Platinum Guild International (PGI) USA is to increase the number of instructional videos it offers on the internet, it has been announced.

The organisation claims to have received good feedback on its video offering so far, with almost 1,000 viewers tuning in to PGI's content on YouTube and BenchTelevision.com.

Such popularity has helped to encourage the firm to expand its education courses further - particularly in the online realm - over the course of 2009, PGI master metallurgist Jurgen Maez suggests.

"We are proud and excited that these videos have been viewed by so many people from around the world," he remarked.

Mr Maez, who appears in a number of the videos himself, added that "technical support in the jewellery industry is growing in popularity and demand" as people become increasingly aware of its ability to assist business growth.

Platinum futures rose in value this week as the dollar weakened, Bloomberg reported.