Technical education is the key successfully manufacturing platinum jewellery. Platinum is often regarded as a difficult metal to work with, however once you understand the capabilities as well as the limitations of this metal you will find working with it a pleasure.
Platinum is not more difficult to work with than any other precious metal, but it is very different. This difference created a need for education on all levels, from designer to end-user. The Platinum Guild International (PGI), with six offices worldwide, is educating as many jewellers and consumers as possible about platinum. Through sales training and technical training as well as articles in trade publications, the word is spreading: platinum is here to stay, let’s join the platinum wave.
It is possible to make things out of platinum that would be impossible to even attempt in anything else. What you need is an understanding of platinum’s metal properties, its malleability and ductility and behaviour when heat is applied. Add to this your skill as a craftsman and you should have no problems at all.
~Jurgen
Learn more about working on Platinum Jewelry
at the Bench Jewelers Conference
April 23 - 25 ~ St. Louis, MO
This is very true. Jewelers I have found are either scared of it or treat it like gold and do not do a good job with platinum. It created a nice niche for me since the 70’s. This niche grew even bigger in the late 90’s with a nice boom in the last 9 years. It will not go away and I believe it will continue to increase.
Posted by: Jose` Miqueli | March 10, 2009 at 05:04 AM