Precious Metals
Gold
GOLD, the chemical element, is a dense, shiny, deep yellow precious metal. It
has several qualities that have made it valuable throughout history, both as a
medium of exchange and for decorative use as jewelry. It is attractive in color
and brightness; it is so durable it's practically indestructible. Gold is also
rare and usually found in nature in a relatively pure form. Gold is the most
malleable and ductile of metals.
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Platinum
PLATINUM, is a heavy, malleable, ductile, precious, grey-white metal, is
resistant to corrosion and occurs in some nickel and copper ores along with
some native deposits. Platinum is used in jewelry, laboratory equipment;
electrical contacts, dentistry, and automobile emissions control devices.
Platinum's wear and tarnish-resistance characteristics are well suited for
making fine jewelry.
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Palladium
PALLADIUM, is a soft silver-white metal that resembles platinum. It is the
least dense and has the lowest melting point of the platinum group metals. This
metal also does not react with oxygen at normal temperatures (and thus does not
tarnish in air). The largest use of palladium today is in catalytic converters.
Much research is in progress to discover ways to replace the much more
expensive platinum with palladium in this application.
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Rhodium
RHODIUM, is extremely hard and bright, its primary use in jewelry is as a
plating to give white gold extra shine. It also is sometimes used as an
alloying agent for hardening platinum and palladium. Rhodium has both a higher
melting point and lower density than platinum. It is not attacked by acids and
only dissolves in aqua regia. It is one of the most expensive precious metals.
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Titanium
TITANIUM, Named for the Titans, sons of the Greek gods, Titanium, when pure, is
a lustrous, grayish white metal. It has a low density, good strength, is easily
fabricated, and has excellent corrosion resistance. It is mainly used in
jewelry as an accent metal in Men’s jewelry. Its inertness and ability to be
attractively colored also make it a popular metal for use in body piercing.
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