| Founder of Veritas Precious Metals Mark Platt | | | | early 20th century. Archaeological evidence |
| studied at Oxford University before joining classic | | | | suggests that enamelling may date back to |
| brand Alfred Dunhill where he worked on | | | | 3000BC. The Byzantine Empire, Chinese, French |
| developing menswear accessories and fragrance | | | | and Russian cultures have all influenced the |
| products. | | | | development of enamelware. Cloisonné, |
| He moved to iconic jeweller Tiffany and Co., | | | | which is a design distinguished by using flattened |
| where he worked for 6 years and furthered a | | | | wire to separate the enamel, is most suited to |
| passion for Sterling Silver accessories and | | | | jewellery. And combined with mother of pearl, |
| jewellery. Tiffany offered a fascinating insight, | | | | Swarovski Crystals and semi precious stones |
| with its great archives and history, into the | | | | bring together ancient and contemporary |
| silversmith's and jeweller's art over the course of | | | | materials used to create work of art cufflinks. |
| a century and a half. | | | | The design possibilities are add infinitum. |
| Mark launched Veritas Precious Metal Design (from | | | | Now |
| the Latin meaning "Truth")in Sept 2003. The first | | | | In the wake of Alfred Dunhill and Tiffany Mark |
| collection was launched at the New York | | | | has taken Veritas to new heights with the release |
| Collective in July 2004, with the object of creating | | | | of a range of sterling silver cufflinks of superior |
| unique and distinctive cufflinks in Sterling Silver and | | | | elegance. Just a brief handle will satisfy your |
| Rhodium Plate. The second Veritas collection | | | | senses. And in the tradition of great jewellers, |
| debuted in New York 2005, featuring new enamel | | | | gleaning Mother of Pearl, crystals and precious |
| designs, which built on the strong theme of | | | | stones to slender elegant stems, engineered to |
| Swarovski crystals from the previous year. It | | | | give many years good linkage. |
| featured the unique African Animal Collection, | | | | And the future |
| exquisitely carved heads of Lion, Rhino, Leopard | | | | The resurgent popularity of cufflinks in recent |
| and Oryx with safari coloured enamel fittings. | | | | years has inspired many young designers. New |
| Mark Platt is primarily interested in design | | | | materials like resins are at hand and they're being |
| innovation, combining unusual precious materials | | | | combined with crystals, cat's eye and semi |
| and offering change and stimulus with each new | | | | precious stones, creating a new framework of |
| season. | | | | styles, but without loosing classicism. The use of |
| A little history | | | | CAD and CAM for design and modelling are used |
| Jewellers like Cartier and Tiffany crafted work of | | | | extensively and laser welding and cutting |
| art designer cufflinks in mother of pearl, crystal; | | | | technology employed to refine the edges. |
| precious stones...These famous fashion names | | | | Combined they give another dimension to the |
| establish cufflinks as the essential accessory for | | | | finished product and greatly assist the modern |
| men. | | | | designer cope with the pressures of |
| Some anecdotes | | | | commercialism. Seasonal styles are turned around |
| For many centuries vitreous enamel has been | | | | in short time as demand is met. |
| widely used to adorn jewellery of the highest | | | | And, what of tradition? It remains intact. Designer |
| quality- from Parisian gold snuffboxes of the 18th | | | | brands like Veritas Lbb London, Ian Flaherty and |
| century to Carl Faberge's Imperial Eggs in the | | | | many more carry it forward. |