Why is platinum jewelry so much more expensive than gold jewelry?
Rarity is the main factor in determining platinum’s value. There is much less platinum in the world than other metals. How much less? Annual platinum production is about 150 tons. This seems like a lot until you compare that to more than 2,200 tons of gold produced annually. And, here is one stunning bit of information: a piece of platinum jewelry is 50 times more rare than a piece of gold jewelry. Platinum is 60% denser than 14 karat gold jewelry. Platinum is also 90 to 95% pure with the remaining metals coming from the platinum family. Gold jewelry is mixed with other metals, (14 karat is 58.5% pure gold), so as you can see, platinum jewelry is purer, heavier and rarer than gold jewelry.
