Men's Jewelry And Platinum - A Love Story
by Jason Tye
In ancient Rome, the metal of choice for jewelry was Iron. The metal was chosen because of its strength and immense durability. The only problem with Iron was its' affinity for oxidation and it was soon replaced by gold and silver. Still, gold was preferred over silver, not only because of its color, but because of the fact that it stained much less than silver did. When the world discovered platinum, it fell in love with it. The silvery metal easily replaced gold on the top spot. It was used in everything from rings to necklaces and more. It became off limits during the war because of its strategic use, but the minute it came back on the market, the world re-opened its arms for the precious metal.
Men's Jewelry and Platinum
It isn't only the women who took notice of the beauty and the rarity of the white gray metal that is Platinum, Men throughout history has also made this metal the material of choice for their jewels. From French Kings who unabashedly declared Platinum to be the only precious metal that was fit for a ruling monarch, to modern day grooms that don beautifully crafted platinum rings the day they wed, it is without a doubt that Platinum is considered as the preferred metal for men's jewelry. It is often paired up with precious stones to give more character, but on its own, platinum is able to stand its ground. This metal has even found use in implements that are very masculine - like in automobiles and other items.
Second Only to Diamonds
When it comes to ranking - say in credit card rewards, Platinum has always been ranked above gold, but always right below diamonds. In the jewelry world however, Platinum and Diamonds are known to be a winning pair. These two are able to find use both in women and men's jewelry; the styles however are very different. When it comes to the male discipline, diamonds are often used very minimally - fact is, the world has yet to see a man sporting a solitaire cut, cocktail size diamond ring. When paired with Platinum in men's jewelry, diamonds tend to be small, but it is the way they are used that makes them stand out. Most of the time, diamonds are laid out Pavé style. Pavé means paved and that is when diamonds are imbedded on the surface of the metal. This is the most common use when it comes to diamonds in men's jewelry.
Other Additions to Platinum
Popular additions to men's jewelry are gemstones. You may not see pink opals on a man's ring often, but stones like deep red rubies, sapphires and emeralds are known to have made the rounds. One gemstone that is popular with men's jewelry is the dark and ominous onyx. Jewelers prefer this stone because they know that its dark coloring would appeal to the masculine discipline. Other than that, onyx is beautiful when it is set against platinum. The two materials manage to offset each other beautifully, with the lightness of the platinum complimenting the dark tone of the onyx.
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