Search
Platinum nugget
Chip Clark
Specimen | Catalog Number | Locality | Weight |
---|---|---|---|
Platinum | NMNH 73736 | Russia, Sverdlovsk Oblast | 444.40 g |
Platinum nuggets this size are a rare find. This precious metal typically occurs as small grains and crystals in certain layered igneous rocks. It rivals gold in value and is used for jewelery as well as in industry, where it functions as a catalyst speeding many chemical reactions. Platinum is also used in high-temperature alloys and in automobile catalytic converters.