Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1918-07-30
IMPORTANCE OF PLATINUM
Absolutely Necessary In the Manu-.
faCture OF War Munitions.
ALARMING SCARCITY OF The METAL
Much Of the Available Supply IS Used
in the Manufacture Of Jeweiry. Not
Because Of it's Beauty, but Because
of it's Hiuher Cost.

recent press bulletin OF the United
S,ot.s bureau of mines. The country
is now. and tor many years VIII h"'
d.s,r.ra'"lv III need OF III. scare" and
precious platinum in it's industrial
work and mus, hav" il il tho war ma
chine is to 70 iull speed ahead.
plan proposed 10y Federal officials
would stop the use OF platinum IN
| jrw,.lrv. not only for thu war. but for
| all time in order to inSur" the iu-
iurc supply. II is believed that asid"
| from the large amount in IN" form o.
| icwclry. 81 great part Oi which - IN
| privatc ownership. there ls loss than
- Ia.r cent of III" normal stock oi
| Irmrnanufacturrd platinum IN Tins
| country availail" Tor tn" needs "i >h'
| war. TO quote and c"nd"ns":
| "Iu an effort 10 ill IN" imnrdia'"
pressing needs OF the government IN
hts war programme. In" war INDUS
tries hoard has ord"tcd that - per
cent oi the stock al platinum in th'
hands ni manufacturing jewellers la
ICummand."r"d. and ais" In" com
| plrrc stock held hy i'lin"rS. importers
i and dealers: hut this. it is said. Will
nnly iii Il small zap. and that tenn
I'or;Irily.
I'll has been hoped 10y Federal oiii-
cialS and chemists throughout tho
| country who understand tn" serious
ness OF the situation that tn" whimS
ol fashion might Yield To national
needs and ;hat purchasers oil J"w"lry
| would demand gold ana silver ur u
white alloy. and 50 rcl"aS" platinum
Tor it's highest usc: hut IN" results
have been disappointing.
| "rhc American Chemical society.
an organzat ion composed al m" lead
ing 1000 chemists al the country.
which is also back al this movement.
has ISSUED an appeal Ia the people not
| under ;Lny circumstances. either dur
ing the war or after Tia" war. L" us"
| platinum jrwrlry. hut 10 Con#"rV" this
unique and fast dwindling metal now
priced at five times the cost OF gold.
L
and other necessary industries. The
first purpose will bc Ia obtain Il sui
| iiricnt supply OF platinum for the
needs OF the war. and then to retain
the production OF the futur" for IN"
| industries. II is claimed that even h"-
| for" the war. as - result oi this un-
| reasonable Graz" for platinum in jew
cry. the highly important work oi tn"
chemists has been curtailrd. and re-
search work. especially in the uni
vcrsitirs. handicapped 10y inability TO
meet the constantly rising price.
Says Van. II. Manning. director Of
the bureau of mines: The scarcity OF
platinum throughout tn" world and its
high price are apparently dnc almos,
yolrly To the fact that the women Of
| this and other countries hay" been
recently led TO consider ii II choice
article for adornmcnt. Over 80 per
cent of the country's supply OF plati-
mum is uow used ANNUALLY for jcwcrrr;
an entirely 7rhesssciifial purpose. No
| icwclry ~ more easily initiated than
/ platinum. and much white metal jew
rlry is now on the market which can
not bc told from platinum by the un-
initiated.
| 1T is inCOnCV ivahlv 10 me that any
woman would wear a lrad-coior"d
ring or bracelet OF adorn herself with
lead colorcd J"wClry. except that its
artiliCially produced high pric" has
been made to give IL II false value in
her eyes. When our basic war needs
Tor platinum are luing TO he met only
with the greatest difficulty, ! certain
~ cannot consider the purchasing OF
platinum jrwrlry patriotic now. and
ii appears to me- TO he very doubtful
| good taste at any time
| ~ movement among the women of
| TIN country to discouraC" platinum
in Jcwclry has been initiated by the
| American Chemical society. The
/ womcn'S national lcaEu" Tor the con-
scrvation OF platinum has been formed
rs a national organization with Mrs.
Ellwood l.. Spear. Cambridge. Mass.
as chairman. stat" councils have
| been formed in fourteen of the lead
/ ing states of the Union. and even the
efforts of the college women have
been enlisted. Already throughout
the country thousands of women have
signed tn" following pledge: i will
| neither purchase nor accept as gifts
irwClry and other articles made in
| whole or i'll par Of platinum so that
all possible supplies Of this precious
metal shall he available for employ
| mrnt where they can do the greatest
good in the service OF our country.
and further pledge my influence 10
persuade others to take the same
patriotic stand.'"
\ splendid effect has already fol-
lowed the patriotic crusade to stop
| the use of platinum in jcwclry, says
DIR. Charles l.. Parsons. secretary of
the American Chemical society. He
| continues:
IL believe the only thing necessary
| is to show the women of the country
Nilll TtdIlN plu laSlt u IL 10 wear II
metal which certainly in the form of
rings. bracelets. mesh bags. etc, has
no beauty over lead to recommend it
and no advantage over many other
cheaper metals. except its one item of
high cost. Tho Russian mines.
| from which 95 per cent of the plati-
mum comes. are reported to he nearly
exhausted. The Russian supply is now
virtually in German hands. The Unit
cd States has not nearly enough in
sight for its probable war needs dur
| ing the next two or three years, and
rs the jewellers now use over 50
per cent of the platinum that comes
| into commerce. they musr hc held re-
SponSihle for it's scarcity