5 Statement Styles That Say It Better In Platinum

By Victoria Gomelsky | November 20, 2024

In the spring of 2023, Lauren Harwell Godfrey joined a group of jewelry designers on a trip to Bostwana, where they toured De Beers’ main diamond sorting facility in the capital of Gaborone, visited the company’s Orapa diamond mine, and spotted elephants and lions on safari in Chobe National Park.

Inspired by the experience, Harwell Godfrey designed the Masego collection, which takes its aesthetic cues from the baskets she discovered across Botswana, specifically their “interplay of geometric shapes,” she tells JCK.

Although Harwell Godfrey is primarily known for her work in yellow gold, she chose platinum for some of the collection’s standout pieces, such as the statement collar featured above.

“There is a crispness to platinum that I find very different than yellow gold,” Harwell Godfrey says. “This collar has a lot of engraved lines and I really love how they read in platinum. There’s a precision to the platinum that makes it feel different.”

Jade Ruzzo platinum necklace — *Cymbal necklace in platinum with 4.19 ct. golden zircon on a leather cord, $12,800; Jade Ruzzo*

She’s not alone in her appreciation for the precious white metal. With gold prices soaring, jewelers are rediscovering the benefits of working in platinum. Its hardness means it’s the ideal metal for creating smaller, more delicate links that might break or twist in a more malleable material like gold. There’s also the matter of its white sheen, which can complement colored stones in an unexpectedly beautiful way (exhibit A: the golden zircon at the center of Jade Ruzzo’s attention-grabbing Cymbal necklace).

Selim Mouzannar Basilik Necklace — *Basilik necklace in 18k gold and platinum with 8.14 cts. t.w. diamonds, price on request; Selim Mouzannar*

For his serpentine Basilik necklace, the Beirut-based designer Selim Mouzannar opted for an appealing combination of platinum and 18k gold, creating a supple statement piece that coils around the neck or drapes down the back in a seductive two-tone styling.

Shahla Karimi Cloud Choker — *Cloud choker in platinum with 3 ct. pear-cut diamond, $110,680;* *Shahla Karimi*

Of course, there’s no going wrong with coupling platinum with diamonds. Look to Shahla Karimi’s minimalist Cloud choker and Retrouvaí’s retro-esque Magna bracelet for a master class on how it’s done.