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Buying Platinum Jewelry Without Getting Ripped-Off
By Sam and Tami Serio
Morning Light
Jewelry
Buying Platinum jewelry can be fun, exciting and confusing. Whether you're
considering a gift of Platinum jewelry for someone special or as a treat
for yourself, take some time to learn the terms used in the industry.
Here's some information to help you get the best quality Platinum jewelry
for your money, whether you're shopping in a traditional brick and mortar
store or online.
Platinum is a precious metal that costs more than gold. It usually is
mixed with other similar metals, known as the platinum group metals:
iridium, palladium, ruthenium, rhodium and osmium.
Different markings are used on platinum jewelry as compared with gold
jewelry, based on the amount of pure platinum in the piece. The quality
markings for platinum are based on parts per thousand. For example, the
marking 900 Platinum means that 900 out of 1000 are pure platinum, or in
other words, the item is 90% platinum and 10% other metals. The
abbreviations for platinum - Plat. or Pt. - also can be used in marking
jewelry.
Items that contain at least 950 parts per thousand pure platinum can be
marked simply platinum. Items that have at least 850 parts per thousand
pure platinum can be marked with the amount of pure platinum and the word
platinum or an abbreviation (for example, 950 platinum, 900 Plat. or 850
Pt.). Jewelry that contains less than 850 parts per thousand pure
platinum, but has a total of 950 parts per thousand of platinum group
metals (of which at least 500 parts is pure platinum), may be marked with
both the amount of pure platinum and the amount of the other platinum
group metals in the piece. For example, the marking 600 Plat. 350 Irid.
means that the item has 600 parts per thousand (60%0 platinum, and 350
parts per thousand (35%) iridium, totaling 950 parts per thousand of
platinum group metals, and 50 parts per thousand (5%) other metals.
The Authors
of the above Article, Sam and Tami Serio have been passionately involved
with Jewelry and Gemstones for over fifteen-years. You are cordially
invited to visit http://www.morninglightjewelry.com for a wealth of
information about the fascinating world of Jewelry and Gemstones. Together
they also shelter 20 abandoned and abused dogs & cats. A portion of their
profits goes to the care and feeding of the animals. |
