Platinum (Pt, element 78) and silver (Ag, element 47) are both precious metals used in jewelry and investment, but they differ in density, hardness, price and how they age: platinum is more than twice as dense as silver, resists tarnish that silver cannot, and trades at a far higher price per troy ounce. The comparison below covers density, melting point, hardness, tarnish resistance, price basis, jewelry fineness and investment framing, each with its own sourced figure.
What Is the Difference Between Platinum and Silver?#
Platinum and silver differ most in density, hardness and price: platinum is over twice as dense and roughly 40% harder, and trades at a large multiple of silver's price per troy ounce. Silver is not one of the platinum group metals; platinum, palladium, rhodium, iridium, ruthenium and osmium make up that family, and the wider platinum group metals compared roundup treats silver as an outside reference point the same way this page does. Four properties carry the difference: weight for size, melting point, scratch resistance, and reaction to air and acid.
Platinum vs Silver: Density and Weight#
Platinum is 21.452 g/cm³, more than double silver's 10.503 g/cm³, so a platinum ring of the same size as a silver ring weighs about twice as much. Platinum carries CAS number 7440-06-4, element 78 in the periodic table; silver is element 47. The exact ratio, 21.452 ÷ 10.503, works out to 2.04, so platinum's density is 2.04 times silver's rather than a rounded "twice." Density, melting point, hardness and resistivity for both metals are set side by side below.
| Property | Platinum | Silver |
|---|---|---|
| Density (g/cm³, ~20°C) | 21.452 | 10.503 |
| Melting point (°C) | 1,768.3 | 961.78 |
| Mohs hardness | 3.5 | 2.5 |
| Vickers hardness, engineering range (MPa) | 400 to 550 | 251 |
| Electrical resistivity (nΩ·m, 20°C) | 105 | 15.87 |
Density, melting point and hardness figures trace to CRC-derived element data (Wikipedia element infoboxes); resistivity is quoted at a common 20°C for both metals.
For a hypothetical ring with a volume of 2 cubic centimeters, a typical band size, the platinum version weighs 42.9 g and the silver version 21.0 g, the same 2.04 ratio at any size. Platinum's density sets the reference point jewelers use when they judge a ring "heavy for its size."
Platinum vs Silver: Melting Point and Conductivity#
Platinum melts at 1,768.3°C, more than 800°C above silver's 961.78°C, while silver is the best electrical and thermal conductor of any metal. The exact gap is 806.52°C, wide enough that a torch that anneals silver jewelry will not come close to melting platinum.
Silver's electrical resistivity of 15.87 nΩ·m at 20°C makes it the best electrical conductor of any element, and its thermal conductivity of 429 W·m⁻¹K⁻¹ makes it the best thermal conductor of any metal, ahead of copper and gold. Platinum's resistivity of 105 nΩ·m at the same temperature is about 6.6 times higher, one reason platinum goes into high-temperature thermometers and thermocouples. Platinum's melting point has its own page.
Platinum vs Silver: Hardness and Scratch Resistance#
Platinum's Mohs hardness of 3.5 is higher than silver's 2.5, so platinum resists scratching better, though pure platinum is still soft enough that jewelry alloys add ruthenium, iridium or cobalt for durability. On the Vickers scale the gap is similar: platinum's engineering range of 400 to 550 MPa runs roughly double silver's 251 MPa. Neither metal is sold pure at retail: platinum jewelry is typically alloyed to Pt950 with ruthenium or iridium, and silver jewelry is typically sterling (92.5% silver, 7.5% copper), since pure silver at 999 fineness marks and dents almost as easily as pure platinum.
Platinum vs Silver Color: How to Tell Them Apart#
Platinum and silver are both silvery white, so color alone rarely tells them apart; weight and tarnish do. Polished silver is the brighter of the two, because silver is the most reflective metal across the visible spectrum, reflecting about 95% of incident light (The Silver Institute), while platinum is white throughout its mass rather than plated white. The difference grows with time: silver darkens as it tarnishes, and platinum keeps its color.
Why Silver Tarnishes and Platinum Does Not#
Silver tarnishes in humid or sulfurous air, forming a dark silver sulfide layer, while platinum does not because platinum resists oxidation even by concentrated nitric acid at room temperature. Standard electrode potentials explain why: the Pt²⁺/Pt couple sits at about +1.188 V, above nitric acid's oxidizing potential of roughly +0.958 V, so nitric acid is thermodynamically incapable of oxidizing platinum. Silver carries no such immunity, which is why silver flatware and jewelry need regular polishing and platinum pieces do not; the reasons platinum resists everyday wear are covered in full on does platinum tarnish.
The reliable way to tell platinum from silver is weight: at 21.452 g/cm³ against 10.503 g/cm³, a platinum piece weighs about twice as much as a silver piece of the same size. Acid and XRF checks, covered in the FAQ below, confirm it.
