Gold and Platinum have become a very common part of everyone’s lives. Either Gold or Platinum, one will be found in the majority of the people. Both metals are precious and used in jewelry making.
However, both of the metals have very different natures and lay in different parts of the Periodic Table.
Key Takeaways
- Gold is softer and more malleable than platinum, which makes it easier to scratch and deform than platinum.
- Gold is less expensive than platinum, although the price can vary depending on factors such as purity and market demand.
- Platinum has a higher melting point and is more corrosion-resistant than gold, making it more suitable for certain industrial and medical applications.
Gold vs Platinum
Gold is a type of precious metal that is soft and malleable. It is valuable and used more in jewelry and for investment purposes. Platinum is a harder and more durable metal which is resistant to corrosion and has a higher melting point. It is commonly used in industry.
Gold is one of the elements that occur naturally on earth and is placed on the periodic table with the symbol “Au”. The pure form of the metal is dense, malleable, bright, and slightly yellow-orange.
Under natural conditions, the metal exists in solid form and is extremely less reactive. It is resistant to almost all acids.
Platinum is one of the naturally occurring elements on the Earth’s crust but is also listed among the rarer elements. It is placed on the periodic table with the symbol “Pt”. The metal is very highly unreactive and has significant corrosion resistance.
The metal has six isotopes that occur naturally. Similar to gold, the metal is dense and malleable.
Comparison Table
| Parameters Of Comparison | Gold | Platinum |
|---|---|---|
| The melting point of the metals. | The melting point of Gold is 1,064 °C. | The melting point of Platinum is 1,768 °C. |
| Colour | The color of gold might get warned off due to heavy usage. | The natural white color of the Platinum never fades away. |
| Weight and easily | Gold is lightweight and due excellent for daily wearing. | Platinum is much heavier this is might not be best for daily wear. |
| Types | Gold may be of 3 types- Yellow gold, white gold, and Rose gold. | Platinum is only of one single type. |
| Position on the Periodic Table | Gold or Au is the 79th element in the Periodic Table. | Platinum or Pt is the 78th element in the Periodic Table. |
What is Gold?
Gold is yellow by nature. Combining pure gold with tiny portions of copper and zinc enhances its attractiveness and endurance. To give the metal a brighter color, change the proportions of copper and zinc.
Gold jewelry is popular as it rarely goes out of style and looks great on any complexion. Gold is immune to the ravages of ordinary living.
Gold needs to be thoroughly cleaned and shined now and then, but it doesn’t need any special attention. Gold is of 3 types- Yellow gold which is the most common variant of gold, White gold, and Rose gold.
Gold is available worldwide, although the majority of it is in Africa and India. This uncommon material is infrequently discovered in its finest form. That is combined with many various precious minerals, and it should be purified before it can be used.
It is heated several instances throughout the purification method, and it is frequently combined using alkaline cyanide in attempts to eliminate other elements, particles, and contaminants.
Refined gold, a thick yet supple and pliable valuable material with a dazzling pale yellow, is gradually produced through the purification process. A bit more than half of all refined gold is used in jewelry.
The remaining is turned into gold bullion and coins, as well as electrical connectors for other businesses.
What is Platinum?
Platinum is a rare element that is rich but ductile. This was initially extracted some thousand years ago, according to historians. Native groups utilized it to decorate figures and make jewelry at the period.
Platinum became prominent for ornaments in the mid-1800s. A very important and historic piece of jewelry, that was made for the British Queen, the body of the crown is composed of platinum. Palladium is one of the most common that is mixed with platinum.
Although platinum is a durable metal, this then is susceptible to blemishes and, on very extreme occasions, deformation if a piece of jewelry is created excessively thinly. Unless scratched, platinum just requires weekly cleanup and shining.
Scuffed platinum, fortunately, is fairly simple to fix. Minor dents can be rubbed away, and bigger flaws can be filled with additional platinum by craftsmen.
Platinum develops a delicate coating as it matures. The tarnish is a pale layer that forms as a result of regular oxidation.
The above layer changes the way platinum reacts to sunlight, making the jewelry somewhat deeper from before. Although the tarnish on platinum isn’t particularly attractive, it may be erased with frequent cleaning.
Main Difference Between Gold and Platinum
- The melting point of gold is 1064 degree C while that of platinum is 1768 degree C.
- The color of gold can get worn depending upon its usage but the natural whitish color of platinum never fades.
- Gold is more durable than compared to Platinum.
- Gold is lighter than platinum.
- Gold is available in three types that are yellow gold, white gold, and rose gold while platinum has one single type.
- Gold might be suitable for daily usage due to its lightweight but platinum might not be.
- Gold occupies its place in the 79th position in the periodic table while Platinum occupies the 78th position.
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/0039602878904296
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0920586101004849
Last Updated : 17 July, 2023
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Chara Yadav holds MBA in Finance. Her goal is to simplify finance-related topics. She has worked in finance for about 25 years. She has held multiple finance and banking classes for business schools and communities. Read more at her bio page.
