Most common precious metals, such as gold, silver, and pure platinum, are non-magnetic at room temperature (they are not attracted to ordinary magnets). This is one of their key physical properties.
However, under specific conditions, certain precious metals or their alloys may exhibit magnetic properties, as detailed below:
| Magnetic Type | Description | Typical Precious Metal Examples | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ferromagnetism | Strongly attracted by magnets | (No pure metals) | Virtually no pure precious metals are ferromagnetic. |
| Paramagnetism | Weakly attracted in strong magnetic fields | Platinum (Pt), Palladium (Pd) | This is the most common magnetic state, but the force is extremely weak and imperceptible in daily use. |
| Diamagnetism | Weakly repelled in magnetic fields | Gold (Au), Silver (Ag) | Magnetic properties are extremely faint and similarly undetectable with everyday magnets. |
Although pure precious metals are not ferromagnetic, the following situations may cause you to observe “magnetic properties” in practical applications:
1. Alloy Composition: This is the most common cause. For example:
White K gold: Nickel (Ni) or manganese (Mn) is often added to achieve a white color. Since nickel is a ferromagnetic metal, white gold jewelry containing nickel may be attracted to magnets.
Other Alloys: Certain alloys of platinum, palladium, or silver may also incorporate magnetic metals like iron, cobalt, or nickel to alter hardness or color.
2. Impurity Contamination: Trace ferromagnetic impurities may contaminate precious metal products during mining or recycling processes.
3. Strong Magnetic Fields: Only paramagnetic precious metals (like platinum) exhibit measurable, faint attraction under extremely strong laboratory magnetic fields.
- Simple Test: Use a common magnet (like a refrigerator magnet) for testing. If a precious metal item (such as jewelry or gold bars) is noticeably attracted, it almost certainly contains ferromagnetic metals (e.g., nickel, iron, cobalt). This likely indicates it is not pure gold/platinum or is an alloy.
- Investigating Essence: If you're inquiring about the magnetic properties of precious metals in their pure elemental state, the answer is: none exhibit ferromagnetism at room temperature and will not “stick” to magnets.
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