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More About Platinum History

More About Platinum History

Platinum is a very precious metal – more valuable than gold or silver and because it has similar qualities in terms of appearance, shine and malleability, it is sought after as a metal for fashioning jewelry.  Making jewelry is one of the least important uses; it is extensively used in an array of industrial and consumer applications and your modern TV probably would not work without it!

Platinum was discovered in 1741 by Charles Wood, an English metallurgist exploring the island of Jamaica.  The Spaniard, Antonio de Ulloa also shares the credit for discovering platinum after an 8 year expedition to Peru but he noted himself that the indigenous natives had been mining platinum for a great deal longer.

In 1750, William Brownrigg, who had been sent the samples by Charles Wood from Jamaica, presented his analysis of the newly discovered metal to the British Royal Society.  Brownrigg noted particularly the extremely high melting point and other peculiar qualities which sparked the interest of scientists across Europe which was in the grip of the Renaissance and scientific interest was high amongst the cognoscenti of the day.

Platinum was first described as “white gold” by Henrik Scheffer who extensively researched and experimented with platinum – he noted that platinum was stronger than gold but did not oxidize (or corrode) which was a main plus point for any precious metal.  The relative strength of platinum made it unsuitable for use in making jewelry and this was not overcome until Carl von Sickingen discovered how to combine platinum with gold to make an alloy which was soft and capable of being worked.

The modern catalytic converter which helps reduce fuel consumption in modern cars requires platinum to operate effectively – the principle was discovered way back in 1784, more than a century before the invention of the engine, by Franz Karl Achard who developed the first platinum crucible using arsenic (one of the very few substances with which platinum will chemically react).

In Spain, the Age of Discovery gave way to the Age of Platinum when King Charles III funded a laboratory for the Frenchman, Pierre Chabaneau specifically to research this newly discovered white gold.  Chabaneau discovered how to purify platinum and noted how pure platinum would not blend with other elements and compounds which would increase the value of objects made from it.  Moving from scientific endeavor to outright capitalism, Chabaneau went into business making platinum bullion and utensils and made his fortune.

Platinum rested awhile with no significant development or exploitation of the metal until in 1875, platinum was chosen for its inert qualities as the base for the metric system of measurement – a meter (equal to one yard and 3 inches) is defined as the distance between two lines on an alloy bar of platinum (90%) and iridium (10%) – this formed the very basis for modern scientific measurement including the calculations which put man on the moon.  Only with the advent of atomic and speed of light bases for measurement did platinum take a back seat.

Tags: Platinum, Precious Metals

Uses for Gold You Will Be Surprised to Know

Uses for Gold You Will Be Surprised to Know!

Gold is all around us with jewelry and precious valuables but the majority of gold is not to be found on our fingers or dangling around our necks but in the vaults of repository bullion institutions such as Fort Knox in Kentucky and even more in the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.  Gold is, or has been used for much more interesting purposes than simply making jewelry or the basis for a plot in a James Bond 007 movie such as Goldfinger!

At the turn of the 20th Century, sufferers from arthritis took to taking injections of solutions made from gold salts – extremely expensive but also very effective in reducing the pain which this condition causes.  It is still used today by modern medicine but only as a last resort as other medications have been developed to mitigate pain and suffering but without the side effects which gold creates as it accumulates in the body and damages the liver and kidneys.

Recently, gold nanorods – the small, microscopic particles of science fiction – have been developed and tested in cancer treatment.  The nanorods are injected into the body and they automatically congregate around cancerous tumors instead of spreading evenly throughout the body.  When infra-red light is shone on the area of the body, this light reacts with the gold to destroy the cancer; this sounds all very high tech but so what – chemotherapy and other drugs do the same job you may say.  Yes they do, but gold nanorods ONLY affect the area of the body where the tumor is at and not all of the body like chemotherapy which doesn’t just destroy cancer but all the healthy cells and especially the immune system too.

The next time you turn on your computer or gaming platform, just think about how gold which is 99.99% pure and drawn into a wire a few microns in diameter (very, very thin) is being used to connect the circuit board and allow the electronic impulses to take place which means you get email, internet movies and the chance to zap the bad guys in Halo or whatever you happen to be playing.  Without gold, we’d all be huddling around the radio to get our entertainment because television would not work without it either!

So necessary is gold in the production of virtually every electronic device from an iPod to HD TV, iPhone to your car’s ignition system that industry is the biggest consumer of gold and not the jewelry sector.  Industries use around 150 tonnes of gold every year and guess what?  The United States is only the second largest consumer of gold (30% of world production) – the Japanese use more than any other country in the world (at 40% of world production).

Perhaps that is not so much of a surprise!
The simple plain fact is that gold is used in virtually every aspect of our lives and our world would not function without it, which accounts for one reason why it is worth around $960 an ounce and is one of the most precious metals in the world.

Help the environment and sell your scrap gold today!

Tags: Gold, How Gold Is Used, Precious Metals, Scrap Gold, Uses For Gold

Silver History Basics

Silver History Basics

After the discovery of the New World there was a major increase in silver production. There were major silver mines in Mexico, Bolivia and Peru. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries there were improvements in the mining of silver which accelerated the exploitation of silver. It is believed that Turkey was the first major source of mined silver and provided silver to craftsman throughout Asia Minor. The Chaldeans in about 2500 BC were credited with developing the sophisticated process of mining silver ore. They used a “cupellation” process to extract silver from lead-silver ores.

There were significant improvements in technology after the New World was discovered. The Spanish produced Mexican silver beginning in the early 1500’s. During the time between the 1500’s and the 1800’s Bolivia, Peru, and Mexico accounted for over 85% of the world’s production and trade of silver. After 1850 several other countries saw an increase in silver production. In the United States the Comstock Lode in Nevada was discovered.

During the period of 1876 to 1920 there was an explosion in both innovative technology and discovery of new regions worldwide. Most of the major new discoveries were made in the United States. These included new silver mines in Nevada, Colorado and Utah. There were also discoveries in Australia, Central America and Europe.
The new technology used included steam assisted drilling, mining, and improved hauling processes. These improvements increased the ability to handle ore and allowed for mining larger volumes of ore that contained silver. The modern era which started in 1921 brought many advancements that allowed for increased production of silver worldwide. Some of these advancements included, bulk mining methods which were both at the surface and underground deep in the mines. There were new improvements in extraction techniques and in ore separation.
Silver has always been in high demand because of its unique properties. It is used for decoration, photography, jewelry and silverware. It is also used in industrial applications. Silver is strong, malleable, and ductile and has excellent electrical and thermal conductivity. It is able to endure extreme temperature ranges.

Silver has always been traditionally used for coins, photography, jewelry and silverware and table settings. Silver is also used in industrial products, including batteries, bearing, catalysts and electronics. It is also used in soldering and brazing.

Besides being used in the traditional areas, silver is now being used for other purposes as well. In the medical field silver is being used because of its antibacterial powers. It is being used in silver imbedded bandages for burn and wound victims. They have been shown to resist infection and to also speed up the healing process.

Silver is also playing an important role in solar energy. Silver paste is used in about 90 percent of the most common type of solar cells. Silver is also used to generate electricity by reflecting and concentrating solar energy onto collectors.

Silver is also being used in water purification systems in hospitals, small water systems, pools and spas. This is because silver ions prevent bacteria and algae buildup. The major benefit of using silver is it replaces harsh chemicals such as chlorine and bromine. Silver is also becoming popular in personal water purification devices.

Silver has many uses in today’s society, it is not just used in jewelry and decorative items it has an important role in many other areas.

Tags: About Silver, Precious Metals, Silver, Silver History