The company’s marketing manager, Chris Scanlan, said he wasn’t prepared for the number of telephone calls he has received, which highlights the intrigue surrounding the new metal.
The majority of phone calls to Scanlan have been in response to July’s cover of Jeweller that featured a selection of the Dora Platinum 600 rings.
“We got an advance copy of Jeweller,” Scanlan said, “but I knew the exact day readers started receiving their copies. The phone started ringing with lots of enquiries.”
A week later and the company is still fielding about five to six calls a day, he added.
“I expected calls from our existing stockists but we have been fielding lots of enquiries from retailers that either we haven’t dealt with for years or stores we have never heard of,” Scanlan said, adding, “The feedback has been great.”
Scanlan explained that he first became interested in Platinum 600 when he and Dora CEO Eddie Akdemir were attending a conference in Europe earlier this year. He said Platinum 600 was discussed at the event because of its popularity in the region. Dora began manufacturing Platinum 600 soon after.
“I think it’s a great option for the Australian market because we are currently having a love affair with alternate metals,” Scanlan said.
The Platinum 600 range gets its name from its composition of 600 parts platinum per 1,000 parts (400 parts alloy).
“The beauty of this alternate metal is that its chief ingredient is platinum, which is widely recognised by consumers as the premium metal, it’s hard-wearing and maintenance-friendly, and it represents good value,” Scanlan said.
Clarification
Scanlan admitted that the new brand had created a few questions, especially around the term “platinum 600” and he received a call from the Jewellers Association of Australia (JAA) about the description.
Prominent designer and manufacturing jeweller Jason Ree received his magazine and was quick off the mark to issue a challenge to the term.
Commenting to Jeweller, Ree said he worried that “Platinum 600” might confuse some consumers.
“The fact that the word ‘Platinum’ is written in large bold type on the ring would easily mislead a consumer into believing it was indeed equivalent to their perception of what a Platinum ring is,” Ree said.
“Having the numerical value ‘600’ after this word does not adequately imply it is effectively 14-carat, nor is it displayed as per other international millesimal convention by way of having a recognised platinum frame around the millesimal value,” he added.
Scanlan said some of the issues raised by Ree were valid.
“Deceiving people is not our intention. We are being innovative and creating options for the trade and consumers,” he said.
“Platinum 600 is a description of the metal,” Scanlan told Jeweller. “In some ways it’s more specific and honest a description than Platinum 950 or 850, as those two are often described as pure platinum. But as the collection takes its name from the metal, then it also becomes a sub-brand of Dora in the same way the titanium and gold collection does.
“We intend to convey through our consumer advertisements, websites and consumer brochures that Platinum 600 is 60 parts platinum and 40 parts alloy.”
Scanlan said all rings would be stamped PT 600.
“We have a responsibility to ensure retailers know what they are buying from us, just the same as retailers have a responsibility to consumers to inform them accurately and honestly of what the metal actually is,” he confirmed.