9 minute read
White Heat: Why platinum has
White Heat
In the Platinum Jubilee year, we celebrate the precious metal’s enduring popularity from the Belle Époque to Hollywood
Largely unknown until the mid-19th century, platinum’s rise was as meteoric as the supernova which spawned it, soon becoming a royal must-wear. At his 1937 coronation, George VI’s wife, Elizabeth, (the late Queen Mother) wore a platinum crown holding the famous Koh-I-Noor diamond. The Duke of Windsor, who abdicated to marry divorcee Wallis Simpson, also exchanged platinum wedding rings made by Cartier. The leading ladies of Hollywood adorned themselves in platinum, summed up by Jean Harlow’s character in Frank Capra’s movie Platinum Blonde. May West only wore platinum jewellery and Marilyn Monroe, the quintessential platinum blonde, wore a platinum eternity ring with 35 emerald cut diamonds during her marriage to Joe di Maggio.
Such was the precious metal’s rise, in 1934 a German correspondent in New York wrote: “If you take a look at the shop windows of the local jeweller’s shop, you would think that there is only one metal available: platinum.” And its popularity continues to this day. Guy Burton, director of the London jewellers Hancocks, said: “The appeal of platinum jewellery is timeless. While there has undoubtedly been a surge in the popularity of gold in recent years fuelled by the renewed interest in vintage jewellery of the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s, platinum jewellery never goes out of fashion.”
Above A platinum, natural seed pearl and diamond choker necklace by Theodore B. Starr, c.1910, which separates into two bracelets to be worn stacked together or one on each wrist, price £25,000, image courtesy of Hancocks London
Below left An art deco diamond cross pendant by Van Cleef & Arpels, 1921, the platinum has been expertly pierced and the diamonds expertly placed so the metal seems to disappear, price £45,000, image courtesy of Hancocks London
Below right An Edwardian black bow brooch crafted in platinum over gold
White on white
For many years platinum’s high melting point put solid jewellery made from it beyond the capability of Western jewellers. However, change was on its way in 1877, with the first production of liquid oxygen. Further scientific advancements were at hand when, in 1895, two French engineers, Edmond Fouché and Charles Picard, created an oxyhydrogen torch that quite literally lit the touch paper for platinum jewellery. Prior to this Western jewellers had looked to silver as the ideal complement to white diamonds. But silver had its drawbacks with its fragility and tendency to bend.
But platinum’s day really came when the newlydiscovered South African diamonds from the Kimberley mines came to market. For the first time, jewellers had a wealth of pure, large brilliants at their disposal and no metal was as suitable to show them off as platinum.
Guy Burton said: “The purity of platinum’s colour coupled with its strength makes it the perfect metal for setting diamonds. It holds them securely while casting no unwanted warmth into the whiteness of the stones. ”
Garland style
When Edward VII came to the throne in 1901, lending his name to the era, he ushered in a style revolution. The sobriety of the Victorian era was soon forgotten. Its heavy jewellery designs were replaced with lighter and brighter styles. Turn-of-the-century jewellers became inspired by
the delicate imagery of French rococo decoration from the end of the 18th century.
Tiny diamonds were placed in shell and lattice motifs, bows and hearts, surrounded by complex sprays of leaves: or set in articulated swags, drops and clusters in a range of wonderfully feminine jewellery known as the ‘Garland’ style.
As technically adept as craftsmen were during the period, such fine and intricate workmanship would have been impossible without the introduction of platinum. The metal was perfectly suited to the creation of pierced trellis work sections that could be hinged to mimic the best quality fabrics. Precious stones could now be mounted in unobtrusive claws or gripped in minute beaded lines and clusters known as millegrain settings. So popular were these delicate designs that many earlier jewels were recycled, so an early 20th-century piece may be made from 19th-century brilliant-cut diamonds.
Above A pavé diamond platinum and gold heart pendant by Tiffany & Co., c. 1915, price £19,950, image courtesy of Hancocks London
Above right Queen Alexandra in 1889, W. & D. Downey, London photographers
Below An antique platinum gold and diamond bracelet, c.1920, with the gemstones creating a ‘river of diamonds’ effect, priced £35,000, image courtesy of Hancocks London
Royal favourite
More than any other ruler before him, Edward VII was regarded as the ultimate icon for male fashion. His Danish wife, Alexandra (who was queen from 1863 to 1901) was equally stylish, with fashion followers around the world looking to her sartorial example. After the long reign of her mother-inlaw, the latterly dowdy Queen Victoria, Alexandra was a fashion icon, reviving the idea of wearing jewels stitched to clothing in the style of Queen Elizabeth I.
Pearls and platinum
Alexandra had a passion for tapered clothes with a pinched-in waist and her favourite piece of jewellery, a high-necked collier de chien, or dog collar choker, made of pearls and diamonds. The piece was highlighted by her upswept hair, was also widely imitated across Europe. The popular Queen’s style was followed for the next 50 years with pearls taking centre stage, sparking a global appetite for the gemstone.
