JewelSmiths - Gold, Diamonds & Jewelry in Edmond Oklahoma
History of Platinum
In 790 A.D. King Louis XVI of France declared that platinum was "the only metal fit for kings", yet man has enjoyed platinum jewelry made from this luxurious precious metal since its discovery in ancient Egypt.
By 1912 platinum jewelry prices were at a preminum and white gold was invented in Germany by mixing gold with different metal alloys in an effort to provide a substitute for the increasingly rare platinum. Then in 1939, the U.S. Government declared platinum a strategic metal, restricting its use for fabricating platinum jewelry or anything not related to the war effort.
By the year 2000, as many as two in five couples were purchasing platinum jewelry in the form of wedding or engagement rings, accounting for 40% of the overall U.S. bridal market. By 2005 this number is expected to increase to as much as 60-75% of the market.
The catalytic, physical and hypoallergenic properties of platinum has allowed for a variety of versatile uses for this precious metal in both industry and medicine, yet it is the platinum jewelry market that as consumers, we are most familiar with.