In this mad rush for gold, we like to go against the trend, and to keep making beautiful pieces that don’t reach sky-high prices, we’ve decided to use platinum a bit more.
Platinum isn’t as well-known as a precious metal, and I consider it a metal for true jewelry connoisseurs.
So white and pure (it's alloyed at 950 parts per thousand), I far prefer it to white gold, which tends to yellow over time; platinum, on the other hand, keeps its color no matter what. Less sensitive to impact and wear, it’s also the perfect metal for jewelry you want to wear every day.
Not easy to work with (which is another reason why platinum isn't so common) it allows for the creation of ultra-thin and lightwight structures that are incredibly strong - something completely unthinkable with gold
Platinum made its appearance on the high jewelry scene in the 1920s and 1930s (“The Roaring Years”), delighting in the aesthetic daring of Art Deco and the worldly whims of “divas” like Jean Harlow (the ultimate “platinum blonde”), while giving new creative possibilities to the master jewelers of the time (Cartier among the first).
But it seems it was used for precious objects as far back as the 3rd millennium BC (its presence has even been speculated in the armor of Agamemnon, as described in the Iliad) and was reportedly much loved by the ancient Egyptians.
Naturally hypoallergenic and nearly impossible to melt, platinum is the noble metal that metaphorically comes closest to eternity.
And isn’t that, after all, what we seek in a true jewel?