Priceless platinum is the most powerful symbol of love. The metal’s high level of purity and its enduring qualities of strength and endurance make it the ultimate gift of everlasting love.
Platinum is pricey, to say the least, so a piece of jewellery made from this fine metal is something to treasure for a lifetime. To demonstrate just how expensive platinum is, did you know that only 160 tons are mined each year? That is a far cry from the 1 500 tons of gold unearthed annually. In fact, all the platinum that has ever been mined would fit into a living room.
Apart from its rarity, what makes platinum so sought-after is the fact that it is extremely resistant to the damage that is caused by everyday wear-and-tear. Platinum is denser than gold, in fact almost 400% more so. For this reason, it holds its shape for years and is far more resistant to dents and scratches. Its purity level is about 95%, making this white metal hypoallergenic and tarnish and fade resistant. Jewellery made with platinum weigh about a third more than gold and, because of its rarity, it takes a real craftsman to create a platinum-rich piece of jewellery.
Platinum is derived from the word, platina, Spanish for silver. Its pure white appearance deceived earlier discoverers into believing that the metal was silver. What folly because, today, platinum has become the flavour of the month not only in jewellery design but also as a stock exchange commodity, such as investment, mutual and pension funds. In fact, there can be no higher accolade than platinum. Just think about music awards and credit cards and you’ll get the picture.
A perfect example of just how valuable platinum is deemed to be can be illustrated by the Hope Diamond, one of the most famous jewels in the world. Set in platinum, the lustrous blue-shade Hope Diamond weighs 45.52 carats and is on permanent display at the National Museum of Natural History situated in Washington, D.C. Picture a walnut, and you can picture the size of the Hope Diamond!
From this information, it becomes easy to understand why platinum is regarded as a metal fit for a king. Well, that was how Louis XVI of France felt about platinum. After all, he was the one to declare platinum as “the only metal fit for royalty.” However, it was the ancient Egyptians who first used platinum in the manufacture of jewellery, a well-kept secret until the 15th and 16th centuries when news of the metal first began infiltrating Europe.
So, if you want to take her breath away, make sure to symbolise your love with a piece of hand-crafted platinum jewellery. We, at Francois Jewellers, have close to four decades of experience in manufacturing and custom jewellery design. Together, we can make her dreams come true.
