The Designer's Metal
Jewellery designers have a tough job. They have to come to terms with one of the oldest human conflicts, that of art versus commercialism. In the search for success, inevitably originality and innovation have to be sacrificed in favour of ease of production, practicality and consumer acceptability.

Platinum is probably the only material that can bring balance to this conflict. The superior mechanical, chemical and commercial properties it possesses permit the production of jewellery designs which would otherwise stay on the drawing board.

Platinum's unique blend of properties, unmatched by any other jewellery material, offers the opportunity to reconsider design concepts previously shelved because they are impractical in
gold or silver.

Platinum also offers unlimited scope to develop carat gold designs by providing an attractive colour contrast as well as the strength gold lacks.

Stone Set Platinum
Platinum is used for setting all precious stones, not just diamonds. Its brilliant whiteness and high reflectivity enhances their colours. Its strength and low spring-back means that once bent into position the claws (prongs) retain the stones securely, an essential consideration for soft or brittle stones such as opals or emeralds.

Combination Platinum
Platinum is used in combination with any shade of carat gold from red right through to pale yellow. The attractive colour contrast adds an extra dimension to any design and platinum's strength utilised in areas where gold might fail.

Delicate Platinum
Platinum is used to build delicate but rigid structures. Its strength means that light sections can be used and its low heat conductivity allows close proximity of numerous solder joints.

Textured Platinum
Even textured platinum has a lunar-like lustre. Different finishes enhance jewellery designs - brushed, grit-blasted, hammered, embossed, granulated, repousse or chased finishes.

Modern Platinum
Platinum's properties are used to create innovative and original designs.

It's ductile and can be extensively deformed, even in a hard condition, without becoming brittle. Fine or detailed structures, such as claw settings and filigree, can be worked without fear of cracking.

. . . and tough, assuring long term shape and rigidity and offering benefits such as secure stone setting and durable necklet or bracket links.

It's strong. Structures have excellent shape retention even when manufactured from thin sections, tubes or fine wire, and even after soldering or annealing.

. . . even when hot, this strength doesn't disappear and complex soldering to a high degree of dimensional accuracy is possible with minimal jigging or support.

It work-hardens quickly so annealed structures can quickly regain rigidity with little further working

. . . and has low spring-back, which makes it perfect material for setting soft or brittle precious stones.

It's oxidation resistant, even when soldering or annealing, so component parts can be polished prior to final assembly. Intricate designs where some parts are out of the reach of polishing tools are thus achievable.

. . . and solders easily, leaving small, neat but strong joints ideal for construction of delicate frameworks. Its low thermal conductivity allows precise multiple stage soldering and welding.

It's modern a variety of finishes expands the design options even further. Polished, brushed, grit-blasted, hammered, repousse and embossed finishes all retain platinum's lunar-lustre which combines perfectly with all the shades of gold, from red to pale yellow.

. . . has unlimited design opportunities. Just look around www.theplatinumcollection.co.uk