Is it true that platinum has many important industrial uses?

Yes. Statistics show that one of the five commonly used products contains or is made by using platinum. In addition to medicine and pollution control, the metal is used in electronics and clean energy, petrochemicals, glass and aviation, not to mention aerospace. The high quality of lenses and optical fibers made mainly of platinum is why it is also used in television equipment and computer monitors, liquid crystal displays and innumerable other products, including fertilizers.

Is it true that platinum is a distinct metal group?

Is true. There are five other elements known as platinum metals: iridium, osmium, palladium, rhodium and ruthenium. In many countries, such as Italy, palladium is considered a precious metal comparable to platinum, gold or silver.

Are European countries really the biggest consumers of platinum?

It isn't. Japan is the biggest consumer, accounting for 41.5 percent of global demand, followed by North America at 23 percent, Europe at an average of 17 percent and the rest of the Western world at 14.5 percent. Finally, China puts 4% of its consumption on the market each year.

Is Platinum's name really due to a mistake by the conquistadors?

Yes. Platinum was discovered by accident in the New World, between the late 16th and early 17th centuries. The Spaniards mistreated it for poor quality silver and referred to it pejoratively as "platinum," but in the same region, as early as 100 B.C., the Indians liked to show off their gold and platinum jewelry, and the earliest platinum jewelry we ever had was a small jewelry box belonging to an ancient Egyptian priestess, Shepenupet.

Is a gem set in platinum particularly safe?

Yes. Thanks to its strength, platinum provides a "grip" that lasts forever. Some of the most famous diamonds of the past, from the Great Indian Diamond collected by the King of England to the Star of Africa, have been set in platinum. Some insurance companies charge less on platinum - encrusted jewelry.