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(u-s:b /Platinum Guild International) Basle, 14th April 2004 – Aqua, the world’s most beautiful platinum necklace makes its debut in Basle. Designed by Orlando Orlandini, Aqua was created to represent the most distinctive values of platinum - rarity, purity and enduring beauty. Hundreds of light-shedding platinum droplets float softly yet vibrantly around the wearer, evoking the freshness, light and purity of water – the element of life par excellence. Valued at $250,000, Aqua will be presented at the industry’s major international trade fairs and will be the focal point of an extensive global PR programme. “We are redesigning the global image of platinum jewellery and it seemed a good idea to capture the spirit of the metal in a masterpiece that conveys the whole platinum legend, its beauty and its contemporary dimension,” explains James Courage, CEO of Platinum Guild International*. But why water? “Water is the element that consumers the world over associate with platinum. We discovered this during research that helped to create our global brand identity launched last year.” A new branding operation initiated with the launch of the new identity package (logo, pay-off, international advertising campaign and website) – also involves a more precise definition of the product. This will favour the creation of jewels with a specific identity, their designs reflecting their uniquely platinum raison d’être. “We’ve started out with an icon-jewel that synthesizes the values, symbols and emotions perceived by consumers worldwide. Our aim is to develop the project in future so that new platinum jewellery can fully express the deeper meanings that this noble metal carries as its birthright, its hallmark.”
Orlando Orlandini, one of the world’s most sensitive and accomplished jewellery designers, was entrusted with the task of interpreting platinum’s new image. In his splendid studio in the hills of Tuscany – a converted renaissance convent – Orlandini worked for over a year to create a distinctive piece representing the powerful and spontaneous association of platinum with water. “It was an awe-inspiring challenge. I tried to interpret the soul of platinum, to instil in it a living, vibrant character and highlight the values of purity and eternity,” said Orlandini.
After Basle, the necklace will set off on a world tour, to the USA, Japan, China, Hong Kong, India, the Arab Emirates, Germany, Italy, the UK and South Africa.

The Spirit of Platinum
AQUA IN NUMBERS

250,000 dollars is the jewel’s market value. But it’s not for sale anyway.
30,000 kilometres is roughly the distance AQUA will travel in it’s world tour to promote the purity, rarity and eternal beauty of platinum.
632 the droplets composing this precious platinum icon necklace.
522 hours were taken to design the AQUA necklace and craft its intricate design into a physical work of art.
320 grams of platinum used to produce the masterpiece.
3.3 the total carat weight of the 17 diamonds adorning the outer edges of the necklace.
1 the maximum number of pieces that will be made of the jewel. A real one of a kind.

