A Brief History of Platinum

One of the rarest precious metals, platinum is found in only a few locations around the world.

Platinum has a rich and noble history. It was first used by the ancient Egyptians about three thousand years ago. Eight hundred years later, the Incas worked with platinum. The first platinum jewelry in Europe appeared around the year 1780, at the court of Louis XVI of France.

Many of the world's most famous diamonds, including the Hope Diamond, are set in platinum. Carl Fabergé, the famed 19th-century Russian jeweler, prized working in platinum, as did Louis Cartier of Paris and many other great jewelers throughout history.