Is Platinum Magnetic?

Platinum is commonly used in jewelry as well as in electronics. It is a solid metal and acts as a great electrical conductor.

Platinum is very popular due to its several remarkable properties. However, it is not magnetic.

Platinum can only be classified as a paramagnetic material in its purest form. Paramagnetic means that the magnetic quality of platinum is so less that it’s barely traceable. So, the simple answer is no, and platinum is not magnetic.

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Why Is my Platinum Jewelry Sticking to Magnet?

The likeliest reason for your platinum jewelry sticking to a magnet or other magnetic material is due to other alloys in the material. Platinum jewelry can have varying compositions of platinum and other metals. Some of these metals might be magnetic and thus stick to other magnetic materials or simply a magnet.

Testing with a magnet is also one of the many ways to test for the purity of a platinum article.

What Are Other Ways to Test Platinum?

Platinum is a precious metal that appears silver in color and may look like silver or white gold to the untrained eye. If you’re thinking of buying the metal, you may want to ensure you don’t accidentally buy something that’s not as pure. You don’t want to get conned by a salesperson into buying platinum that’s not as pure. Pure platinum is a significant investment, and you want to find ways of knowing the difference.

We have mentioned some ways that you can test platinum below:

1.Inspect the Item Visually

Like Gold, Platinum also has clear markings that confirm its purity. Look for an inscription that reads “platinum.” Pure platinum or even platinum with a 50% purity should be marked with a stamp of the word “platinum” or at least “pt.” You can also see numbers that inform you of its purity, such as 850, 85, or 85/100.

If your platinum jewelry is extremely old or is a vintage piece, it may not be marked. It will also not be marked if the platinum is from a country that doesn’t mark its jewelry. If the percentage purity of platinum is less than fifty percent, the jewelry will not be marked.

2. Make Sure the Item Looks Bright, White, has Few Scratches, and Doesn’t Appear Tarnished.

All of the properties above have to do with aesthetics. However, platinum will appear bright and white. Compared to all other materials appearing white such as silver and white gold, platinum will have a much more bright and whiter appearance. You will also see a few scratches. Platinum can be very soft, but it’s a lot more resistant to scratches than other materials, so if you’re looking at a ring, try to inspect it as best as you can.

Finally, if the piece doesn’t look tarnished, it is likely platinum. However, you also need to conduct other tests.

3. Use a Magnet to Test the Material

We know that platinum is not magnetic. If the piece you are testing is attracted to the magnet, it may not be platinum or at least the purest form of platinum. If you use a magnet and observe a slight magnetic pull, the material might be white gold mixed with nickel.

4. Using a Scratch Test

You’ll have to follow several steps to do this particular test. Firstly, you will have to buy an acid scratch test to verify if the material you have is platinum. If you can’t find any scratches on your jewelry, you may want to invest in an acid scratch test that will help you distinguish between different kinds of metals.

You can buy this test online or from your local jewelry store. Acid Scratch tests come with a scratch stone and bottles of all different acids.

Scratch kits can often come with tests for all the different types of metals. So, even if you know that the metal isn’t platinum, you can figure out if it’s another precious metal.

Steps:

1. Scratch the ring/piece a few times on the stone. Platinum can be difficult to scratch, so you may have to pass the ring over the stone a few times. You can stop when you have left a visible mark on the stone 1 to 1.5 inches long.
2. Wear protective gloves, take the platinum testing acid, and add a few drops to the stone. Make sure you protect yourself and use the dropper to place one or two drops on eh stone. It would be best to put the cap back on the acid bottle immediately after using it.
3. Observe the reaction on the stone. If the acid dissolves and reacts with all the metal on the stone, it’s not platinum. Platinum will retain its shiny and white self beneath the platinum testing acid. If it remains, then it’s platinum.
4. You can also make different scratches and try to find out what metal the piece is. Test one acid on the stone at a time so you know the difference. If the metal dissolves in all the acids, the metal is not platinum, white gold, gold, or silver.

Can I Wear Platinum Jewelry to an MRI?

MRI or Magnetic Resonance Imaging is a magnetic imaging tool used to diagnose diseases in a patient. Platinum jewelry is not magnetic. However, an MRI technician will generally not allow you to take the risk of finding out if any of the alloys in the platinum compositions are magnetic. Thus, they will ask you to take off any jewelry before showing up for an MRI.

Can Platinum with Magnetic Alloys Affect Tools Sensitive to Magnetism?

If you’re wearing magnetic jewelry or have a metallic implant in your body, the jewelry might interfere with regular functioning.

Final Thoughts

Platinum is not magnetic, and it’s not supposed to be. Most platinum also has a percent composition of about 98 percent platinum, so even with magnetic alloys, platinum can only be paramagnetic.

You must be careful to remove all platinum jewelry before you show up for an MRI. You should also ensure you don’t get conned when buying the precious metal, so you should test its existence at home.