Tiffany

Platinum occurs naturally in the alluvial sands of various rivers, though there is little evidence of its use by ancient peoples. However, the metal was used by pre-Columbian Americans near modern-day Esmeraldas, Ecuador to produce artifacts of a white gold-platinum alloy. The first European reference to platinum appears in 1557 in the writings of the Italian humanist Julius Caesar Scaliger as a description of an unknown noble metal found between Darien and Mexico, which no fire nor any Spanish artifice has yet been able to liquefy. The alchemical symbol for platinum (shown above) was made by joining the symbols of silver and gold.

In 1741, Charles Wood, a British metallurgist, found various samples of Columbian platinum in Jamaica, which he sent to William Brownring for further investigation. Antonio Ulloa, also credited with the discovery of platinum, returned to Spain from the French Geodesic Mission in 1746 after having been there for eight years. His historical account of the expedition included a description of platinum as being neither separable nor calcinable. Ulloa also anticipated the discovery of platinum mines. After publishing the report in 1748, Ulloa did not continue to investigate the new metal. In 1758, he was sent to superintend mercury mining operations in Huancavelica.

In an exemplary tribute to fine craftsmanship, a floral motif of diamonds forms a wreath around stunning grossularite. Drop earrings with oval grossularites and pear-shaped and round brilliant diamonds in platinum, for pierced ears. Let’s view the specification of this diamond drop earrings in platinum valued $32,500: Oval grossularites, carat total weight 7.36; pear-shaped diamonds, carat total weight 1.72; round brilliant diamonds, carat total weight .79.

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If pure platinum is found in placer deposits or other ores it is isolated from them by various methods of subtracting impurities. Because platinum is significantly denser than many of its impurities, the lighter impurities can be removed by simply floating them away in a water bath. Platinum is also non-magnetic, while nickel and iron are both magnetic. These two impurities are thus removed by running an electromagnet over the mixture. Because platinum has a higher melting point than most other substances, many impurities can be burned or melted away without melting the platinum. Finally, platinum is resistant to hydrochloric and sulfuric acids, while other substances are readily attacked by them. Metal impurities can be removed by stirring the mixture in either of the two acids and recovering the remaining platinum.

This Iris brooch with yellow sapphires, tsavorites and diamonds in platinum is valued $38,000. Let we have a look at the specification of this elegant and captivating brooch in platinum with yellow sapphires, tsavorites, round brilliant diamonds and 18k gold. Yellow sapphires, carat total weight 20.06; tsavorites, carat total weight .81; round brilliant diamonds, carat total weight .60.

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Platinum exists in higher abundances on the Moon and in meteorites. Correspondingly, platinum is found in slightly higher abundances at sites of bolide impact on the Earth that are associated with resulting post-impact volcanism, and can be mined economically; the Sudbury is one such example. Platinum together with the rest of the platinum metals is obtained commercially as a by-product from nickel and copper mining and processing. During electrorefining of copper  , noble metals such as silver, gold and the platinum group metals as well as selenium and tellurium settle to the bottom of the cell as anode mud, which forms the starting point for the extraction of the platinum group metals.

This magical starfish is encrusted with pink opals, sapphires and diamonds that shimmer like the sand and the sea. The specifications are like this: Cabochon pink opals, carat total weight .43; cabochon pink sapphires, carat total weight .83; round brilliant diamonds, carat total weight 2.85. This beautiful starfish brooch values $22,000.

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In nickel and copper deposits platinum group metals occur as sulfides (i.e. (Pt,Pd)S), tellurides(i.e. PtBiTe), antimonides (PdSb), and arsenides(i.e. PtAs₂), and as end alloys with nickel or copper. Platinum arsenide, sperrylite (PtAs₂), is a major source of platinum associated with nickel ores in the Sudbury Basin deposit in Ontatio, Canada. The rare sulfide mineral cooperite, (Pt,Pd,Ni)S, contains platinum along with palladium and nickel. Cooperate occurs in the Merensky Reef within the Bushveld complex, Gauteng, South Africa.

The largest known primary reserves are in the Bushveld complex in South Africa. The large copper–nickel deposits near Norilsk in Russia, and the Sudbury Basin, Canada, are the two other large deposits. In the Sudbury Basin the huge quantities of nickel ore processed makes up for the fact that platinum is present as only 0.5 ppm in the ore. Smaller reserves can be found in the United States, for example in the Absaroka Range in Montana. This is also shown in the production of 2005. In 2005, South Africa was the top producer of platinum with an almost 80% share followed by Russia and Canada.

This Peretti’s elliptical form presents an intriguing figure. This ring of pave diamonds set in platinum vales $6,800. And the original designs copyrighted by Elsa Peretti. The carat total weight is .80.

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As a pure metal, platinum is silvery-white in appearance, lustrous, ductile, and malleable. It does not oxidize at any temperature, although it is corroded by halogens, cyanides, sulfur, and caustic alkalis. Platinum is insoluble in hydrochloric and nitric acid, but dissolves in aqua regia  to form chloroplatinic acid, H₂PtCl_6. Platinum’s wear- and tarnish-resistance characteristics are well suited for making fine jewelry. Platinum is more precious than gold or silver. Platinum possesses high resistance to chemical attack, excellent high-temperature characteristics, and stable electrical properties. All of these properties have been exploited for industrial applications. Platinum is an extremely rare metal, occurring as only 0.003 ppb in the Earth’s crust. It is sometimes mistaken for silver (Ag) but platinum is whiter in appearance. Platinum is often found chemically uncombined as native platinum and alloyed with iridium. Most often the native platinum is found in secondary deposits; platinum is combined with the other platinum group metals in alluvial deposits. The alluvial deposits used by pre-Columbian people in the Choco Department, Colombia are still a source for platinum group metals. Another large alluvial deposit was found in the Ural mountains, Russia, which is still mined.

