Which is more valuable: gold or platinum?

Two of the most recognizable precious metals – gold and platinum – have long since taken a strong root in our culture. From phrases like “platinum blond” or “platinum album” to “solid gold,” we have an inherent understanding about the value of gold and platinum in both our society and as individuals. read more

Price fluctuations do occur, so it is possible for gold to “technically” become more valuable than platinum at certain points in the market. Platinum, however, is an extremely rare metal, even harder to find than gold. read more

Platinum is more valuable than gold as it is not only heavier but for e.g. when platinum is used in a ring, 95% of the metal is platinum, whereas when 14 k gold is used, it is only 58.3% as the rest is mixed with other metals to make it stronger. read more

Platinum is more expensive because it is rarer and mined much less than gold. Only 160 tons of platinum are mined annually, as opposed to 1,500 tons of gold. Also, platinum is more dense than gold, so the same ring will weigh significantly more in platinum than in gold (and precious metals are priced by weight). Therefore, it's easy to understand why a white gold setting costs approximately half as much as a comparable setting in platinum. read more