Part 2 - The Spaniards Use of Gold & Platinum

The Spanish interest in the resources of their conquests was centered on gold. By 1690 exploitation of mineral resources had begun in the Choco region, where one of the richest alluvial deposits of gold known in the world was discovered. But concentrated in the gold in washing were white grains like small shot accompanied by heavy black magnetic sands. A great deal of time and labor was required to remove this nuisance material, which turned out to be platinum deposits. The Spanish called this white metal Platina, a derogatory diminutive of plata, their word for silver.