With Christmas approaching, it is worth remembering that investing in platinum jewellery has many benefits. It is also the precious metal most associated with love
Platinum jewellery has achieved global premier status and is firmly established in many markets as the precious metal of choice, with further growth anticipated.
This trend is supported by research conducted by Platinum Guild International which has identified a strong preference for platinum among consumers when it comes to expressing love.
It is also the preferred metal for high-quality jewellers, who value platinum’s durability and strength, as well as its beauty. Its lustre not only appeals unadorned, but also perfectly complements diamonds and other precious gems, with its neutral colour enhancing a stone’s brilliance and depth.
Benefits of a platinum setting
In fact, it is no co-incidence that some of the world’s most famous diamonds – the Hope, the Koh-i-Noor and the Jonker, for example – are set in platinum.
In addition to providing the perfect foil, the platinum setting greatly reduces the risk of these irreplaceable gemstones becoming dislodged and falling out.
It is important that buyers of platinum jewellery are sure that they are genuinely purchasing platinum, as it is similar in appearance to white gold and they can sometimes be confused.
Unlike white gold, which achieves its whiteness as a result of being alloyed or coated with other metals, platinum is a naturally white precious metal that will never need re-plating.
Platinum is also denser than gold; fine platinum jewellery weighs 40 per cent more than 18 carat gold, giving it a quality feel when worn.
What is more, it only needs to be mixed with the smallest amount of other platinum group metals to create an alloy that can be moulded, cast and shaped into the world’s most elegant jewellery.
As a result, platinum is one of the purest jewellery metals available; in most markets it is 90 or 95 per cent pure. Compare this to white or yellow gold: 18 carat is only 75 per cent pure; 14 carat, only 58 per cent.
Platinum’s purity means that it is hypoallergenic and so highly unlikely to cause skin irritation, whereas the alloys used in white gold – especially nickel - are not always so well tolerated.
Its purity is indicated on every genuine piece of platinum jewellery through a hallmark, for example Pt950, a symbol that reassures consumers the metal they are buying is authentic (and 95 per cent pure).
Aside from its purity, density and durability, the benefits of using platinum for a secure and robust setting are widely recognised. Even where the shank of a ring is made from white or yellow gold, the setting and prongs are frequently fabricated from platinum.
