White gold

It is a chemical element called platinum, and its symbol in the periodic table “pT”, and its atomic number is 78, and it is a precious and rare metal, but no traces of it were found in ancient civilizations, and it was discovered in the sixteenth century in South America, and platinum is distinguished by the characteristics Physical, including that it is a transitional metal, characterized by hardness and magnetism, and the origin of the word platinum is plata, which is a Spanish word meaning little silver, and it is produced in Africa, as it is considered the country that produces it the most with about 80% of global production, and we will learn about a number of its features, the most important of which is what follows.

Characteristics of platinum

Platinum is much stronger than iron, and its ductility is similar to that of gold.
It never rusts and does not change its color if exposed to air, and the reason for this is that the platinum element does not interact with oxygen gas, so it is called the noble metal.
It is not affected by any acid used to dissolve other elements.
Its value is twice that of yellow gold.
It does not oxidize at high temperatures.
Slow to expand when heated.
Slow solubility in fire water.
To melt large quantities of it, we need large furnaces that are resistant to high temperatures, due to the high melting point of platinum. As for small quantities, they are melted at the jeweler using (Exdric's tong) with the use of glasses and gloves for protection.

The history of white gold

White gold appeared for the first time in 1557 by the Italian scientist Julius Scaliger, and in 1750 the Spaniards discovered ample amounts of platinum metal, but its value at that time was cheap, but when scientists and specialists discovered its many benefits, it became used in all areas of life, and it spread very quickly. And his demand increased and his prices went up.

spheres of white gold

Manufacture of thin sheets and wires.
It is involved in the field of manufacturing the converters found in car exhausts.
It has use in medical fields, such as dentistry and surgeries.
It is used in the manufacture of jewelry, such as necklaces, watches and earrings, due to its strength and hardness.
It is used in scientific experiments.

types of white gold

White gold is classified into two types; The first type comes from gold and various minerals. such as silver, palladium, and copper, while the second type is made of pure platinum itself, without adding any other materials.

Distinguish between white gold and pure platinum

We can distinguish between them through a test called the scratch test, which is to bring a piece of white gold and scratch it, and if it is easily scratched, it is white gold, and the second method; It is heating a piece of metal and leaving it until it cools, and if it turns into a dark color then it is white gold, and if its color remains the same then it is a piece of platinum.