Jewelry makers use lots of different ways to indicate the purity of the metal that they use in their products. They stamp certain pieces of jewelry as 24K gold, 18K gold, Sterling Silver, and in lots of other ways. And just as soon as you think you have started to understand what all the different terminology means, along comes this term, and you wonder what the heck it is . . .

Do you know any couples who have gotten engaged recently? If you do, chances are good that their engagement rings were made of platinum, not gold. Perhaps even more than the size of the diamond, the beauty of the platinum that was used to make the ring is what is attracting attention today.

Platinum is bright, shiny and resistant to tarnish. It can be used to make beautiful jewelry, labware, and even the outside casings of implantable medical devices. For those reasons, many people believe that the only way to produce a piece of platinum - be it a ring, a lab crucible or anything else - is to cast it in one piece.

Have you every had a fantasy like this?

Your old Uncle Chuck died and while you are clearing out his house, you find an old watch in his dresser drawer. It has a stainless steel case, nothing special. But the appraiser who comes to evaluate the estate says, “Hold on, this watch isn’t made of stainless steel, it’s made of platinum and is worth at least $10,000.”

We watched the royal wedding. Did you?

And while we were caught up in the wonderful spectacle of two young people starting their married life together, we couldn’t help noticing that a lot of jewelry was on display too. (We assume that most of the gold and gemstones we saw were the real thing, given the wealth of the celebrities in attendance and the serious nature of the event.)

You know what to look for when you are hunting for platinum and platinum scrap, right? You’re looking for platinum engagement and wedding rings, right? Or you might focus on floor and bench sweepings from factories where platinum jewelry was manufactured.

If you’re on the hunt for platinum scrap, you could sweep the floors at a jewelry factory, pull up old drain pipes and floorboards you find there, or tweezer out bits of old platinum screens and sponge from plating tanks and drains.

That’s hard work. There are much easier places to find platinum . . .

Have you ever failed to realize that an old ring, an old lab vessel, or a bit of white metal scrap was made of platinum? If you have, you are not alone. Because platinum is a white metal, it is easy to mistake it for silver or even something as low-end as polished pewter, stainless steel or even aluminum. Here are three facts that can help you recognize platinum more quickly and reliably.

Is every company that deals with precious metals honest? We wish that they all were but sadly, that is not the case. Here are a few scams you should know about.

Many people who collect precious metals fail to recognize platinum when they see it. They come across an old ring or other white metal item at an estate sale or antique store, assume that it is made of silver, and pass it by. With platinum trading at about $1,000/oz. at the time of this post, and silver at only about $16, that is a very costly mistake to make. Let’s take a look at some of the common misconceptions about platinum that could cause you to miss it.