MINERALS

. Platinum: Mineralogy & Major Deposits   Element Details: Platinum (Pt, atomic number 78) is a dense, unreactive precious metal with an average crustal abundance of ~5 µg/kg. Major producers include South Africa (Bushveld), Russia (Urals/Norilsk), Canada (Sudbury), Colombia, and Zimbabwe mindat.org+7geology-hub.com+7geologyscience.com+7geology-hub.com+2en.wikipedia.org+2mdpi.com+2. Geological Setting: Most PGMs (platinum-group metals) occur in layered mafic–ultramafic intrusions via primary magmatic processes (e.g., Bushveld’s Merensky Reef, UG2 Reef, Platreef) or in secondary placer deposits pubs.usgs.gov+3mdpi.com+3en.wikipedia.org+3. As of early July 2025, the current spot price of platinum is approximately $1,350–1,415 USD per troy ounce, with fluctuations driven by market demand and global supply constraints:   https://darkexplorer.link/?post_type=product&p=6971&preview=trueA recent MarketWatch analysis reports platinum futures settled near $1,415 / oz, marking an 11-year high reddit.com+2marketwatch.com+2barrons.com+2. On Reuters, day-by-day spot movements hover around $1,352.50 / oz, reflecting small upticks . Live-spot charts from Bullion.com show $1,355.50 / oz, with equivalent weight pricing of ~$43.58 / gram sbcgold.com+2bullion.com+2findbullionprices.com+2. Swiss Bullion quotes $1,340.62 / oz (~43.10 / g) as of June 27, 2025 reddit.com+8 🗺️ 2. Proven Localities & Specimen Outlets Bushveld Igneous Complex (South Africa) Largest global PGM reserve. Includes the Merensky Reef, UG2 Reef, and Platreef across the eastern, northern, and western limbs en.wikipedia.org+1mdpi.com+1. The Northern Limb houses the Platreef (pyroxenite/serpentinite matrix) with significant PGE concentrations reddit.com+11mdpi.com+11mindat.org+11. Great Dyke (Zimbabwe) A 550 km ultramafic intrusion yielding platinum via the Mimosa, Ngezi, Unki mines pubs.usgs.gov+5en.wikipedia.org+5en.wikipedia.org+5. Other Notable Regions Norilsk (Russia) – associated with nickel-copper sulfide ores in the Arctic. Sudbury (Canada) – a Ni–Cu–PGE impact-related deposit. Colombia’s San Juan Basin – occurrences of native platinum in placer contexts geology-hub.comen.wikipedia.org+2e-rocks.com+2geology-hub.com+2. Specimen Dealers e‑Rocks Mineral Auctions lists many platinum specimens from Russia (Urals, Konder Massif), South Africa (Merensky Reef, Richmond Farm), and others \