The annual PlatAfrica jewellery design competition has become synonymous with excellence in platinum design and manufacture. For the past 16 years, our Platinum business has sponsored the coveted competition to promote innovation and technical competence in the design and manufacture of platinum jewellery. This, together with stimulating market demand in platinum jewellery, helps to grow both local skills and job creation in the country.
The competition helps the local industry to identify, understand and develop its global competitiveness, while also expanding the global outlook of entrants, making them aware of where the different markets lie for their design talents. As South Africa holds over 80% of the world's known platinum resources and reserves, it’s only fitting that we drive its design and innovation.
PlatAfrica allows South Africa’s leading professionals, apprentices and students the opportunity to work with platinum not only to showcase their design talent, but also to craft and manufacture the pieces themselves. For many, this is their first experience of working with this incredible metal, allowing them to build their skills in this niche jewellery sector. This experience inevitably leads to a lasting love affair with this uniquely beautiful metal.
In celebration of the beauty of platinum, the theme for this year’s competition challenged designers to create “an original masterpiece from source to you”, while looking beyond our borders to focus on coming of age and bridal jewellery for the Chinese market. The creative theme draws inspiration from China as it’s the world's largest single market for platinum jewellery, accounting for 20% of total annual platinum demand. Within this market, the bridal segment is of great interest to jewellery manufacturers as each year more than 12 million couples marry in China, creating an industry estimated at $80 billion annually.
The quality and the creativity of this year’s pieces truly reflect their talent and passion for platinum design. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter as we announce the winning designs from this year’s PlatAfrica.
Background on how the competition originated:
The rare, brilliant white metal is timeless, contemporary and astonishingly versatile, but looking back, the world of platinum jewellery has had its ups and downs. Its popularity began in the late 19th century, as the strength and ductile nature of the metal meant that designers could fashion precise and intricate designs. Cartier started to create elaborate diamond and platinum jewellery for the wealthy and the white metal craze continued into the Art Deco period. In the 1930s the glamorous stars of Hollywood wore fabulous platinum and diamond pieces on screen and on the red carpet. However with the outbreak of World War II, platinum was taken off the social scene when the US government declared it a strategic resource and banned its use in non-essential applications such as jewellery.
By the late 80s, platinum, traditionally reserved for expensive, high-end pieces, began to be used more extensively throughout the precious jewellery industry. This rise in popularity saw creative designs coming out of Europe and Japan, which left the younger generation of South African jewellery designers lagging behind due to lack of experience and the mistaken belief that the metal was difficult to work with.
To overcome these challenges, Metal Concentrators together with Anglo American Platinum started a series of seminars to encourage local designers and manufacturers to work in platinum. This was just the start. To further encourage the use of platinum, the partners launched the first PlatAfrica competition in 1998.