Hunter Wise Trading offers platinum in 10-ounce bullion bars and routinely maintains a two-way market throughout a 10 -hour trading day, 8:00am – 6:00pm, Monday thru Friday.

52-week high: $2299.00 on March 4, 2008
52-week low: $756.00 on October 27, 2008

PLATINUM FACTS:

• Platinum is 35 times rarer than gold and is found in very few places in the world, mainly South Africa and Russia, and to a lesser extent in Zimbabwe, Canada and South America. Every year only 88 tons of platinum are made into jewelry, compared with 2,700 tons of gold. It takes eight weeks and 10 tons of ore to produce one single ounce (31.1 grams) of platinum, whereas five tons are mined to produce the same amount of gold. There are also fewer platinum mines. For every 10 gold mines there is just one platinum mine.
• Platinum's density and weight make it more durable than other jewelry metals. A six-inch (15 cm) cube of platinum weighs 165 lbs (75 kg), the same as an average man. Platinum is also resistant to heat and acids and has a high melting point - 3,223ºF (1,768ºC). Platinum doesn't wear away and holds precious stones firmly and securely. Some of the world's most famous gems are set in platinum, such as the Koh-I-Nor diamond, part of the British crown jewels. All precious metals can scratch, and platinum is no exception. However, the scratch on a platinum piece is merely a displacement of the metal and none of its volume is lost, whereas scratching gold wears it away and decreases its volume. If visible scratches do appear on a platinum piece, a qualified jeweler can re-polish it.
• In addition to its strength and density, platinum has another remarkable quality - pliability. Platinum is so pliable, that just one gram of the metal can be drawn to produce a fine wire over one mile (almost 2 km) long. This quality has enabled jewelers to create some amazing versatile platinum mesh accessories, which could not be fashioned from other precious metals.