Why use white gold, which turns yellow after a few years and must be rhodium-plated again, when you can opt for platinum? Aldo Arata, jeweler of the Valenza district, thought that this idea should be explored. And years ago he formed a collaboration with the Polytechnic of Turin. Result: a platinum with a hardness higher than white gold, marketed with Monile’s Everlasting collection. The brand (in Italian the word monile is synonymous with jewel) produces platinum jewels more resistant to scratches and characterized by a brightness destined to last over time. This method mainly produces rings, but also earrings and necklaces.
It all began in 1966 in the small Piedmontese town. The company was founded with the name Arata Fratelli. The founder, Aldo Arata, a goldsmith who had worked as an apprentice to Carlo Barberis, had dealt, among other things, with platinum jewelry. Instead, the Monile brand, specialized in platinum processing, dates back to 1977. The company, which in a series of corporate changes is now called Jewels of Italy and controls the Monile brand, also produces jewelry for third parties. He collaborated with De Beers, Rapaport, Lazare Kaplan. The use of platinum is also the result of refined technological research: metal is more difficult to work with than gold. But it has many advantages: it does not change color, it does not scratch, it is hypoallergenic. So much so that it is also used for some surgical and dental instruments.
In telling the story of Monile it is necessary, however, to remember a tragic aspect: on 11 September 2001, after having formed a contract with a multinational, his representatives die on the plane bound for the Pentagon hijacked by terrorists. A crisis that has had profound repercussions on the company, which however is still active.
