Platinum The name platinum is derived from the Spanish word platina which translates to "little silver" or "lesser silver". This was a derogatory term used in the 16th century by the Spanish conquistadors who were panning for gold in present-day Colombia. They viewed this metal as being worthless and thought it was either unripened gold [...]

Silver The name silver is derived from the Anglo-Saxon word siolfur or seolfor which simply means silver. The variations: seolfor, silfer, and selver were used in Middle English. These words then evolved into the modern English word silver from about the 1500s onwards. The chemical symbol for silver is Ag, which is derived from the Latin word argentum. Silver [...]

Gold The name gold is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root ǵʰelh₃-, meaning "yellow" or "to shine". Over time, this root evolved into the Germanic word gulþą (precious metal) and the English word geolu (yellow). Later evolving into the modern English word Gold. The chemical symbol for gold is Au, which comes from the Latin [...]