Platinum has long been used as an investment tool alongside other precious and rare metals like gold, silver and palladium. Thanks to difficulty in mining, scarcity of the ore and its many applications in industry it is a highly sought after material, and so it remains a very valuable proposition for investors that can only improve in the long run. Many industries rely on platinum, some more surprising than others if you consider its use in chemotherapy and drugs for cancer treatments. As the supply dwindles and the demand grows, with many new industries utilizing its properties, platinum is a product that already sees high peaks and low troughs and this is likely to continue. Most of the world's supply originates in South Africa with these mines accounting for around 80% of the total supply; the rest comes from Russia, Canada and the USA, with Russia providing the lion's share after South Africa. The astute investor that is able to buy and sell at the right times will find products like platinum bars to be a valuable asset in their portfolio.
