A Platinum Love Affair

For the past 15 years, platinum has slowly re-emerged as more than a passing fancy. Heralded as the very best by such respected jewelers as Harry Winston and Neil Lane, and favored by celebs from Halle Berry to Gwyneth Paltrow, platinum has earned its renewed reputation as a precious metal as beautiful as it is enduring.

Rarer, more valuable and nearly twice the weight of gold, platinum designs can be up to 95 percent pure. Even so, platinum resists scratching, and is the strongest metal used in jewelry. Its purity also renders it free of allergens that can irritate the skin.

Pure, beautiful and everlasting, platinum perfectly embodies the love symbolized by wedding jewelry. As such, it’s practical for everyday wear, and an excellent showcase for diamonds because platinum’s natural white luster does not compete with their brilliance. Similarly, the radiant beauty of colored stones and pearls becomes the primary focus when these gems are secured in platinum. Even white gold retains a yellow tint that can detract from a stone’s shimmer or color.

Not just a companion for precious stones, platinum also fashions beautifully into scarabs, pendants or nature designs. Because it can be pulled into wire, it is perfect for intricate detail work, as well.

Men find this metal’s heft masculine, and are sporting platinum cufflinks, tie pins and rings set with semi-precious stones. Platinum even combines beautifully with gold, making a dazzling color combination to expand and update any jewelry collection.