Platinum. There's a reason that the music industry uses "Platinum" to signify someone who has sold over a million records, and is the highest and most prestigious award you can receive. Platinum is an extremely rare metal, with only 0.0003 ppb in the Earth's crust, which makes it a difficult metal to cultivate.



It also makes it very expensive, as of now it is currently around $42.50 per gram, or around $1300 an ounce. It also is very hard to find on the Earth, but there are some places it can be found in a relatively bountiful amount. There are reserves in South Africa in the Bushveld complex, and there are large copper-nickel deposits (which are required for the cultivation and production of platinum) in Russia.



So how did this metal become one of the most prestigious status symbols in modern America? How did it become a signal to one another that you were rich? Well it started in 1786, when Pierre-Francois Chabaneau discovered a way to make the platinum malleable, which allowed for the first time the ability to make objects out of platinum like utensils. He started a business with Joaquin Cabezas, and started what is known as the "platinum age" in Spain.

So that brings us to the present day, where platinum is in more demand every single day. Why is that? Well there are a few reasons:

- Platinum is extremely corrosion-resistant. It has a melting point of 3215 degrees Fahrenheit! This makes it useful for a various amount of things like: fuel cells in gasoline, eyeglasses, paints, fibre-optic cables, explosives, fertilizers, hard disk drives, anti-cancer drugs, and LCD displays.

- Less harmful for the environment: 1/3 of all platinum is applied in what are called catalytic converters, which are used to control the pollution that comes from routine car emissions. Fuel cells have the potential to become the environmentally-friendly fuel source of the future, and platinum is a crucial part of that process.

- Jewelry: Japan is the largest exporter of platinum jewelry, which is the biggest and most popular kind of platinum art. There are medallions and other things that might not be considered jewelry, but for the most part, most platinum art is something you can wear on your person. The reason platinum is use for artwork like jewelry is the beauty of the metal itself, and the strength of the metal itself. The strength makes platinum the best precious metal for precious stones such as emeralds, rubies, and diamonds.

- Non-Allergenic: Ever heard of platinum braces? They are commonly used in place of regular metals that are attached to a person allergic to ordinary metals like lead.

- Watch-making: Many of today's leading watch manufacturers make platinum watches. Platinum is ideal for watches, as the metal does not tarnish, unlike silver, gold, or steel. Like the jewelry, platinum aids in the setting of gemstones. Vacheron Constantin became one of the first watchmakers to really start making platinum watches in earnest. The watchmaker first learned how to properly make them in 1820, and has been making them ever since.