585 Platinum

does anyone here work in 585 platinum?

just wondering why 583 or 585 gold is a standard fineness in many
places but 585 platinum doesn’t have a high profile.

thanks,
bill

just wondering why 583 or 585 gold is a standard fineness in many
places but 585 platinum doesn't have a high profile. 

Bill, 583/585 gold is 14K. There is a many centuries old tradition
of stating the fineness of gold alloys in karats. 583 or 585 (one is
exact, the other gives a slight over karatage to allow for error,
etc.) are simply the decimal markings for that traditional karat. 585
platinum has no such traditional history.

Platinum’s fineness isn’t normally stated in Karats, and
traditionally has been used as a pure metal, or alloyed down just
enough to give it suitable durability.

Alloying it down more, to 585, does nothing to improve the alloy, it
only lowers the cost. Without the traditions behind it, it soulds
oddly strange, both to consumers and many jewelers, simply cheapening
a metal that traditionally is viewed as a premium jewelry metal.
Cheapening it simply makes it less desireable, as I see it, not more.
If you want cheaper than platinum, don’t mess up the platinum. Go
instead for a high quality 18K white gold.

thats my 2 cents on it…

Peter Rowe

Bill, 585 platinum doesn’t have a high profile because platinum
associations were savvy marketers.

In order to gain wide respect for platinum, the Platinum Guild
International USA was formed in 1992 for the purpose ofreeducating
American consumers about the advantages and high status of platinum.
They emphasized that platinum jewelry had a higher purity than 585
and 750 gold and that as a result, it was hypoallergenic, tarnish
resistant, and much more valuable. I think the Platinum Guild was
smart to resist efforts to cheapen platinum alloys and allow PLAT
585 because that helped platinum retain its status as the most elite
jewelry metal even when the price of gold surpassed that of
platinum.

The U. S along with Bulgaria and Lithuania are the countries with
the lowest platinum fineness standard tinum alloys must have a
purity of at least 850 in order to be marketed as platinum. The U.
S. used to have the 850 minimum standard too, but because of
pressure from American manufacturers, it has become a country with
the lowest platinum standards.

In India, 950 is the only purity receiving a certificate from
Platinum Guild International. In Canada 950 is thelowest purity
allowed for pieces labeled as platinum. Therefore, if you are an
American manufacturer who would like to sell platinum jewelry in
Canada, make sure it has a fineness of at least 950.

Renee Newman

does anyone here work in 585 platinum? 

I’m a special order jeweler and I’m a platinum specialist. People
bring it to me in particular. Lately it’s been back up because the
price is down, I guess. The ONLY alloy I will willingly work is 10%
iridium, 90 % platinum. If I could cause the early demise of those
who promote that abomination called cobalt platinum (950), I would.
Beyond that it’s like asking if I would give upprime rib for cheap
hot dogs. Not gonna try them, don’t care, ain’t gonna happen. There,
I said it… It ain’t broke and we’re not going to try to fix
it.

Here’s a little more platinum shop-talk. Personally I have always
preferred 900 platinum/iridium, mostly because it’s more
traditional. I love it and would be happy if it was the only metal I
ever worked with for the rest of my life. I never really liked 950
platinum/cobalt (except it does make the crucible a pretty blue
color), mostly because it’s slightly magnetic and that can make
people jump to the false conclusion that what you sold them is not
really platinum. I don’t have any issues with 950 platinum/ruthenium,
but I don’t usually use it. I’ve never used the 585 platinum.

The reason for the post is this little story. Although I’ve spent my
working life asa goldsmith, I do not consider myself a metallurgical
expert as some on this forum are. So keep that in mind as you read
this. I did have a recent job where the customer insisted on 950
platinum, he did not specify cobalt orruthenium. That surprised me
considering his otherwise excessive knowitallity and all consuming
persnicketyness. The whole thing got me talking toa metals guy I
know about platinum. He was saying that the reason that 950Pt/Co is
used is because the cobalt makes it more fluid when casting, so it’s
all about benefiting the maker not the customer which is rarely a
good reason to use something in my book. He said that 950 Pt/Ru is
almost alwaysactually 952 Pt/Ru, it’s just stamped 950 because it
has to be at least that. The Ruthenium makes the platinum harder
than 900 Pt/Ir. In fact he saidif you made 900 Pt/Ru it would be too
hard, possible even brittle. Another interesting tidbit is that even
though 950 Pt/Ru has 5% more platinum than 900 Pt/Ir, the cost is
usually about the same because ruthenium is so much cheaper than
iridium. I suppose that could be because ourworld iridium supply
arrived on planet Earth via asteroids, that’s right, asteroids!
That’s pretty cool!

Mark