold isn't the only precious, silver-hued metal with favorable characteristics. Though jewelers also tend to use silver, platinum, and titanium to create breathtaking pieces, as it pertains to a sturdy and long-lasting metal for either your engagement ring or wedding band, palladium is one to consider.

Is there such a thing as 24 karat white gold? ›

The first thing to know is that there is no such thing as 24 karat white gold since the bright white color is made by mixing with alloys. For example, a 14k white gold chain would be 14 parts real gold and 10 parts alloyed metals, like palladium or rhodium.

What is the white metal that looks like silver? ›

Nickel silver is also called German silver because of its white color. This metal looks like silver but it does not contain any silver. Nickel silver is an alloy of copper, nickel, and zinc and sometimes contains trace amounts of tin, lead or other metal.

Which metal is known as white metal? ›

The correct answer is option 4, i.e., Lithium. White metal is an alloy of Lead and Lithium metal. White metal bearings are used in motor engines.

What is grey white metal more precious than gold? ›

PALLADIUM. Palladium is a member of the Platinum Metals Group (PMG) on the periodic table and is more rare than gold. It's a naturally occurring grayish-white metal, just a touch darker than platinum, and is typically used in an alloy that is 95% pure palladium, mixed with another PMG member: ruthenium.

What is the rarest metal on earth? ›

Here we'll discuss a few actual rare metals, present in the earth in miniscule amounts but which have important applications nonetheless. The rarest stable metal is tantalum. The rarest metal on earth is actually francium, but because this unstable element has a half life of a mere 22 minutes, it has no practical use.

What metal is worth money? ›

COPPER. Copper is among the most valuable metals for most scrappers. Pound for pound, it is worth more than most other common metals and is the king of non-ferrous metals. Not all copper products are worth the same, though, and the price of copper can change dramatically over time compared to other metals.

What color is rhodium? ›

What color is rhodium? Traditional rhodium is a vibrant silvery-white and highly reflective when clean. It's often used to plate white gold or platinum to not only make the metal more durable, but also to give it a more silvery, attractive color.

Is there anything more valuable than gold? ›

Palladium is currently the most expensive of the four major precious metals - gold, silver, platinum and palladium. It is scarcer than platinum, and is being used in great quantities for catalytic converters in cars. Because of this, prices have swung between the two metals.

What metal is higher than gold? ›

Palladium is the most expensive of the four major precious metals – gold, silver and platinum being the others. It is rarer than platinum, and is used in larger quantities for catalytic converters.

Is titanium rarer than gold? ›

Simply put, gold and platinum are worth more than titanium or tungsten. This is due to Gold and Platinum being far more rare.

What mineral is rarer than gold? ›

Platinum is both rarer and more expensive than gold. It does not oxidize at any temperature, it's a good conductor of electricity and it is both malleable and ductile.

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