For the most part, the U.S. looked like it had a grasp on all coronavirus cases in the country… by Franz Walker via Natural News (Natural News) Wuhan, China – the epicenter of the […]
The post Can American Cities Be Subjected To A Draconian Lockdown Like In China? appeared first on Silver Doctors.
The US purports to be the land of free speech, but you can always expect politicians to carve out exceptions… by Jose Nino via Mises The US purports to be the land […]
The post The IRS’s History Of Attacking Political Dissenters And Opponents appeared first on Silver Doctors.
Beaute-brune posted pics of her incredible warm pear engagement ring on the Show Me the Bling forum at PriceScope! This warm and lovely pear is fabulous, now Beaute-brune wants your wedding band suggestions! I can’t get over the amount of sparkle that comes off this warm pear, and the finger coverage is […]
The post Warm Pear Engagement Ring appeared first on PriceScope.
Does Platinum scratch easily? Every day, buyers ask the Serendipity Diamonds team about the durability of Platinum for everyday wear.
Brand spanking and newly polished, the surface of Platinum is mirror-like in appearance. This reflective quality should be apparent in all precious metal jewellery unless specifically finished with a textured or patterned effect.
The image below shows the appearance, typical of both Platinum and Palladium, appearing here with flush set diamonds.
There is only one way to avoid scratching a Platinum ring. Don’t wear it. This is impractical advice, I know. While most Platinum owners express surprise when their jewellery picks up small marks and scratches, this is part of everyday wear.
Scratches, marks and scuffs will start to appear over time. Furthermore, they are more noticeable at first against the pristine look of a brand new ring. Hence, wear gradually builds over time, resulting in a natural patina over the surface of the ring. It is noteworthy that Platinum won’t wear away when marked or scuffed. As a result, metal is merely displaced and never lost.
The process of polishing Platinum is straightforward work for a polisher. Most professional jewellers use a dedicated finisher to achieve the final mirror-like polish.
The process of re-finishing flats the metal and restores the high shine. 950 Platinum includes 5% metal alloys. Either Cobalt or Ruthenium are used within the Platinum alloy. Such metals benefit the jewellery with attributes including greater surface hardness. (The 95% purity is assured by the stamped 950 hallmark.)
This image shows a wedding ring with fairly heavy wear. You will see a combination of knocks, dents and scrapes over the surface. This damage is consistent with heavy wear. Contact with abrasive surfaces reduces the polish, resulting in a duller appearance.
Smaller scratches build to a consistent appearance – fairly typical of light wear.
The first step towards removing heavy wear starts on the jeweller’s bench. First of all, the polisher removes deep gouges and dents by filing the metal. Next, the Platinum ring is polished. Using a motorised machine, abrasive rouge is applied to pads. Spinning at high speed, the surface of the ring is polished.
While light wear requires a less intensive treatment, small scratches polish out fairly easily. The regular process of re-finishing the ring restores the shine to an as-new condition. Unlike 18ct White Gold, there is no Rhodium coating added to the ring. This is due to the natural whiteness of Platinum which does not require Rhodium plating.
The important thing to remember is not to worry about the presence of small scratches or marks on a ring. Almost all re-polishing work is routine for most jewellers. Most noteworthy, pay special attention to small claws appearing worn around precious gemstones. The single most common cause for lost diamonds comes from worn claws. Since inspection is an important part of our own service, we routinely check claws as part of the refinishing process. As a result we are able to advise our clients if there appears to be any risk in gemstone settings.
The shine of Platinum can be restored to a great extent using specialist cleaning materials. A great way to get Platinum shining again is by using the Connoisseur beauty wipes. We highly recommend the beauty wipes, which will restore the shine on Platinum and Palladium. Each pack includes 25 re-usable dry wipes . They contain a dry compound which removes tarnishes and dirt, fills small scratches and they never dry out.
Finally, delicate detail on Platinum jewellery demands specialist attention. An example is milgrain detail found around the edges of some vintage style rings. While many Platinum rings appear chunky, other include fine, delicate detail. Professional jewellers exercise care when re-furbishing milgrain detailed jewellery. In conclusion, get more help and guidance from our expert team, fire any questions across and we’ll be happy to guide you ahead of any purchase.
Rhodium plating, applied to white gold tends to be more scratch resistant than Platinum. However, the slow and gradual wear of Rhodium reveals the tinted true colour of white gold. For this reason, many buyers favour Platinum for its true colour—choosing to have their jewellery re-polished from time to time.
Sometimes, despite great care, your brand new engagement ring reveals small scratches and wear. Please don’t despair. It is normal for most rings to show wear within a very short time of putting the item on. Owing to the pristine, even surface, small marks are more visible. Don’t think that your ring will remain mirror-polished forever—especially where the ring makes contact with other objects.