The Spirit of Platinum
ORLANDO ORLANDINI:
THE PHYSICS OF BEAUTY
In the hills of Chianti, Italy, amongst olive groves and vineyards, Orlando Orlandini resides
in a 13th century convent converted into an atelier/home. It’s an environment permeated
by history, art and the Italian renaissance. It’s here Orlandini created Aqua, a masterpiece
in platinum jewellery.
Orlandini was born into the art world. His mother a painter, his father a sculptor, Orlando
himself is a sculpture graduate from the Accademia delle Belle Arti in Rome. He entered
the world of jewellery by designing exclusive one-off pieces to exhibit in art galleries.
Appointed art director at Uno a Erre in Arezzo – then the world’s leading jewellery
enterprise – he founded their Atelier d’Arte Orafa in Florence. His successes at numerous
events throughout the world were crowned by seven international Oscars. In 1983 he set
up on his own.
Today, the Atelier Orlandini has around thirty highly skilled artisans, all in-house trained
in exclusive handcraft techniques. Orlando Orlandini’s collaborators also include his wife
Carmela and their daughter and son, Lidia and Paladino.
Where do you find the inspiration for the design of your jewels?
If I have to think of a more material source of inspiration, the first thing that comes to my mind
is a woman’s body. My jewels are made to caress the skin, they must adapt to the body like the
fabric of a dress. My collections are the fruit of technical and aesthetical projects which can last
up to two or three years.
There’s undoubtedly something irrational about giving birth to an idea, something that makes
it a “magic” event. Call it fantasy or imagination, but shaping ideas is like turning a dream into
reality – there’s always a long way to go. And in the process, culture and experience play a
very important role. In my case, mastering techniques is not only a “medium” – craftsmanship
goes hand in hand with creativity to such an extent that ideas are never abstract thoughts,
they are born ready to be transformed into jewellery.
The platinum piece was certainly a challenge. How was it different from other
commissions you have received?
I was very flattered to be invited and I accepted the proposal from the Platinum Guild with
great enthusiasm. Over the years I’ve been lucky enough to receive a fair amount of public
acclaim, but this time there was something new. It wasn’t a prize for something I’d already
created, no, I was being invited to create a jewel that would become a symbol for platinum
jewellery.
Inspiration, as I said, doesn’t come to order. Talking of symbols, platinum is commonly
associated with water, and with this in mind I took advantage of a week-end sailing trip to
Sardinia to get inspired. Looking at the sea, at the vibrant, scintillating waves, I played with
the idea of using the king of all noble metals to render these exciting, watery sensations.
The Spirit of Platinum
QU A A
ORLANDO ORLANDINI - THE PHYSICS OF BEAUTY CONTINUED
What's so special about platinum and why do you like working with it?
Most cultures have chosen gold as a sign of wealth. Gold jewels were often worn as symbols
of wealth rather than ornaments in their own right. Platinum, on the other hand, although
being rarer and more precious, has always been associated with absolutely noble values. The
association with water, a symbol of absolute purity, is in no way casual.
And at the very origin of the platinum myth – in addition to rarity and colour – I believe there
are also the physical properties which are so well known to the craftsman. Gold, which is too
soft to be worked in its purest form, needs to be alloyed with copper and silver. Platinum is
already “perfect” in its natural form – platinum jewels are manufactured at extremely high
purity levels. Platinum has a very high melting point, which makes manufacturing more
complex. And before its recent revival, only a few jewellers knew how to work it.
The process of turning metal into a jewel is a mystery for many people.
How do you do it?
The most popular technique adopted by Italian jewellers is casting, a technologically more
advanced version of the ancient “cire perdue” method. After shaping a wax model, the piece
is covered with refractory plaster and heated. The wax melts and comes out through a hole,
leaving a hollow shape which is then filled with molten precious metal. The plaster shape is
then eliminated and the precious metal is carefully polished.
We may use sophisticated technologies, but all the actual work is done by hand. The initial
semi-finished material is wire, which we weave and wind to obtain fabrics and mesh nets.
But the extraordinary “light”, the brilliance that renders Orlandini pieces so special, is the
endless chisel work that eventually makes the metal shine like a precious stone.
Our techniques require a different professional approach from the one normally adopted
in modern jewellery manufacturing. When I started the business, I couldn’t find craftsmen
prepared to work with us. I would give candidates a jewel and gauge their reactions. After
examining it with a lens, they’d all come out with the same comment: “too complicated”.
I’m pretty sure they thought I was a bit crazy. I solved this problem by setting up a school,
in-house, to teach young craftsmen our special way of handling precious metals.
How important is your environment for inspiration?
In 1980 I bought an old place dating back to the 13th century, in the country near Florence, in
Chianti. It was originally a lookout tower, later became a convent and was then turned into a
country house for the Corsini family.
In this beautiful environment amongst vineyards, olive trees and cypresses, which over the
centuries has had many famous “residents” (including the Medici, Leonardo da Vinci, Luca
Della Robbia and Machiavelli), I have found the ideal atmosphere in which to create with
enthusiasm. We’re far from the madding crowd, but in spite of that we’ve created a direct
line with the market and regularly host international clients. Here, the relationship between
work and all the rest is different. We feel the changing of the seasons, the rhythm of life is
different, more in tune with nature and basic values.
The Spirit of Platinum
QU A A
PLATINUM QUALITIES
WHAT IS IT ABOUT PLATINUM THAT MAKES IT PRECIOUS AND UNIQUE?
PLATINUM IS PURE, RARE, ETERNAL AND AN INCREDIBLY VERSATILE METAL.
Pure
Because it is generally 95% pure (18 carat gold is 75% pure), platinum jewellery does not
fade or tarnish and keeps its looks for a lifetime. Its purity endows it with a brilliant white
lustre that helps reflect the true radiance of diamonds. Platinum’s purity also makes it
hypoallergenic and ideal for those with sensitive skin.
Rare
Platinum is rare, the coveted treasure of discerning individuals. There is very little platinum on
this earth and it is found in very few places around the world. This exquisite metal is 35 times
rarer than gold. In fact, it is estimated that if all the platinum in the world were poured into
one Olympic swimming pool it would be scarcely deep enough to cover your ankles. Gold
would fill more than three pools. Platinum’s rarity makes it exclusive and distinctive - a
celebration of individuality.
Eternal
Platinum jewellery is the perfect choice for a lifetime of everyday wear. Its density and weight
make it more durable than other jewellery metals. Platinum does not wear away and holds
precious stones firmly and securely. Like all precious metals, platinum scratches. However, the
scratch on a platinum piece is merely a displacement of the metal and none of its volume is
lost. So, even though wearing it each and every day may leave an impression on the surface, it
remains what it was - a symbol for all things eternal.
Versatile
In addition to its strength and density, platinum has another remarkable quality - pliability.
Platinum is so pliable, that just one gram of the metal can be drawn to produce a fine wire
over one mile (almost 2 km) long. This quality has enabled jewellers to create some amazing
versatile platinum mesh accessories, which could not be fashioned from other precious
metals. Platinum is also in demand in other fields - it is used in industry, most notably in
catalytic converters. Platinum also plays an important role in medicine. It is not affected by
the oxidizing reaction of blood, has excellent conductivity and is compatible with living
tissue. Because of these properties, platinum is used for pacemakers. It is a life-saving metal to
the 50,000 people who are living healthily on these.

*Platinum Guild International is the jewellery marketing arm of the platinum industry. Our mission is to expand and strengthen consumer and trade markets for platinum jewellery. We nurture and promote the desire for platinum jewellery and provide information, expertise and practical help to turn that desire into a product and a sale. For more information, please contact your nearest PGI office as per the attached list.
Autor:  
Platinum Guild International 

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