PlatAfrica honours talent in the South African platinum jewellery design and manufacturing industry

PlatAfrica is a collaborative competition presented by platinum producer Anglo American Platinum (Amplats), refinery Metal Concentrators and platinum marketing organisation Platinum Guild International (PGI) India

Johannesburg: PlatAfrica recently hosted its annual 24th PlatAfrica Jewellery Design and Manufacturing Competition to support the local beneficiation of platinum. The winners were announced during a gala awards ceremony held in Melrose, Johannesburg.

Hosted yearly by platinum producer Anglo American Platinum (Amplats), refinery Metal Concentrators and platinum marketing organisation Platinum Guild International (PGI) India, the awards contribute to showcasing local jewellery manufacturing and design flair, and to building a pipeline of talent in the South African platinum jewellery design and manufacturing industry by providing skills development among local jewellers, artisans and students.

Using the 2023 competition theme “Emergence”, contestants created designs drawing from uncharted territories to create pieces that were meant to inspire and resonate with potential customers, while also “pointing to the promise of better things to come”, according to the hosts.

This year’s competition also saw the introduction of capsule collections – a condensed version of the designer’s vision that transcends trends and seasons by being functional and commercial – as well as a collaboration with diamond producer De Beers, which loaned selected diamonds to the winners for showcasing their platinum designs.

“De Beers is passionate about supporting local talent in the countries where we recover diamonds, and this year’s entries give me hope in the imaginative and technical capabilities that exist on the African continent and makes me excited about the transformative potential of this collaboration,” Moses Madondo, Managing Director, De Beers Managed Operations, said.

“Platinum is such a versatile metal, from being used in the manufacture of jewellery to its application in the emissions-free hydrogen fuel cell within the BMW iX5 that is on display here this evening, as a result of the collaboration between Amplats, [energy company] Sasol, and [car manufacturer] BMW,” Craig Miller, Chief Executive Officer, Amplats said at the ceremony.

The competition is one of the market development initiatives through which Amplats contributes to the local platinum jewellery manufacturing industry. This year, PlatAfrica attracted 192 entries across South Africa – 65 of which were professional and 127 of which were students or apprentices. Judges assessed the entries for creativity, originality, interpretation of the theme and technical excellence.

Courtesy: miningweekly.com