Mumbai: Platinum Guild International (PGI) India yesterday introduced the winning designs of PLATAFRICA 2017 – a jewellery design and manufacturing competition. Presented by the world’s leading producer of the precious metal Anglo American Platinum, in association with PGI India and Metal Concentrators, the prestigious competition is open to student, apprentice and professional jewellers in South Africa to promote innovation and technical expertise in the design of platinum jewellery.

Speaking on the occasion, Vaishali Banerjee, MD Platinum Guild International said, “It’s a matter of great pride for us at PGI to be associated with PlatAfrica which nurtures and develops talent in the field of platinum jewellery designing. I would like to congratulate all the winners for their creativity and innovative designs in platinum. This initiative is an opportunity to bring in new ideas and enrich platinum designing in India.”

The theme of the competition was “Bold Minimalism” which aimed at Indian millennials. Masters of self-expression this generation seek designs which are understated yet distinctive. They look for a modern take on tradition and do not shy away from experimenting.

Four design hooks were selected to allow designers to explore the properties of platinum to create statement pieces for the Indian millennials:

• New sculptural: artful, bold and assertive, multi-dimensional design.
• Linear constellations: complex lines of metal that break the monotony and highlight the strength of platinum.
• Asymmetrical silhouettes: simplistic yet substantial revelling in a break with tradition – off centre, unexpected.
• Beyond deco: clean lines, multi-faceted angles a reflection of the future.

The winning designs at Plat Africa 2017 had a modern and contemporary style, with a strong influence of the Indian cultural. Each piece used the finest attributes of the metal Platinum to bring out the beauty in the design. The winning pieces eloquently captured the essence of the bold minimalism theme which is “less is more”.

Taking the first place were:

• Ms. Ulandie Jonas from the professional category with her piece themed ‘The Family Bond’
• Ms. Anke Van der Linden from the student’s category place for her piece ‘Undulation’

Runners up were:

• Mr. Nihal Shah (2nd) from the professional category
• Mr. Fraser Schenck (2nd) from the student’s category.

The judging panel was composed of Kirtikumar Devjee: Kirti Jewellers; Pallavi Sharma: Platinum Guild International, India; Charlotte Crosse: Metal Concentrators; and Thomas Kapo: Akapo Jewels. The panel was drawn from the jewellery trade, academia and design industry who brought their extensive knowledge, enthusiasm and expertise to the process. The jewellery pieces were scored on five criteria – theme, design, originality, wear-ability and workmanship.

The top winning designs included beautiful crafted platinum pieces like neckpieces, pendants, bracelets, and rings accented with concrete and precious stones with precious platinum. Based on their interpretation of the theme, every designer crafted the jewellery piece themselves that reflected their inspiration in crafting the masterpieces using Platinum.

Sharing her views on PlatAfrica 2018, Kleantha Pillay, Head of Market Development, Precious Metals, at Anglo American Platinum Limited said, “PlatAfrica is in its 19th year and is South Africa’s premier platinum jewellery competition. This year we again saw some exceptional design pieces that highlighted the unique properties of platinum.. With PGI’s encouragement and support, the winners got the opportunity to attend design workshops in Mumbai, developing their talent and broadening their horizons to think about designs for the global markets. We truly value this partnership with PGI which is now in its 2nd year.”