PLATINUM - TRENDS 2003
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PLATINUM - TRENDS 2003
21.07.2003 /16.13
PLATINUM - SYMBOL OF ELEGANCE
Elegance is in the air: away from the superficial glamour a new kind of style is developing with a touch of romantic nostalgia and casual gracefulness. This particularly shows itself in fashion. The colour black is celebrating a dominant phase at the moment, other colours are making humble retreats, monochrome patterns are celebrating a new delicacy and the emphasis is on stylish cuts, high-quality materials and classic silhouettes. All variations have one thing in common: an excellent message. For this reason jewellery is at the forefront when defining this new elegance. It sets individual highlights and is the expression of its own style. The protagonist in this case is platinum – as the epitome of reverting back to rediscovered true values.
Platinum – the desire for value and authenticity
The current style can be seen in several nuances. For example, the concept of classic elegance is newly defined. For some time an aura of chilliness surrounded platinum, which is now being replaced in favour of softer shapes. Man’s desire for naturalness and warmth finds its fulfilment in design, which combines affection with a soft look. The modern, which in the past was often characterised by awkward lines, accomplishes a transformation to organically shaped surfaces – a trend which is also reflected in jewellery.
In the current collections soft shapes dominate, often emphasised by diamond ranges or large coloured stones. The preferred partner here is platinum, which corresponds to the desire for value and authenticity. Because platinum is the most precious of all jewellery metals: it is rare and only appears in certain places in the world where it must be excavated from the deepest depths before it can be extracted from ore by means of complicated procedures. However, then it shines in a unique beauty because no other metal naturally has anywhere near so valuable and moon-white a glow as platinum.
Together with precious stones platinum stands for the joy of discreet luxury. Above all, the sparkling of the diamonds captivates with new powers of temptation. Preferably worn in classic style as a solitaire, unconventional versions made of platinum and innovative designs give the diamonds a new expression. In stately sizes coloured stones open up their whole beauty and remind us of their origins. The dominating colours are determined by a soft naturalness – a trend that especially corresponds to the aquamarine with its clear, light blue. Besides that strong tones are asserting themselves, such as warm, deep red or self-confident, radiant orange.
Whether it be a diamond solitaire or a profound coloured stone - their sparkle needs space. Therefore large formats are particularly popular at the moment. Especially large rings with broad ring edges are the trend and complement each gesture meaningfully.
Luxury is defined through inner values
A further variety of the new elegance is a tendency to understatement: luxury is defined through inner values and not through false glamour. The creative quality and the precious nature of a material are moving to the forefront. An expression of this trend is platinum: it places high demands on technical skills due to it being hard to shape and requiring a great aptitude when processing. At the same time it is the purest of all jewellery metals: platinum is predominantly processed with a millesimal fineness of 950/000. This means that of 1000 grams of jewellery metal 950 grams are platinum. Therefore an item of platinum jewellery is white through and through. Its discreet gleam, however, only reveals its preciousness to those in the know. This also applies to hidden details in new items of jewellery: diamonds sparkle secretly – inconspicuously composed alongside rings, on the inner side of the hand or even in the inside of the ring edge. Such luxurious details create a special bond to an item of jewellery: an intimate knowledge of a secret that only the wearer knows about.
Nostalgia and naturalness are two other variations of the new elegance. Whilst the vintage style appeals in exclusive reflection, a simple romanticism expresses itself in flowing textiles and soft materials such as tender suede and velour leather. These styles are supplemented with dainty jewellery in soft colours. Above all broaches with figurative motifs have remained a significant topic since their rediscovery last season.
Platinum for men
The new elegance also includes men’s fashion: the strong sex is once again placing its bets on the attributes of discreet classic manliness. A truth that is also applicable here is: the higher the level of quality, the better. The classic items of jewellery for men - signet rings and cufflinks – are therefore now preferably appearing in platinum. And even watches are being given a platinum coat as an adequate counterpart to sophisticated mechanical clockwork mechanisms.
Autor: PLATIN GILDE INTERNATIONAL