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There are a few conflicting stories about platinum’s first discovery. Yet, either of its recorded dates places its discovery centuries back. Jewelry lovers have been grateful ever since.
Finding that Special Metal
Italian chemist Julius Scaliger first described the lustrous metal in 1557 found in the mines of Darién in South America. There is also evidence of early Egyptians using the metal in jewelry (whether they knew what it was or not) centuries before.
By 1750, large quantities of it were identified by the Spaniards mining for silver in Rio Pinto, Colombia. They discovered it as an impurity and named it “little silver.” News of the extraordinary metal reached Europe causing 18th century French King Louis XVI to proclaim platinum as the only precious metal fit for Royalty.
It did not catch on for widespread jewelry use until the late 19th century. Nowadays it’s considered the top-of-the-top in precious metals, superior to gold.
Using the word platinum has desirable connotations, like platinum records or platinum credit cards. It advances the perception that platinum is truly something elite. For jewelry lovers, this metal has come to symbolize eternal qualities we admire – like eternal beauty for instance. Since it is a pure white metal it also possesses the cachet of purity which is an admirable trait for true love. Engagement rings made from platinum are considered top of the line.
Platinum for Jewelry
Its value as a jewelry metal means that platinum jewelry will always be more expensive. It is not a metal for the novice. Platinum requires a skilled and talented bench jeweler to work the dense material which is soft and heavy. These characteristics allow platinum to develop its highly desirable soft patina over time that devotees adore.
Exclusive Interview withMary Van der Aa
We asked award-winning jeweler-gemologist Mary Van der Aa about working with platinum. She should know. Her 2023 Spectrum “Best Use of Platinum” award went to her garnet neckpiece (see pg. 1) that spanned a decade of labor – and love.
When she began working in platinum over 12 years ago she found there was definitely a learning curve. “Well there is definitely the cost factor,” Van der Aa revealed. “When I first started making jewelry I rarely used platinum. If an accident happens, it’s more money for you to lose. But once I became proficient, I began using it more. Now about 90% of my inventory which I produce are in platinum,” she explains.
According to Van der Aa, her customers prefer jewelry made from platinum. Noting that it lasts longer as a premium luxury metal, she finds her clients love the brightness and heft to platinum. She says, “they love its luxuriousness and that it reflects their status in life.”
When you wear a piece of platinum jewelry – you know you have it on. The “heft” that Van der Aa mentioned is a big deal with jewelry collectors. The dense metal is about 70% heavier than the same amount of 14K white gold.
Labor of Love
Creating her award winning platinum and garnet necklace required patience to see it through to completion. This work, called “Garanatas: From Rough to Cut” is a two-piece necklace set with over 77 carats of garnets, and took 10 years to produce. Working on an original piece meant there were surprises along the way. She intended to create the entire necklace in platinum, but discovered that the platinum was too reflective to allow the wearer to properly read a QR code stamped onto a link. “I ended up having to make the link with the QR code in 18K yellow gold,” she reports.
She designed the two necklaces to be held together by magnets – but could she pull this off? “I had to consider the weight of the platinum which is a heavy dense metal. I prayed that when the piece was finished that the magnets would hold the two necklaces together,” she confessed. The weight of the heavy platinum piece might have been stronger than the pull of the magnets. “This necklace was definitely an expensive risk, and I’m so happy it paid off and came to fruition,” Van der Aa reports.
Words of Wisdom
Despite the time and difficulty of putting together her masterful necklace, she wants to push designers to go for it if they want to create in this sumptuous metal. “Have a separate set of tools for platinum. It is a pure metal, and you cannot use the same files and tools on platinum as you do on gold in order to prevent contamination.”
Her most encouraging words are a rallying cry for designers. “Don’t be afraid of platinum. There’s a lot of mystery with platinum you hear about, and I think it hinders the newbies a bit. So get good with gold and then go to platinum – you’ll feel more comfortable.”
After a decade long process finalizing her winning piece, does she feel inspired to work on a complex piece again in platinum – or is it one-and-done? “This piece is 100% going to be hard to top, but don’t worry. I’m already thinking about the next one, and of course it will be in platinum.”
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