Platinum is a noble metal, symbolized in the table of elements as Pt and with an atomic number of 78. The name platinum is derived from the Spanish term platina, which literally translates to "little silver." And true enough, it does have a white-silvery appearance, but as would be further explained, it surpasses silver (and even gold) at certain aspects, particularly value.

Part of what makes platinum so valuable is its innate attributes. It is physically silver-white in color which allows an elegant luster when polished, ductile and malleable which makes it perfect for reforming into its common uses as base metals for jewelry, components of alloys for artifacts, and equipment such as catalytic converters, electrical contacts and electrodes, lab equipment, dentistry equipment, and the like. It doesn't corrode and is remarkably resistant to oxidation at any temperature so it doesn't rust or wear out for relatively longer periods of time compared to other metals. It is also slightly harder than iron, so it is even more sturdy as it is more elegant. Chemically, it is also unreactive (the least reactive of all metals) so exposure to it for extensive periods of time will have no adverse effects.

It is, however, an extremely rare metal - which is mostly why it's so costly. Since its discovery in 1906, studies of its sources revealed that it was only at a concentration of 0.005 ppm in the Earth's crust and an average yielded amount of only a few hundred tons annually from select locations in the world: with known mining sites at first only in Colombia, and then later on, in the Ural Mountains in Russia. It is more abundant on the moon and in meteorites so platinum mines on impacted locations of meteors entering the Earth's atmosphere is but logical; like in the famous Subdury Basin in Canada.

This is why it comes as no surprise that as the value of platinum became more understood, it became more and more incorporated into several industries. Nowadays, it is common to hear of platinum standards in companies which used to have gold standards as their highest ratings in the past. It won't be long before gold stars start to be out-ranked by platinum stars, not just on businesses but on common everyday cliches. And because of the higher qualities of platinum compared to other metals, alloys containing platinum used in creating parts of machineries and equipment are in fact considered superior.

In the jewelry industry in particular, it started to trend in Japan in the 1960s because of its natural appearance of elegance and its obvious value affixed to its rarity. It wasn't long before this trend was picked up in the west and currently, platinum is viewed all over the world as the most suitable base material for the most precious of stones like diamonds, rubies, and other colored stones used to accentuate engagement and wedding rings alike.

Other than its natural aesthetic value, and the common knowledge of how expensive it is, because of its resistance to corrosion and wear, rings with platinum as their setting are considered to be the most durable; holding the most precious of gems ever valued in history (like the Hope, the Jonker Diamond Number One, and the Koh-i-Noor).

A platinum engagement ring practically screams of value (even without a precious stone). And its inherent qualities require very little to no maintenance at all. So take a look at the listings now for the best and widest selection of Platinum engagement rings.