The usage of Platinum in history dates back to the times of pre-Columbian Americans which used the metal for producing artifacts of a white gold-platinum alloy. In 1557, Julius Caesar Scaliger mentioned about platinum in his writings as an unknown noble metal found between Darién and Mexico. It was the first European reference to the metal which is not liquefied by any fire. In 1741, a British metallurgist by the name of Charles Wood discovered various samples of Colombian platinum in Jamaica. He sent those metal pieces to William Brownrigg for additional investigation. Antonio de Ulloa returned to Spain after eight years from the French Geodesic Mission in 1746. He was also associated with the discovery of platinum.
Wood, Brownrigg presented a descriptive account of the metal to the Royal Society in 1750, after he had studied the platinum sent to him. He mentioned that this never before seen and heard metal has extremely high melting point as well as refractoriness towards the borax. In 1752, Henrik Scheffer came out with detailed scientific description of the metal. He referred the metal as "white gold” that is less pliable than gold and offer similar resistance to corrosion.
The Charles III of Spain offered a laboratory and library to Pierre-François Chabaneau in 1786 to help him in his research of platinum. Chabaneau removed the various impurities from the ore such as gold, copper, mercury, lead, and iron. He started producing platinum ingots and utensils and thereby started the "platinum age" in Spain. The usage of platinum in measuring standard was also popular. The SI unit of length from the year 1875 to 1960, was defined as the distance amid two lines on a standard bar made up from of an alloy of ninety percent platinum with ten percent iridium and measured at a temperature of zero degrees Celsius.
