Native platinum is a heavy, malleable precious metal that typically occurs as small nuggets or rounded grains in alluvial deposits. It is known for its high density and resistant metallic luster, and it is usually found in basic and ultrabasic rocks.
Is this native platinum?
5-step field checkRun through these checks against the specimen in your hand. The more boxes tick, the more confident the ID.
- 1Test the hardnessTry to scratch native platinum with a known reference. Native Platinum sits at Mohs 4-4.5 — softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Check the streakDrag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Native Platinum leaves a silver-white streak.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Native Platinum typically shows a metallic luster.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: silver-white, gray-white.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: cubic. Typical habit: grains, nuggets, rarely cubic crystals.
Often confused with
Native Platinum vs. its common look-alikes — and how to tell them apart in the field.
How to tell apart: Sperrylite is the harder of the two (Mohs 6-7 vs. 4-4.5); streak differs — Native Platinum leaves silver-white, Sperrylite leaves black.
How to tell apart: Streak differs — Native Platinum leaves silver-white, Native Palladium leaves silvery white.
How to tell apart: Native Osmium is the harder of the two (Mohs 7 vs. 4-4.5); streak differs — Native Platinum leaves silver-white, Native Osmium leaves white.
Often found alongside native platinum
Minerals reported to co-occur with native platinum. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- Pt
- Mohs hardness
- 4-4.5
- Density
- 14-19 g/cm³
- Colors
- Streak
- Silver-white
- Luster
- Metallic
- Transparency
- Opaque
- Crystal system
- Cubic
- Crystal habit
- Grains, Nuggets, Rarely Cubic Crystals
- Cleavage
- None
- Rarity
- Rare
- Uses
- Industrial, Collector, Catalysis
- Host rock
- Ultramafic Igneous Rocks, Alluvial Placer Deposits
- Typical price
- $50-500 per gram for small specimens
Where rockhounds find native platinum
Classic worldwide localities
- Russia
- South Africa
- Canada
- Colombia
- USA
Field-hunting tip
Look in ultramafic igneous rocks, alluvial placer deposits country — that is the host setting where native platinum typically forms. If you start seeing chromite, magnetite, olivine in float, you are in the right ground. Field specimens usually show a grains, nuggets, rarely cubic crystals habit, so train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.
Common questions
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Find native platinum on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
