Platinum is a silvery-white noble metal with a melting point of 1768 degrees Celsius. It is a dense, corrosion resistant metal. It makes a great catalyst. It has oxidation states of +2, +4, and less commonly, +1, and +3. It was probably identified around the seventh century bc though it had no value and was thought of as unripe gold.

Due to its resistance to corrosion Platinum is used in everything from spark plugs to jewelry to thermocouples to electronics. It is also used as an investment due to its ever increasing value.