The extraordinary size and cut of this Tiffany diamond make it extremely rare, with a setting designed to showcase the center stone. Ring with an oval diamond in platinum. The specification of this ring is like this: Carat total weight 3.86, color grade E, clarity grade VVS1. And the price is also higher as $202,500.

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Platinum is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Pt and at omic number of 78. its name is derived from the Spanish term platina del Pinto, which is literally translated into “little silver of Pinto River.” It is in Group 10 of the periodic table of elements. A dense, malleable, ductile, precious, gray-white transition metal, platinum is resistant to corrosion and occurs in some nickel and copper ores along with some native deposits. Platinum is used in jewelry, laboratory equipment, electrical contacts and electrodes, platinum resistance thermometers, dentistry equipment, and catalytic converters. Platinum bullion has the ISO currency code of XPT. Platinum is a commodity with a value that fluctuated according to market forces. On June 5, 2009, Platinum was worth $1263.00 per troy ounce.

This bow tie ring from Tiffany with round brilliant diamonds in platinum values $1,500. The carat total weight is .12.

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The Greek word “amethystos” may be translated as “not drunken”. Amethyst was considered to be a strong antidote against drunkenness, which is why wine goblets were often carved from it. In Greek mythology, Dionysus, the god of intoxication, was pursuing a maiden named Amethystos, who refused his affections. Amethystos prayed to the gods to remain chaste, which the goddess. Artemis granted and transformed her into a white stone. Humbled by Amethystos’s desire to remain chaste, Dionysus poured wine over the stone as an offering, dyeing the crystals purple.

Variations of the story include that Dionysus had been insulted by a mortal and swore to slay the next mortal who crossed his path, creating fierce tigers to carry out his wrath. The mortal turned out to be a beautiful young woman, Amethystos, who was on her way to pay tribute to Artemis. Her life is spared by Artemis, who transformed the maiden into a statue of pure crystalline quartz to protect her from the brutal claws. Dionysus wept tears of wine in remorse for his action at the sight of the beautiful statue. The god’s tears then stained the quartz purple. Another variation involves the goddess Thes presenting Dionysus with the amethyst stone to preserve the wine-drinker’s sanity.

This Tiffany Blue Box Charm with enamel finish in sterling silver is $150. It is also available on a sterling silver bracelet and chain.

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Amethyst was used as a gemstone by the ancient Egyptians and was largely employed in antiquity for intaglios. The Greeks believed amethyst gems could prevent intoxication, while medieval European soldiers wore amethyst amulets as protection in battle. Beads of amethyst were found in Anglo-Saxon graves in England. A huge geode, or “amethyst-grotto”, from near Santa Cruz in southern Brazil was exhibited at the Dusseldorf, Germany Exhibition of 1992. amethyst is the traditional birthstone for February.

Traditionally included in the cardinal, or most valuable, gemstones, amethyst has lost much of its value due to the discovery of extensive deposits in locations such asBrazil. The highest grade amethyst (called “Deep Russian”) is exceptionally rare and therefore its value is dependent on the demand of collectors when one is found. It is however still orders of magnitude lower than the highest grade sapphires or rubies.

This Sugar and Spice Charm with pink enamel finish in sterling silver comes from Tiffany. It is available on a sterling silver chain, bracelet or necklace. This charm is $150.

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Amethyst is composed of an irregular superposition of alternate lamellae of right-handed and left-handed quartz. It has been shown that this structure may be due to mechanical stresses. Because it has a hardness of seven on the Mohs scale, amethyst is suitable for use in jewelry.

Amethyst occurs in primary hues from a light pinkish violet to deep purple. Amethyst may exhibit one or both secondary hues, red and blue. The ideal grade is called “Deep Siberian” and has a primary purple hue of around 75-80 percent, 15-20 percent blue and (depending on the light source) red secondary hues.

This Tiffany charm is made with an emerald, an amethyst, sapphire and round brilliant diamonds in platinum. Your own sparkling style with a fun splash of color. Emerald, carat total weight .04; amethyst, carat total weight .22; sapphires, carat total weight .17; round brilliant diamonds, carat total weight .02. It is $1,150.

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Synthetic amethyst is made to imitate the best quality amethyst. Its chemical and physical properties are so similar to that of natural amethyst that it can not be differentiated with absolute certainty without advanced gemological testing (which is often cost-prohibitive). There is one test based on “Brazil law twinning” (a form of quartz twinning where right and left hand quartz structures are combined in a single crystal) which can be used to identify synthetic amethyst rather easily. In theory however it is possible to create this material synthetically as well, but this type is not available in large quantities in the market.

This Flower Basket Charm with diamonds and an amethyst in platinum is from Tiffany Charm. If you get it, you will have your own sparkling style with a fun splash of color. Cabochon amethyst, carat total weight .47; round brilliant diamonds, carat total weight .20. It is $2,050.

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