Platinum Wedding Rings - A History of Romance - Part 2
After the Egyptians, the Incas, from kings and popes, platinum entered more recent history as one of the most desired metals on earth. It quickly became sought after and platinum wedding rings are now the ideal expression of marriage.
Rare, enduring, elegant and cool, the white metal found fame in the latter half of the century as it was embraced by jewellers and designers.
Jewellers and platinum
- 1884 - Jeweller to the Russian Tsars, Peter Carl Fabergé, created the famed Fabergé Eggs for Alexander III to give to his wife and the eggs became an annual Easter tradition. The eggs became legendary for the jewels adorned with platinum and precious gems.
- Late 1800s - thanks to Fabergé, Europe became obsessed with platinum - it decorated the royal palaces across the continent.
- Early 1900s - Cartier is one of the most famous names in jewellery and he became the first person to create platinum jewellery, laying the foundations for the platinum wedding rings of the future. His garland-style pieces were designed to enhance diamonds, making platinum wedding rings the next natural step for designers. He was hailed by King Edward VII as the ‘jeweller of kings and the king of jewellers.’
Platinum wedding rings
But it wasn’t until 1924 that platinum wedding rings became popular. This is thanks to a German geologist, Hans Merensky, who discovered the world’s largest platinum deposit near Johannesburg in South Africa. Platinum wedding rings became a feature and the modern platinum industry was born.
The world goes platinum
It wasn’t just platinum wedding rings that took off - the word ‘platinum’ was quickly associated with wealth. From platinum albums to platinum credit cards, ‘going platinum’ is equivocal to success; and Hollywood launched the platinum blondes, who epitomized glamour and desirability.
Platinum Wedding Rings
Platinum wedding rings became popular with jewellers because of the metals suitability to show off diamonds. Silver’s relative softness meant the settings were heavy and took away the brilliance of diamonds. Platinum soon became the desired white metal of choice for jewels and wedding rings.
Rarer and richer
The use of platinum in the modern world has expanded beyond platinum wedding rings and jewels to include neurosurgical apparatus, drugs for cancer treatment and motor car equipment. As it becomes more and more in demand, the supply gets more and more limited. The availability of platinum is just 5% of gold and it’s believed the world’s resource of platinum would fill one room less than 25 feet. This explains the desirability for platinum wedding rings and why the material is so sought after for couples wanting to make their marriage that little bit more special. It is now recognised as being the rarest and most precious of metals in the world.
The Platinum Ring Company was established to offer quality Platinum wedding rings at discounted prices. We are able to offer such discounts because we have no costly premises and are able to keep our overheads low by dealing with the manufacturers directly. Having been in the retail jewellery business for over a decade, the products we offer represent classic examples of beautifully crafted, high quality rings, manufactured by the best, award winning, British manufacturers. Ring our order helpline on 0800 055 6213.
< back | 