Platinum Price vs Silver Price#
Platinum trades at a large multiple of silver's price per troy ounce, since platinum is one of the six platinum group metals this site prices while silver sits on a separate bullion benchmark that DailyPlatinum does not quote. Platinum (Pt) trades at $1,711.00 per troy ounce as of 5 Oct 2026, 15:35 UTC, tracked live on today's platinum price; silver has no equivalent live feed on this site.
The gap is not new. Silver traded above $80 per troy ounce for the first time in early 2026, in the same precious-metals rally that carried platinum to its own record of $2,923 per troy ounce on 26 January 2026 (World Platinum Investment Council). Even at that shared peak, platinum's dollar price sat well above silver's, and the "silver platinum ratio" moves with both legs, not one.
Buyers comparing the two metals by weight rather than by the troy ounce can check the same spot figure per gram on the platinum price per gram today page, the unit silver retailers also quote most often.
Platinum vs Silver Fineness: Pt950 and Sterling Silver#
Platinum jewelry is most often Pt950 (95% platinum), while silver jewelry is most often sterling silver at 925 fineness (92.5% silver, 7.5% copper). Both metals are marked in parts per thousand rather than karats, and the recognized grades for each sit close together but are not identical, as the table below shows.
| Fineness grade | Platinum | Silver |
|---|---|---|
| Highest | Pt1000 (1,000 ppt, 100%) | 999 fine silver (999 ppt, 99.9%) |
| High | Pt950 (950 ppt, 95%) | 958.4 Britannia (958.4 ppt, 95.84%) |
| Standard | Pt900 (900 ppt, 90%) | 925 sterling (925 ppt, 92.5%) |
| Lower | Pt850 (850 ppt, 85%) | 800 (800 ppt, 80%) |
Pt950 and 925 sterling are each the dominant retail grade for their metal, even though the two numbers are 25 parts per thousand apart.
Pt950 platinum is the standard US and European bridal grade, and it comes in three common alloy pairings, listed below.
- Pt950/Ru (5% ruthenium): hardest and easiest to machine, the dominant US and European bridal alloy.
- Pt950/Ir (5% iridium): favored in Europe and the UK for hand-forged pieces.
- Pt950/Co (5% cobalt): used for casting, gives the finest detail.
A piece stamped 925 is sterling silver, not fine silver, and neither metal carries mandatory US hallmarking. The full set of platinum grades and testing methods is on platinum purity and hallmarks.
Platinum vs Silver as an Investment#
Platinum and silver are both traded as bullion, but platinum is one of the exchange-quoted platinum group metals covered on this site, and this page does not rank one as the better investment. Platinum trades on NYMEX futures and through the LBMA Platinum Price auction; silver has its own separate exchange and benchmark structure that this site does not track.
Platinum's price, rarity and investment case against gold are compared on platinum vs gold. Readers weighing platinum bullion can start with investing in platinum, which covers specifications, mintage and premiums.
Buy, Sell and Compare Platinum at Today's Price#
Platinum's properties and price sit differently against each metal it is compared with, and silver is only one of five comparisons this site runs.
Other Platinum Comparisons#
Platinum is compared against gold, white gold, palladium, titanium and stainless steel elsewhere on this site.
- Platinum vs gold
- Platinum vs white gold
- Platinum vs palladium
- Platinum vs titanium
- Platinum vs stainless steel
Platinum Purity and Price#
Platinum's purity grades and today's price have dedicated pages. Sellers paid on platinum content, not gross weight, can start with the scrap platinum price page.
Platinum vs Silver FAQ#
What is the king of all metals?#
"King of metals" is a jewelry-trade nickname for platinum, based on its rarity and weight, not a chemical or industry-standard classification. Silver, by contrast, has never carried that nickname in the trade; its own reputation rests on conductivity and affordability rather than rarity.
Is platinum more expensive than silver?#
Platinum is more expensive than silver per troy ounce by a wide margin; check the current gap on DailyPlatinum's today's platinum price page. Both metals moved together during the 2025 to 2026 precious-metals rally, but platinum's dollar price stayed far above silver's throughout.
Why is platinum hard to sell?#
Platinum is harder to sell than gold or silver because its market is less liquid, so dealers quote wider bid-ask spreads across the precious metals, in the order gold, silver, platinum, palladium and rhodium. A seller receives the dealer's bid, not the mid-price, and the spread widens further for small lots and for alloyed jewelry that needs assay before payment.
What are the disadvantages of platinum?#
Platinum's disadvantages include a higher price than silver or gold, a softer pure metal (Mohs 3.5) that scratches into a patina rather than staying mirror-bright, and a higher weight per volume than silver, gold or titanium. Its greater density also means a platinum ring of a given design carries more metal cost than the same design in silver.
What does vinegar do to platinum?#
Vinegar does not visibly affect platinum: platinum resists oxidation even by concentrated nitric acid, the acid strong enough to dissolve silver outright. That resistance is the basis of the classical "parting" separation of silver from gold and platinum, which leaves platinum and gold behind as an insoluble residue. Testing platinum by acid, XRF or density is covered on how to test platinum.