With clean, minimal design, and an innovative transformable concept, the Helios Magnetic necklace from Platinum Born makes for an elegant addition to a carefully curated jewelry box. And with the price of gold showing no sign of dropping, platinum represents a precious alternative to white gold, that will maintain its pristine natural color for longer.
Gold is currently averaging $1,938 per ounce, while platinum is at $843 (data from macrotrends.net, for November 6, 2023). Although platinum is 30 times rarer than gold, and has historically cost more, gold is currently so high that platinum is perfectly poised to gain market share.
“Its also much stronger and denser than gold, meaning it can withstand daily wear better without thinning, making it perfect for heirloom pieces and for resetting antique gemstones,” explains Rebecca Moskal, VP Marketing for Platinum Born. “Furthermore, when platinum is scratched, the metal moves aside, whereas in gold, tiny particles flake away.”.
Some jewelers are turning to platinum as an elevated alternative to white gold, which can tarnish and turn yellow over time as the rhodium plating wears off. Further popularized during Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022, as it ages, platinum develops a satiny patina that proves authenticity and makes it highly prized. “Platinum’s true white tone allows the brilliance of diamonds to be maximized and enhances the vibrance of colored gemstones like emeralds, rubies and sapphires,” says Moskal.
The Helios Magnetic necklace is built around faceted platinum beads arranged in an open-ended string so the necklace can be twisted around the throat as a choker, worn longer as a lariat or a string of beads down onto the décolleté, or — my favourite way to style this piece — wound around the wrist. As a near-pure metal, platinum is nickel-free and naturally hypoallergenic, unlike gold and silver, and the whole collection uses magnetic clasps which are ideal for people who are differently abled or with less dexterity.
Prices range from $330 to over $21,000, with several pieces around the $1,000 – $2,000 sweet spot for self-purchasing or jewelry Christmas gifts. Elsewhere, the Cosmic Lattice bracelet is inspired by the night sky, with tiny platinum beads carefully developed with metallurgists, woven into a mesh, in a spectacular cuff. Running through the collection, is impressive artistry, poured into intricate pieces that work precisely because the focus is solely on the metal.
Platinum is believed to have arrived on the earth in a meteor, over 2 billion years ago and was discovered in the Middle Ages by Spanish explorers. Traces have also been found in Ancient Egyptian tombs, and the metal enjoyed great popularity during the early 20th century and the Art Deco period. Launched in 2017, the Platinum Born brand is supported by the Platinum Guild International, which has been educating trade and consumers about the metal since 1975. The platinum used in the collection, is “responsibly sourced in South Africa, where 80% of the world’s platinum is mined,” Moskal tells me.
The collection is made in state-of-the-art workshops in Japan, the world’s biggest platinum market, where the cool-toned metal is highly prized and associated with fine jewelry. The faceted beads are designed to create jewels with the impact of gemstones, but are harder-working: “when we were initially developing the concept for the Platinum Born collection, we felt faceted beads presented platinum in a completely different, never-seen-before manner,” says Moskal. “Prior to the launch of the brand, the metal was known for bridal designs and high jewelry, but by offering it in a wearable, everyday look with diamond-like sparkle, we wanted to create an opportunity to include platinum in the fine jewelry conversation where there had previously been a void.”
Platinum Born is available in selected Neiman Marcus stores and independent retailers nationwide, and also now in the UK at Rox, Battersea Power Station, London.
