In today’s world of mass production it is refreshing to encounter handmade platinum jewelry created by master jewelers using old world skills. When we think of handmade jewelry most of us think of arts and crafts variety of products ranging from bead and pearl stringing to wire crafts, all of which should be credited for the talent, time, and passion that go into creating them.
In the case of handmade platinum jewelry we reference a small elite group of artisans who have dedicated a life time to working with the most precious metal used in fine jewelry. Handmade jewelry of every variety requires patience and steady hands. The primary concern with creating platinum jewelry is that the precious metal is extremely difficult to work with.
Welding and Soldering Platinum
Melting at a temperature of 3,215°F, platinum is white hot when welded. Jewelry model makers working in platinum are confronted with hand positioning miniature parts and pieces under magnification with tinted goggles. With each layer of metal applied, the risk of destroying or melting the prior work increases. It is not uncommon for countless hours of work to be lost with a simple tilt of the torch.
At the outset of the creation this handmade sapphire ring in our illustration, artisans pooled molten raw platinum in a crucible. The platinum lump was then hammered into an elongated bar which was manipulated with hammers, rollers, files, and torches to create the many small elements needed to for our setting. Each tiny element and wire then positioned with steady hands and a torch, the ring was brought to life by our talented jewelers.
The Prestige of Handmade Platinum Jewelry
The importance of fine handmade platinum jewelry is attributed to both its beauty and its rarity. The techniques used to craft such jewelry are those used to create jewelry for royalty through the ages. In order for fine jewelry to qualify as hand made it must be fabricated from start to finish using only tools that are guided by hand. The extreme detail in jewelry of this caliber can only be executed by a handful of masters still familiar with the lost art.