The color of Platinum Chloride in a large container has a yellow to almost golden appearance. However, when platinum chloride is in small amounts (a drop or two on a glass slide) it is almost transparent. Therefore, because my microscope camera cannot capture the color on a glass slide I’m using the below platinum chloride loaded pipette to show color contrast.

10x – Platinum chloride (99.99% purity and 1ml = 1mg) in a polypropylene pipette, which will be used to place drops on glass slides.

10x – 2 drops of the platinum chloride on a glass slide that have been slowly forced dried to show what happens and the color.

70x – A magnified view of the dried platinum chloride ring illustrated in previous image.
This platinum chloride is hydroscopic and quickly reverts back to a colorless state and only by forced drying will this colored ring of concentrated platinum chloride become visible.

When heating and drying this liquid on the glass slide the rising vapors has an odor similar to but not as pronounced as palladium.

40x – A single crystal of ammonium chloride inserted into 2 drops of platinum chloride, which, almost immediately began precipitating these slightly yellow-white crystals.

10x – The same image as previous but at lower power to see most of the drop.
The reddish particle at right of solution is extraneous matter on the microscope stage and is not part of the solution.

70x – Image illustrating the formation of golden-yellow ammonium hexachloroplatinate crystals forming along the perimeter of the solution.
Not all of the crystals are able to be focused upon, so a compromise was necessary to show as many as possible.
Ammonium chloride seems to be the best reagent to precipitate platinum out of a chloride solution.

10x – a drop of platinum chloride in which a crystal of KI (potassium Iodide) was inserted, which produced this immediate reddish color.

10x – The same drop as prior image, but with some heat applied, which shows the red color dissipating.

10x – Same image as above, but now the solution is dry. Obviously, KI is not a good reagent to gauge if Pt is present in a chloride solution. However, the instant red is interesting and may be a useful indicator.

70x – A potassium dichromate crystal was inserted into a drop of Pt chloride solution. No immediate precipitation occurred, but after several minutes these yellowish crystals formed.

70x – After a few more minutes the perimeter of the solution with the inserted K2Cr2O7 more of the yellow crystals and the peculiar transparent with tinges of orange-red crystal formation began forming around perimeter of solution.

70x – As the solution became almost dry, without any heat applied most of the crystals in the preceding (K2Cr2O7) images were no longer present and only these few remained.
Obviously. the crystals are no longer the golden yellow but a dull reddish to orange-red color.

10x – The solution with the K2Cr2O7 insertion is almost dry. I doubt that potassium dichromate is of much benefit in identifying platinum in a chloride solution, particularly if other elements are present.
The images of the potassium diChromate insertion has been posted only to show the end results. Similarly, the results of Oxalic acid and platinum chloride are not included because there was no precipitated crystals. Likewise, using NaCl sodium chloride or table salt without any KI serves no practical purpose in a chloride solution

35x – A toothpick tip was inserted into a platinum chloride drop and ignited. The very tip has a show of metal.
Chloride solutions are difficult to ignite and stay hot, whereas nitrate solutions burn vigorously and produce a lot of heat making metals easier to reduce and see.

70x – A magnified view of the preceding image showing the toothpick tip where, in this case platinum metal has been visibly reduced.

27x – This toothpick tip was dipped in a gently heated 2 drops palladium chloride solution and ignited.
After three brief exposures to the hottest portion of cigarette lighter flame this reduced metal end is readily visible at low magnification.
Gravity always causes the metal end to sag and if not careful the metal end will fall off.
The metal end can be subjected to further microchems.

50x – A higher magnified view of the previous image, but from a different position.

70x – A higher magnified view of the same reduced Pd of previous image, which better shows the luster of the palladium metal.