Platinum jewelry is a hot commodity - as desirable with women today as it was with the platinum blondes of the 1930s. Times and styles may have changed, but elegance remains.
Did you know, for example, that more than one-quarter of today's brides choose platinum for their wedding sets and continue to collect platinum jewelry throughout their lifetimes? Other stylish women whose jewelry wardrobes are based on yellow gold have begun addingplatinum to their collections.
What's in store for the platinum lovers on your holiday list? A large range of styles that blends the romance of bygone days with the edge of modern style.
The most popular category in platinum jewelry is, of course, rings. Often accented with small diamonds, the newest platinum rings feature finely detailed designs, with milgrain, scrollwork, basketweave, braided and filigreedtreatments. To capture the estate look, many have lacy, cutout designs, sometimes set with rose-cut diamonds.
For a more modern touch, look for platinum rings accented with pink or yellow gold or richly colored gemstones, such as rubies, emeralds and sapphires. Women whose taste is ahead of the fashion curve may opt for something truly unique, such as a sculptural design with a tension-set diamond.
Not sure of her ring size? One foolproof suggestion is a platinum pendant, such as a diamond solitaire. They can be as simple as a prong-set diamond on a delicate chain or as bold as a large, bezel-set diamond framed in sparkling pave.
Other stylish pendants and slides include variations on the classic three-stone design with three diamonds in graduated sizes set either horizontally or vertically, openwork geometric designs and all versions of the ever-popular heart shape.
Always a best-selling category in platinum jewelry is earrings. There's nothing that adds sparkle to the eyes like earrings made of the world's most precious material! This holiday season, the selection is greater than ever because earrings are a trendy category. A hot item right now is the stiletto earring, a long dangling design that stretches from the ear almost to the shoulder. Choose stilettos with diamond or pearl drops, tiny gemstone briolettes or just platinum tassels; you can't go wrong.
And the best news is, even if she has allergies to some metals, platinum's purity (from 900 to 950 percent pure) renders it almost totally hypoallergenic!
When thinking of the best holiday gift, be sure to think platinum.
Graduate Gemologist, GIA
Certified Appraiser