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