Background. Platinum is known to mankind since ancient times. Nuggets of this metal found with gold, and called them "white gold" (Ancient Egypt, Spain, Abyssinia), "frog with gold" (the island of Borneo) etc. Products that contain platinum, were found during excavations of ancient Egyptian tombs and settlements drevneindeyskih in Colombia. In the first half of the XVI century Spanish colonizers drew attention to the infusible hard white metal, encountered along the way with gold in placers of New Granada (present-day Bolivia). Initially, the Spaniards considered it harmful impurity, and therefore issued a government decree ordering the platinum throw into the sea. Gray sand "port" gold and undermines the credibility of the coins minted from it, so detached and thrown away as a harmful impurity.

Platinum. Valued more than gold right now, this noble metal, called by the Spaniards contempt "serebrishko (platina – a diminutive of plata – silver). Its practical applications are interested only in the XIX century. To melt it, it was necessary to raise the temperature to a very high point – 1774 C, and how to do it, then not yet known. However, the ancient inhabitants of America – the Aztecs – before Columbus were able to produce this metal products. Montezuma, the last ruler of the state, sent a gift to the Spanish king beautiful platinum mirror. How could cope with that ancient metallurgists refractory metal – and still secret 50.

The first description of platinum in Europe, made by A. de Uloloa who participated in the French expedition in 1736 to determine the length equator. In his notes mentioned noble metal platina, found in Colombian gold mines. In 1741, South American metal samples were shipped to Europe, where the first platinum regarded as "white gold". In middle of the XVIII century, was established the elementary nature of platinum. Currently, the "white gold" referred to gold and platinum alloys.