With an approximate rarity of five times that of gold and a timeless beauty, it's easy to see why platinum is the most valuable metal in the world, and the elite material when it comes to creating and wearing fine jewelry.
Platinum contains a certain amount of other materials naturally, but for a piece to be considered platinum it must be refined to a purity of 90% or better. As one might imagine, with such a valuable metal as platinum, the standards for determining what can be credibly sold and advertised as platinum jewelry are very strict. A piece at this level would be stamped as 900 platinum; higher quality pieces, like most of the items sold here, are stamped "950 Plat", which indicates that the mix is 95% pure platinum.
Platinum comes by its pale white color naturally and will never lose its brightness or become discolored; contrast this with white gold, which is simply natural yellow gold mixed with lightening metals and plated in rhodium, which will wear off to make the gold appear yellowish.
Platinum does not tarnish, but will develop a patina over time which many feel actually improves the appearance of their platinum jewelry. Platinum is also a denser metal than most used in jewelry, which makes it stronger and accounts for the substantially heavier feel of a platinum piece. This superior strength also ensures that, while the shank of gold ring will wear away and thin out over time, platinum will hold its structure.
To properly care for your platinum jewelry, it's best to follow the same general guideline for cleaning gold jewelry: don't risk damaging or ruining your jewelry with a randomly-purchased jewelry cleaner or other harsh chemicals. Use liquid soap and a soft cloth for home cleaning, and when in doubt have the cleaning done professionally.
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