As a jewelry designer recog¬nized for his work in platinum, platinum puts me into a select group of top designers. It gives added per¬ceived value to one's work and it allows greater compensation for your designs due to the higher value of your finished product. Platinum allows designers more freedom to design very delicate jewelry with greater strength and durability.

I like designing with platinum because of the color of the metal.  Platinum complements higher color diamonds and cooler color gemstones. I like the feel of platinum, the greater density of the metal gives the customer a greater perceived value of my work, and it appeals to the sense of feel and touch.

The added strength of platinum allows me the freedom to design in greater detail without the additional metal necessary with white gold. When working with platinum it is very important to work out as many details as possible before you start your project. There are no shortcuts. You must be patient with the metal and take your time on the finishing. When you try to take shortcuts, your finish usually suffers and you may have to go back and rework the piece with the possi¬ble results of exposing porosity and losing detail.

The mal¬leability of platinum allows the en¬graver to cut fine detail and clean lines. Many of my design awards have been in colored gemstones which is ideal for working in platinum. Many gemstones, unlike diamonds, cannot take extreme pressure or hammering that is necessary in some types of settings, like bezel settings. Plati¬num with its soft malleable charac¬teristics allows the setter to use less pressure and have better control over his tools. Because platinum absorbs shock so well, it is an ideal metal for set¬ting emeralds, opals, and other deli¬cate gemstones.
Planning out your project is very important when working with plati¬num. My steps in designing with platinum are to start out with a de¬tailed drawing. I list all of the mate¬rials necessary for the project. I then review each step of the design with my jeweler and setter.

If I had to give three rules to live by while working with plati¬num, they would be:

1. Be as detailed as possible.

2. Do not take shortcuts.

3. Use the best tools and keep your workspace as clean as possible.

In closing, if you have never de¬signed in platinum, I would encour¬age you experiment with this metal and allow your imaginations to explore the possibilities. The more you work with this metal, you will realize it is not more difficult than working with gold, but it is different and requires patience and planning. The benefits of working with platinum far outweigh the additional time and steps necessary to complete your design.  The end results speak for themselves.
 

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Designing with Platinum and Gemstones
Mark Schneider • Schneider Design Studio

This is an abbreviated version of the original work. For full technical details, please consult the original paper.