There is a simple solution to improving the appearance from small scratches—using the Dazzlestik or Beauty Wipes (see above). Alternatively, the ring can be sent back to your jeweller to remove any small scratches. But be prepared for additional scratches to appear once you have the ring back.
The post Does Platinum Scratch? The Durability and Scratch Resistance of Platinum appeared first on Serendipity Diamonds Blog.
The price of rhodium has soared recently. What about this precious metal makes it so appealing, and what’s behind the recent rhodium frenzy? Learn more about this unique precious metal as we share various global insights.
According to the Live Science website, rhodium is a silver-white metallic element that’s highly reflective and resistant to corrosion. It’s the rarest and most expensive precious metal in the world.
Rhodium is one of six metals in the platinum group, according to Live Science. The others are platinum, palladium, osmium, iridium, and ruthenium.
Live Science notes that the name “rhodium” comes from the Greek word “rhodon,” meaning rose. Rhodon refers to the rose-red color of rhodium’s salts.
Rhodium is usually combined with other materials, such as platinum or palladium, as part of an alloy, according to the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility. These alloys appear in items such as furnace coils, aircraft engines, electrodes for aircraft spark plugs, and laboratory crucibles.
The most common use for rhodium, though, is in vehicles’ catalytic converters, either as a standalone element or in tandem with palladium or platinum. Rhodium catalysts help cut down on nitrous oxide in vehicle exhaust.
“Without rhodium catalysts, the air in our cities would be much worse due to vehicle exhausts,” Live Science points out.
More than 80% of the demand for rhodium comes from the automotive industry, S&P Global Platts reports.
Because rhodium “is quite brilliant and resistant to tarnishing,” it’s also used as a finish for jewelry, searchlights, and mirrors, Live Science adds.
English chemist William Hyde Wollaston discovered rhodium in 1803, according to Live Science. He extracted rhodium from platinum ore that he found in South America.
Rhodium is stable enough to be found in its pure form, the Minerals Education Coalition says. It’s a byproduct of platinum, palladium, nickel, and copper mining in the U.S., Russia, and South Africa.
Seattle TV station KIRO reports that because rhodium is found only in small amounts, it’s challenging to mine. Mines in South Africa produce more than 80% of the world’s supply of rhodium.
In February 2020, the price of rhodium topped $12,000, its highest mark in at least 15 years. A month later, the price of rhodium was hovering around $12,500 an ounce. By comparison, palladium was trading at around $2,400 an ounce, gold was sitting at close to $1,600 an ounce, and platinum was inching toward $860 an ounce.
One South African mining executive expects rhodium to continue its upward price trajectory in 2020. Stepped-up production of environmentally friendly catalytic converters has been pushing up demand for the metal, leading to concerns about a supply shortage.
“Everyone needs this metal, and we are seeing speculators now entering the market,” Jonathan Butler, precious metals analyst and head of business development at Mitsubishi, told Kitco News.
Does all of this rhodium talk have you revved up about precious metals? Check out our top recommendations for tracking gold, silver, and other precious metals prices so you can stay informed.
The post What Is Rhodium, and What Is Rhodium Used for? appeared first on U.S. Money Reserve.
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Wise investing starts with watching for price fluctuations in the precious metals market. Spot buying opportunities in our weekly metals market recaps. Get the spot price close; one-week price change; and year-to-date price change of gold, silver, platinum, and palladium for the week of February 28 – March 6, 2020 below. |
| Gold Spot Price Close: | $1,676.55 | |
| 1 Week Price Change: | ▲ $90.10 | ▲ 5.68% |
| YTD Price Change: | ▲ $147.61 | ▲ 9.65% |
| Silver Spot Price Close: | $17.32 | |
| 1 Week Price Change: | ▲ $0.64 | ▲ 3.85% |
| YTD Price Change: | ▼ -$0.71 | ▼ -3.96% |
| Platinum Spot Price Close: | $904.15 | |
| 1 Week Price Change: | ▲ $37.73 | ▲ 4.35% |
| YTD Price Change: | ▼ -$61.37 | ▼ -6.36% |
| Palladium Spot Price Close: | $2,571.50 | |
| 1 Week Price Change: | ▼ -$37.17 | ▼ -1.42% |
| YTD Price Change: | ▲ $623.60 | ▲ 32.01% |
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“”silver price”” – Google News
Gold zooms by Rs 2,000 in a week on coronavirus, silver up marginally Business Standard
The post Gold zooms by Rs 2,000 in a week on coronavirus, silver up marginally – Business Standard appeared first on WorldSilverNews.