When you need a color that shines effortlessly and helps you or your designs stand out, you can trust metallic colors like silver and platinum. At first glance, these two colors give you the impression that they are similar or the same, and Interestingly, these colors have unique properties that make them different.
This article will teach you the disparities or similarities between silver and platinum, their color psychology, and their unique applications.
History of Silver And Platinum Color
Silver
Silver (element) is obtained from deep within the earth and has been used for ages to produce jewelry and luxurious items. It became a decorative item of beauty and signified wealth, prosperity, and affluence. The ancient Egyptians believed it had significant power to ward off evil forces.
Silver was derived from the Latin word Argentum as evidenced by the representation of silver on the periodic table by “Ag.” The first use of silver as a color in England was in the year 1481.
In the 20th century, silver color gained more popularity when black and white screens were in trend. A reflecting substance of silver was coated over the screens to enhance the quality of the images.
Platinum
Platinum as an element is one of the most cherished metals in the world, and it is less popular as a color like silver and widely used in jewelry making. The discovery of platinum metal is quite an interesting one.
It was once discovered in a river of Equador by Spanish conquerors who found it despicable by calling it an inferior silver, “Platina.” However, in 1751, a Swedish metal analyst discovered the vast benefits of this metal, making it take its place in the periodic table as the seventh element.
What Color is Silver
Silver color can be classified into metallic and non-metallic silver, both shades of grey. A good knowledge of the color wheel will make you realize that grey cannot be found on the color wheel. It has a hexadecimal code of #C0C0C0 and is recognized as a neutral color alongside white and black.
What Color is Platinum
Platinum is a metallic shade with a greyish-white undertone. It is quite similar to silver but brighter and lighter. It has a hexadecimal code of #E5E4E2.
Silver vs Platinum: How is it Made?
Silver is made by mixing black and white colors to achieve different shades of grey. To give it a metallic shine, add a very minimal amount of blue, and then you have created the perfect silver color. Platinum, on the other hand, combines just black and white with a greater amount of white.
Which is Lighter, Silver or Platinum?
Platinum has a lighter and brighter hue than silver.
Silver Vs Platinum: Shades
Shades are a characteristic of every color while maintaining their hue and saturation. A color shade is described as the varying degrees of the darkness of a color, and this can only be achieved by adding a small amount of black color to your paint. A color shade can move from just dark to very dark and almost black.
When creating a color shade, you should be very careful when adding black because you could easily add more than required. Therefore, adding your black in very minute quantities is advisable until you achieve your desire.
Silver and platinum shades are made by adding various amounts of black. Some popular shades of silver are pale silver, pink silver, roman silver, and silver chalice. Some popular shades of platinum include platinum silverish-white, platinum ash-blonde, rose-gold platinum, and platinum ash-brown.
Silver Vs Platinum: Color Psychology
Silver
The symbolism of silver can be very conflicting. For example, when a new baby is born, silver spoons are used to celebrate the presence of a new life, but the sign of old age, grey hair, is dreaded.
Silver symbolizes wisdom, invention, innovation, and the dawn of a new era. This color allows for reflection and evaluation of one’s strengths and weaknesses; this is evident in using the silverish agent in coating mirrors for a perfect reflection.
It helps us discover ourselves in a new dimension, boosts our self-esteem, and helps us express ourselves better through effective communication. This is why the idiom “silver-tongued” is used to describe a person who speaks excellently and convincingly.
More importantly, silver has been associated with wealth for ages, symbolizing glamour, elegance, and sophistication.
Platinum
Platinum symbolizes growth, positive change, and progress. It is popular in wedding and anniversary rings, symbolizing love, romance, and passion. This color is calm, sophisticated, and attractive.
This color also symbolizes wealth and relevance. The highest credit card in the world is the platinum card making it possible to withdraw without limit. Platinum is rated quite higher than gold and silver because only a few amounts of 150 tons of platinum are mined annually compared to 1,500 tons of gold.
Silver Vs Psychology: Color Application
Fashion
Silver is an attractive color and ideal for creating a sleek outfit. Using this color with another suitable shade or unique color is advisable. Some beautiful silver color combinations include silver and black, silver and blue, silver and purple, and a host of others; silver is vast in style. Silver is also ideal for accessories like jewelry, bags, purse, and shoes.
Platinum, on the other hand, is very popular in the hair industry as a hair dye. The platinum dye can style your hair into different shades and patterns.
Interior Decor
To create a calm and luxurious atmosphere, you can incorporate silver and platinum in your home, living room, bedroom, or kitchen. You could use either of these colors for furniture, fixtures, kitchen appliances, and decorations.
Branding
Branding helps a product gain visibility, which can be thoroughly achieved with an ideal color scheme. Silver is usually used in logos or designs to symbolize transparency, calm, and neutrality. Popular brands which use silver color in their designs include apple, Honda, Toyota, etc.
Platinum is used for branding luxury items and designing business cards for luxurious and influential companies.