Platinum Metal DNA™
· Atomic #78 · ₹5,686.48/g today
A metal whose fate is tied less to a jeweller's counter than to a diesel engine's exhaust pipe — and to whatever is happening in one country's mines at any given time.
Platinum DNA Profile
Each dimension below is either computed live from data this site already tracks, or a manually researched figure with its own source — see how these are calculated.
How is this calculated?
Computed from the 30-day price change already stored in this site's own price history: score = 50 + (30-day % change × 2), clamped to 0–100. A metal flat over 30 days scores 50; every 1% of 30-day move shifts the score 2 points either way.
How is this calculated?
The standard deviation of daily % price changes over the last 10 trading days, scaled ×20 and clamped to 0–100. A purely descriptive measure of recent swing size, not a positive or negative signal on its own.
How is this calculated?
The single largest producing country's share of reported global production (excluding the "Other countries" residual bucket), taken directly from the USGS-sourced figures already powering /metal-reserves. Higher = more concentrated in one country.
How is this calculated?
Summed reported reserves ÷ summed reported annual production, across only the countries USGS reports both figures for (same commodity, same units — never summed across commodities). Scaled: 40+ years of reserve life scores 100, scaled down linearly below that.
No reliable dataset for this metal yet — shown honestly as not scored rather than a guessed number.
How is this calculated?
Manually researched from each metal's primary industry association (see each metal's Sources section) — not computed. Scored as 100 minus the largest single demand sector's share of total demand, so a metal with no single dominant buyer group scores higher than one dependent on one sector.
No reliable dataset for this metal yet — shown honestly as not scored rather than a guessed number.
Scientific Identity
- Symbol
- Pt
- Atomic Number
- 78
- Category
- Precious Metals
Source: IUPAC Periodic Table of the Elements. Further physical/chemical properties (density, melting point, electron configuration) are planned for a future update — not shown until individually verified per metal.
One Country Supplies Most of the World's Platinum
South Africa mines roughly seventy percent of the world's platinum, a concentration unmatched by any other metal on this site — which means South African mining disruptions, from labour strikes to electricity shortages, move the global platinum price more directly than almost any other single-country event does for any other metal.
Under the Hood, Not on the Finger
The largest single use for platinum is catalytic converters in diesel vehicles, where it helps break down exhaust pollutants — jewellery and investment demand exist, but automotive and industrial catalyst use has been the metal's real price driver for decades.
A Possible Second Act in Hydrogen
Beyond catalytic converters, platinum is the key catalyst inside hydrogen fuel cells, which convert hydrogen into electricity with water as the only byproduct — a technology still small in volume today, but one that gives platinum a second, genuinely different long-term demand story sitting alongside the diesel-engine automotive base its price history was built on.
Supply Snapshot
Real, USGS-sourced production shares — the same data behind this metal's Geographic Concentration score above. Full breakdown: Metal Reserves →
Did You Know?
Platinum and palladium can substitute for each other in catalytic converter design within limits, which is why the two metals' relative prices are watched closely by automakers deciding which one to specify.
Frequently Asked Questions
Platinum Metal DNA™ is MetalsCost's intelligence profile combining scientific identity with market, supply and demand indicators — each indicator is either computed from this site's own stored price and reserves data, or a manually researched, cited figure. See the methodology page for exactly how.
Platinum's overall score of 62/100 is a simple average of the individual dimensions currently scored for it below — click any dimension's "Why?" for its exact formula and source.
South Africa accounts for 70.6% of global platinum production, per USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries — see the full production breakdown.
The Platinum price in India today is ₹5,686.48 per gram as of August 28, 2026. See the live price and chart.
MetalsCost Metal DNA™ is an informational and analytical indicator. It is not investment advice, a price target, or a recommendation to buy or sell any commodity or financial instrument. See the methodology page for data sources and calculation details.
