OSARE: Men's Jewellery Brand Is The First To Receive New Palladium Hallmark

    NOTTINGHAM, ENGLAND, July 30, 2009 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Palladium has become the fourth precious metal to be granted hallmark status in the UK, alongside silver, gold and platinum, and men's jewellery brand OSARE was the first range to receive the new hallmark from the Sheffield Assay Office, one of only four such offices in the country. The last precious metal to receive a hallmark was platinum in 1975.

OSARE (http://www.osarejewellery.com/ ) is a new capsule collection of men's jewellery, made from Palladium, with the signature of each piece being a single hidden black diamond. It was the first range to receive the new hallmark, represented by Pallas Athena, the day after the hallmark was passed by the House of Commons.

Gary Thompson, OSARE Designer said: It's really exciting that my designs were the first to receive the new Palladium hallmark in Sheffield. OSARE is a collection of jewellery that is designed for men to wear every day, and so Palladium was the perfect metal to craft it from - it's lightweight, durable, hypoallergenic and it doesn't tarnish. It's the perfect material for anyone with an active lifestyle, and this new hallmark recognises these beneficial qualities when designing jewellery."

Although the hallmark has already been granted, utilising the hallmark is voluntary until 1 January 2010, when it will be compulsory for manufacturers to adopt it fully. OSARE's marketing manager Natasha Blick however, believes it is beneficial for both consumers and manufacturers to adopt the hallmark as quickly as possible:

"A hallmark is an intrinsic mark of quality that UK consumers recognise and understand. Having a fourth choice - in addition to silver, gold and platinum - that can be immediately recognised as being a fully precious metal, can only benefit people looking to buy jewellery. The hallmark status also means that manufacturers have more choice when designing new ranges - if you think of the growing trend for platinum jewellery over recent times and think that this has only had hallmark status for three decades, you can see how quickly newly hallmarked metals can become aspirational."

OSARE has donated the very first piece from the collection to be hallmarked to The Yorkshire Air Ambulance Service, to be auctioned to raise funds for the charity.

About Us

OSARE is a capsule collection of men's Palladium jewellery, with a signature hidden black diamond in every piece. The strength of Palladium represents man's physical strength, whilst black diamonds, to many are symbolic of inner strength and willpower. OSARE itself is Italian for 'dare'. The range consists of rings, cufflinks, pendants and bracelets, with the designs inspired by architecture, sport and the technology of the automobile industry. It is designer Gary Thompson's debut collection.

Website: http://www.osarejewellery.com

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