Platinum is soaring and palladium jumped higher, too. Both serve as important signals, especially the former. Platina – means tiny silver in Spanish and the name has an interesting origin. When Spanish conquistadors first encountered this mysterious white metal in Colombian rivers during the 16th century, they were actually quite annoyed by it. They were there hunting for gold, and this silvery stuff kept getting mixed in with their precious finds. Since it looked like silver but was much harder to work with (requiring much higher temperatures to melt), they dismissively called it "platina del Pinto" – meaning ... (full story)