Platinum is a fickle metal, but it is the most beautiful metal for designing jewellery. I can talk about its colour, its reflections and the shine it gives to diamonds for hours. It’s nothing like rhodium-plated gold. And then historically, when we wanted to put white, we did it in platinum.
It’s a joy for the setters, because it’s softer than gold and therefore easier for them. But, on the other hand, it is a bit of a nightmare for the polishers. I don’t know many who know how to polish it perfectly. I say that platinum is a bit like a pretty, unattainable woman. You have to charm her, seduce her, woo her to (hopefully) shine in her eyes. Well, platinum is the same thing. With patience and conviction, you can get him to give you his best!
S., 25 years in the business, seductive jeweller
M. Cartier
I was an apprentice at a time that no longer exists. We had to arrive half an hour before the jewellers and leave after them. We had to set up the workshop and of course tidy it up and clean it after the day's work. I even slept in...