The wire is named after its inventor, William Hyde Wollaston, who first produced it in England in the early 19th century.
[1] Platinum wire is drawn through successively smaller dies until it is about 0.003 inches (0.076 mm, 40 AWG) in diameter.
It is then embedded in the middle of a silver wire having a diameter of about 0.100 inches (2.5 mm, 10 AWG).
Removal of the silver coating with an acid bath leaves the fine platinum wire as a product of the process.
Other uses include suspension of delicate devices, sensing of temperature, and sensitive electrical power measurements.