Platinum has been known in some form since ancient times, but its first clearly documented discovery in the Americas and introduction to Europe occurred in the early 18th century, around 1735.

Earlier uses

Evidence suggests that ancient Egyptians and pre-Columbian South American cultures were working with natural platinum-containing alloys over 2,000 years ago, though they did not recognize it as a separate element. These early uses involved small amounts of platinum mixed with gold in jewelry and ceremonial objects.

European discovery

The first well-documented European encounter with platinum occurred in the mid‑1500s, when Julius Caesar Scaliger described an unusually refractory white metal from Central America in 1557, though it was not systematically studied then. Modern historical accounts generally credit the “rediscovery” or scientific discovery of platinum to Antonio de Ulloa, who observed the metal in South America around 1735 and later reported it in Europe, leading to serious scientific investigation.

Summary of dates

• Ancient use as an alloy in Egypt and pre‑Columbian South America: more than 2,000 years ago.

• First European written mention: 1557 (Scaliger’s description of a new metal).

• Widely accepted “discovery” date in scientific history: early 18th century, especially Ulloa’s work around 1735 and later publications in the 1740s.