[March 06, 2014]

-- To The Women Who Shines Forever -- A One-of-a-kind, First-ever Platinum Portrait, Valued at JPY 50 Million (US$500,000)

Platinum Guild International K.K. leader in marketing platinum jewellery (Tokyo, Japan, President Hisako Hankinson), found in a recent study that 70% of young females want a piece of platinum jewellery that reflects their own natural shine¹⁾.
As a celebration of today's modern woman who shines in times of challenge and opportunity, PGI have used the unique properties of platinum to produce the Platinum Portrait, a unique and exquisite work of art.
A behind-the-scenes video story of the making of the piece will be launched on a dedicated web site on Tuesday March 4. (platinumsphereportrait.com)

Image 1 (Photo: Business Wire)

"Platinum Jewellery Makes The Woman Shine"
Working with platinum jewellers and designers across the world, PGI have observed that a common theme unites every woman's search for platinum jewellery - the desire to reflect her unique personality and inner shine. PGI's Hisako Hankinson explains that 'In a world where women face daily challenges we wanted to celebrate the inner beauty, strength and resource which empowers women to not only cope but to excel, to create their own path and define their own successes. We chose to create a unique artwork in platinum as its rarity and purity reflects and celebrates the wondrous essence of the woman'.

In creating a modern artwork PGI builds on the incredible heritage of platinum which has captured the imagination of the world's best jewelers. The piece uses platinum's natural whiteness to create a portrait of a woman who strives to keep shining from the inside. The story behind the piece's creation opens up the wondrous and beautiful world of platinum.

"Platinum Portrait Brought To Life By Top Creators Of Japan"
The Platinum Portrait project was realized thanks to the cooperation of various specialists including Japan's leading creators and top jewelers. The Platinum Portrait uses almost 1 kg of platinum and is crafted using approximately 13,000 platinum spheres ranging from 2 to 5mm in diameter. Estimated to be worth JPY 50 million, this work of art is a result of meticulous attention to detail and rigorous experimenting. It took more than a week for the four specialists to manually place each platinum sphere in the correct position to complete this work.

"An All Platinum Portrait"
An 1 kg platinum ingot is melted in a furnace with temperature exceeding 1700 degrees. Undergoing a proprietary process, the platinum is formed into individual spheres, giving off beautiful sparkle as it is polished. The innumerable spheres align themselves, and gradually, a portrait of a woman emerges. The idea for the first-ever platinum portrait was inspired by women's desire to shine on forever, not just on the surface, but from deep within. What better medium to express this universal desire than platinum, a naturally white precious metal that doesn't fade but continues to give off a natural glow.

"The Making-of Video Reveals The Creative Process"
The video showing the creation of the Platinum Portrait beautifully captures the creative process from platinum ingot to an amazing platinum sphere portrait. Please visit the special site to see the magnificence of the Platinum Portrait's innumerable platinum spheres as they capture the light and ultimately reveal the unchanging beauty of the woman.
(URL : platinumsphereportrait.com)

• Watch the Video Clip
Special site : platinumsphereportrait.com
Youtube : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkfZClbHm3M

• Production Staff Comments:
- Creative Director : Tsubasa OYAGI (SIX)
"I had made up my mind to create a one-of-a-kind platinum artwork from the very onset. An unrelenting desire to reveal the incomparable qualities and potential of platinum inspired me to embrace a new approach for this project.

It was truly a learning experience to create something that does not yet exist, and the creative process where ideas and concepts flowed between Art Director Yuni, programmers, photographer, jewellery craftsmen and other professionals from different fields was a series of new discoveries. I am relieved that the work is now complete, and ready for all to see."

- Technical adviser: Kazuo YOSHIZAWA
"From taking the ultra-thin sheets of platinum to create distortion free spheres, and the polishing technique that brings out its deep luster...
This project was a challenge in that it required a combination of highly technical processes with equally high level of craftsmanship. The completion of this project owes much thanks to the Japanese jewellery artisans who developed their skills through many years of creating exquisite platinum jewellery and have come to truly understand this precious metal."

- Art Staff
"It was intense labor just to count the 10,000 plus tiny spheres, the smallest being 2mm in diameter, and more so to place the platinum spheres without the slightest deviation from their designated location points. After much trial and error, we laser drilled dot images onto the base acrylic board and then attached posts to the spheres to secure them in the exact location. Even a little deviation in the angle could cause the image to be distorted, so we worked very carefully. You can imagine that placing the platinum spheres took more time than we originally expected.

There were moments of doubt, but as the image emerged and the Platinum Portrait was finally completed, I was overwhelmed by its beauty. It is a very moving and brilliant work of art."

1) Source (News - Alert) : Report on Japan Big Ideas Quantitative Research by Macromill, Dec. 2012

Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/multimedia/home/20140305006760/en/

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