Jewellery has traditionally always been the forte of the fairer sex. But over the years, perhaps because of women’s empowerment movements and a rise in their disposable incomes, more women are buying jewellery rather than being gifted it. According to a De Beers Report from 2017, in US alone, self-purchase of diamond jewellery by women reached 31% in 2016.

Another report based on the Platinum Usage & Attitude survey by Platinum Guild International (PGI), an organisation that promotes sale of platinum jewellery globally, reveals that 60% of Japanese women in their 40s bought jewellery for themselves in 2016, while in China, 37% of women like to buy jewellery for themselves, compared to only 30% of those who like to receive gifts from their partners.

A substantial number of these women seem to be leaning towards platinum, a metal that’s not only more expensive but also much rarer than gold. Since only 190 tons of platinum are mined annually, as opposed to 3,347 tons of gold, it may be that women associate platinum as something more exclusive and unique – something they have ‘earned’ for themselves.

Hisako Hankinson, CEO of PGI Japan, corroborates this view, saying: “Be it at office or home, or at important occasions, platinum’s everlasting lustre elegantly accentuates the wearer. Platinum is the precious metal of choice for women having their own styles, who are not swayed by trends or age.”

It is probably this very appeal of platinum that draws more and more women towards this precious metal, because perhaps the qualities of platinum are the very same qualities that the modern woman exemplifies: strong, unique and timeless.