They mastered the techniques of processing platinum even though it was not considered a precious metal. Platinum upon being discovered by the Spanish conquistadors in the rivers of Ecuador was given the name we know it by today. Not realizing the superb qualities of this metal they named platinum, meaning little silver, and threw it back into the river to ripen into silver. It did not take long for the benefits of working with platinum to be discovered. By the late 1700 s after having a piece of jewelry made by a French goldsmith, King Louis XVI declared platinum the only metal fit for a king.
Platinum is used in an almost pure state making it hypoallergenic.
This extremely hard platinum alloy is necessary for the unique tension setting that he has created. Kretchmer's innovative designs can be viewed at The Jewelry Studio. It was during WWII that the US Government realized the potential of platinum. Here was a metal that will not corrode, will not oxidize, and has a melting or flow point over 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit and only a combination two powerful acids can destroy it. Because of these unusual characteristics the government classified platinum as a strategic metal and deemed it off limits to jewelry manufacturing.