How to determine the authenticity of platinum?
Platinum is a noble precious metal. Products made from it are very popular. It is important to understand how it stands out among other metals and in what parameters it surpasses them.
How to distinguish from silver?
The cost of silver is much lower in comparison with platinum, for this reason unscrupulous manufacturers pass off silver items as an expensive noble metal.
An attempt to sell a massive chain at a democratic cost indicates the likelihood of deception.
Platinum can be identified and distinguished from silver metal by several parameters, such as:
- Colour;
- weight;
- resistance to chemical attack;
- density;
- resistance to heat.
In appearance, these metals are similar, but if you look closely, you can notice the difference in shades. Silver has a gray tint, while platinum is lighter and more shiny.
If you have scales in your home, weigh the metals. When determining the mass of products, the error should be minimal. Compare the weight of the silver and platinum jewelry (they should be roughly the same size). Platinum is heavier, so the difference in weight with a similar silver sample will be significant.
It cannot be ruled out that the jewelry is made of an alloy of silver and another heavy metal, for example, rhodium, but it is minimal. Such substances are also quite expensive, they are rarely found in nature, and such materials are not used in the production of counterfeit products.
Platinum is classified as a hard metal, and silver jewelry changes shape even with a slight external impact. If the surface of an item deforms after a force was applied to it, the chances are high that it is not made of platinum.
Platinum jewelry is denser than silver jewelry. If you place the sample in a container with water and measure the amount of liquid that it displaces, and then divide the mass of the product by the resulting value, the figure should be about 21.45. Such a density is possessed by pure platinum metal, devoid of impurities.
It does not hurt to try platinum and silver jewelry on the tooth. There will be no imprint on platinum, but on silver it will. This is due to the higher density of the platinum metal.
Another test to determine the difference is done with a rotten egg. Ornaments made of different metals are alternately applied to it. Silver will turn black under the influence of hydrogen sulfide, but nothing will happen to platinum.
Platinum is refractory and can be safely held over the stove. If contact with fire is short-lived, it won't even have time to warm up properly. You will not burn yourself with such a decoration. Silver warms up quickly, so the risk of getting burned is high.
Differences from gold and other metals
Gold belongs to the category of soft metals. In contrast, platinum is much stronger and denser, more resistant to wear and tear. And it weighs more. Gold is easier to deform, platinum items are more practical. Platinum is lighter, gold bars and jewelry have a gray or gray-yellow tint.
To give white gold products a characteristic whiteness and shine, additional strength, they are often covered with a rhodium layer of a silvery-white hue.
Its properties are as close as possible to those of platinum.
Rhodium looks attractive and does not fade, does not change color over time. It is more scratch resistant than soft gold. The only drawback of such a coating is associated with its abrasion, which leads to yellowing of the product. This coating is recommended to be renewed every few years by a jeweler. Platinum does not require additional processing, she already has a silvery-white tint.
Another difference is the price. Previously, platinum items were cheaper than silver items. Today, jewelry made of this metal will cost much more than an analogue made of gold.
Platinum from other metals, including palladium, distinguished by pure white luster. It is characterized by refractoriness and imperviousness to high temperatures.
If you bring a platinum item to an open fire, nothing will change, the color will remain the same, even strong heating will not occur.
How to determine authenticity at home?
For pure platinum, various alloys are sometimes given out, containing it in a minimum amount, so every buyer should know how to avoid mistakes when choosing a platinum product and recognize a fake. There are a number of techniques that can be used to determine the authenticity of platinum. If in doubt, it is worth conducting a test using special formulations.
Check how the sample reacts to iodine. If the color of a drop of a medicine remains unchanged (dark) after application to the surface, then the sample is high. Moreover, the richer the color scheme, the higher it is.
For verification of authenticity, they also use “aqua regia”. Concentrated hydrochloric acid is combined with nitric acid in a 3: 1 ratio. This mixture helps to dissolve metals, but this is not the case with platinum. Platinum jewelry immersed in a solution will not change its appearance.
The fake "aqua regia" will dissolve with ease. But the solution must be used cold, hot dissolve and a platinum product.
Authentication is also carried out using liquid ammonia. In contact with metals, it provokes blackening of their surface, but this does not happen with platinum.
It is also resistant to magnetic influences. If a magnet attracts a product, it means that the amount of precious metal in it is low or completely absent.... Most jewelry manufacturers complete them with steel spring locks. Such a mechanism is found in chains and bracelets. If present, the magnet only attracts the latch.
At home, you can perform another safe test aimed at establishing the authenticity of the product. Pour water with dissolved salt into a metal container and place the sample to be tested in the solution. Connect a tin can to the minus of an ordinary battery, and the tested product to the plus.
In the case of a fake, a precipitate forms in the solution, causing it to become cloudy. If the product is really made of precious metal, the solution will not lose its transparency, but will begin to synthesize chlorine. Its appearance is evidenced by a pungent smell.
The listed methods do not guarantee a 100% result; it is advisable to use them as an addition to professional advice. To check the authenticity of the metal, it is better to use special equipment that jewelers have.
For more information on platinum and its authenticity, see the following video.
