(Sp. platina, silver) Discovered in South America by Ulloa in 1735 and by Wood in 1741.The metal was used by pre-Columbian Indians.

Platinum occurs native, accompanied by small quantities of iridium, osmium, palladium,ruthenium, and rhodium, all belonging to the same group of metals. These are found in thealluvial deposits of the Ural mountains, of Columbia, and of certain western Americanstates. Sperrylite, occurring with the nickel-bearing deposits of Sudbury, Ontario, is thesource of a considerable amount of metal.

The large production of nickel makes up for the fact that is only one part of theplatinum metals in two million parts of ore.