Guy Burton said: “Platinum also works particularly well with pearls and the fashion during the early 20th century for ‘all white’ jewels saw the Belle Époque choker become hugely popular.”
Queen Alexandra was also a dedicated tiara wearer sparking a trend both sides of the Atlantic, particularly among America’s royalty – the new wealthy industrialists.
Beth Bernstein in her book The Modern Guide to Antique Jewellery writes: “With a lightness that was designed to emulate the most intricate of lace or petitpoint embroidery, and the use of swirly foliate motifs known as Garland style, jewellery from the Edwardian and Belle Époque era, which lasted from 1895 to 1915, is famous for its ultra-feminine styles. ”
Left Platinum pendant with peridot and amethyst, c. 1910, image courtesy of Anthea AG Antiques
Above Hollywood’s platinum blondes also favoured the precious metal
Below right An art deco geometric ruby, diamond and platinum crossover ring, c.1930s, priced £8,500, image courtesy of Hancocks
Art deco
The fashion for white jewellery continued into the ‘20s with art deco styles favouring white metals, primarily platinum, over yellow gold.
Women’s fashion dramatically changed after WWI. Fashion was transformed from the relative formality and restriction of the Edwardian era to fun, elegant and practical styles celebrating freedom.
Corsets disappeared, hemlines grew shorter. This freedom and sense of fun was reflected in the new, exciting jewellery styles and fashions. Platinum suited the period ideally.
It was an opportune moment to create beautiful jewellery that was inspired by Cubism, Futurism and the ‘machine’ aesthetic. Art deco is known for its clean lines, and simple shapes juxtaposed to create beautiful compositions. Pavé settings also became popular during this time. (The term refers to diamonds that are set so closely together that they create an illusion of a “paved” surface where the setting becomes invisible.)
Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, Jean Fouquet, Jeanne
Bovin, Suzanne Belperron, Boucheron and Chaumet, all produced some of the most influential and sought-after jewellery of the day.
While each house had its own interpretation, there was a unified movement towards streamlined looks, both circular and linear, sometimes in all white, sometimes in black and white, with an emphasis on platinum, rock crystal, onyx, and new and mixed cuts of white diamonds.
The metal also received another boost with the discovery of the world’s largest platinum deposit in the Merensky Reef in northeast South Africa in 1924. Around this time, the technology for diamond cutting also improved, so jewellers were able to achieve various geometric cuts.
War footing
But jewellers’ love of platinum proved double-edged in WWII. With its inherent resistance to erosion and a melting point much higher than steel, platinum became a crucial commodity for the war effort, and was even used in aircraft engines on the frontlines. In the US, platinum, which had defined the jewellery of the preceding period, was banned for non-military use during the war.
The end of the war also marked a very distinct change in fashion. As usual, this was led by the French couturiers with new designers such as Balmain, Givenchy and Balenciaga taking the lead. Their feminine dresses were characterised by short skirts, décolleté tops, and bolero jackets. Christian Dior’s ‘new look’ launched in 1947 was a triumph of femininity, typified by ample, extravagant skirts, thin waists, and tight tops with elaborate necklines. Jewellery changed accordingly. After years of privation, precious materials became accessible once more, sparking a widespread desire to recapture some of the glamour of the pre-war years. The stylish crowd adopted the fashionable trend to wear gold in the daytime and white metal in the evening.
Nostalgic styles assumed the forms of wide-strap bracelets and large double-clip brooches set with diamonds in platinum. The metal had once more found its fans.
Above A Cartier art deco diamond and platinum bracelet, c. 1928, sold for £1.8m (estimated at £1.6m-£2.5m) at Christie’s sale on May 11. The bracelet features the maker’s mark Henri Picq, one of Cartier’s most famous craftsmen
Left Platinum, diamond and aquamarine pendant, 1920s, image courtesy of Anthea AG Antiques
Did you know?
When 16th-century conquistadors came across platinum in the rivers of Equador they thought it was unripe silver. Calling it ‘platina’ (little silver), they threw it back in the water to ripen.
Enter Cartier
No other jewellery house put its mark on platinum jewellery as much as Cartier. Established in Paris in 1847, the prestigious French house quickly earned a reputation as the jeweller of kings. At the end of the 19th century, Alfred Cartier and his three sons Louis, Pierre and Jacques began experimenting with platinum and its exceptional properties.
They soon found its malleability was perfect for hand fabricating Cartier’s popular elements of the day, namely knife-edged fret work, millegraining, delicate prongs, beads integrated into finely pierced patterns, light and lacy scrolls, flowers, bows and hearts.
In 1890, Cartier introduced an all platinum, luxury jewellery in its iconic garland style. Henri Picq, who founded a jewellery manufacturing workshop in Paris towards the end of the 19th century, was Cartier’s preferred maker of gemset platinum jewellery from 1900 to 1918. Hans Nadelhoffer in his 1984 book Cartier writes: “Cartier’s was said to use the best platinum in Paris. It was renowned for its white, shimmering surface, an alloy of which the Henri Picq workshop was especially proud.’
