Golf Accessories

The Surprising History of Men's Platinum Wedding Rings

When a couple shops for wedding bands today, it's easy for them to figure out which metals are the most "precious" or valuable just by looking at the price tags.  There is no doubt that platinum is a rare and brilliant metal that looks terrific in a wedding band, but when they stop and think about it; most people have no idea what makes platinum so much more expensive than gold.

Have you ever wondered why men's platinum wedding rings are such a hot commodity?

 

Since I've always been one of those people who insist on asking "why", I decided to find out more about the history of men's platinum wedding rings.  It didn't take long to uncover some very interesting facts about platinum.  For example, did you know that meteorites contain platinum?  Scientists believe that the earliest recorded impact of a meteorite hitting the Earth was two billion years ago, so platinum has been around for a very long time.  This gave me a new appreciation for this "space age" metal, but that wasn't all I learned about the origins of men's platinum wedding rings.

Here are some other interesting facts:

 

•         Although there is physical evidence that points to the use of platinum on ancient Egyptian tombs, platinum is such a rare metal that it would disappear from history for centuries at a time and then mysteriously reappear.

•         According to archaeological history, platinum was commonly used in pre-Incan civilizations and by Spanish conquistadors.

•         Long before it was used to create the stunning men's platinum wedding rings we have today, platinum was declared the "metal of kings" by King Louis XVI of France.

•         Not to be outdone, Spain's King Carlos III commissioned the creation of a platinum chalice, which was presented to Pope Pious VI.

•         It wasn't until 1803, when a British scientist named W.H. Wollaston figured out a way to make platinum malleable, that it started to be used for commercial purposes.

•         In the early 1900's, French jewelry designer Louis Cartier was the first to successfully make jewelry out of platinum, and was hailed as the "jeweler of kings".

•         After a major discovery of platinum mines in South Africa, the metal became so popular in Hollywood that it was considered a "must have" for celebrities.

•         The meteoric rise of platinum among the rich and famous is evident in movies like Frank Capra's Platinum Blonde, a favorite 1930s film starring Jean Harlow.

•         Between 1939 and 1947, when platinum was designated a "strategic metal" during World War II, it was not used for jewelry at all.

•         When Elvis Presley married Priscilla in 1967, he wore a platinum band.  Many believe this was a critical turning point that introduced men's platinum wedding rings to the mainstream, and the rest is history…

 

Today, platinum is much easier to buy and is available in an incredible variety of traditional and alternative designs.  Many newer "alternative metals" may look similar to platinum, but there is nothing like wearing the real thing.  Platinum is still considered a very rare precious metal, which makes it more expensive than 18K gold, but if you shop around, you can find a nice selection of <a href="https://www.justmensrings.com/mensweddingrings.asp?wedding=Platinum">men's platinum wedding rings</a>  for under $1,000.

 

Susan Peiffer :

peiffer22@comcast.net

About the Author

A large selection of <a href="http://www.justmensrings.com/mensweddingrings.asp">men's wedding rings</a>  including platinum wedding rings, titanium wedding rings, silver wedding rings, gold wedding rings and other precious metal wedding bands.

Pokemon Platinum: Distortion World Music (Official Music)

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