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Metals and Other Materials - What Are The Precious Metals?

What are the precious metals?

Precious metals is a general term that describes expensive metals used for making coins, jewelry, and ornaments. Precious metals include gold, silver, and platinum. Precious metals are defined by two criteria: one is that they are scarce in the Earth's crust (compared to other metals); and the other is that they are noble. A noble metal is one that has a high resistance to chemical change.

"Precious metals" is not synonymous with "noble metals." While it is true that all precious metals are noble metals, the reverse is not true.

Sources: Brady, George S. Materials Handbook, 13th ed., pp. 663-64; "Extraction and Processing Industries: Precious Metals." Encyclopaedia Britannica CD 97; Savitskii, E.M. Handbook of Precious Metals, pp. xv-xIx.

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