American Elements has created jewellery that is for the first time manufactured out of rare Iridium metal, and has patented its manufacturing technology last month. The company has already begun production of jewellery in the metal. The company is headquartered in Los Angeles and is a manufacturer of rare metals.

"The response has been fantastic," reports American Elements CEO Michael N. Silver. "The introduction of a new precious metal to the global jewellery industry is an important and exciting once in a lifetime event. Among the first buyers is a Rothschild banker in London for his wedding band and a well-known California female artist."

The metal is characterised as an extremely rare precious metal with a more luxurious patina than gold, silver or platinum, reports say. Since it commands an extremely high melting temperature which is more than 2,000 degrees above that of gold, it was not used in jewellery manufacturing until the technology by American Elements. Iridium appears deep gray and is a highly reflective metal that is the highest luster, lowest tarnishing element in the universe. "There is no doubt that if it had a significantly lower melting point, Iridium would have been the preferred precious metal of royalty and the wealthy for the past 1,000 years. It's absolutely beautiful, but the technology to produce it just wasn't available," says Mr. Silver.

The company uses its high technology capabilities, which it uses to design parts for the NASA space programme, to work with jewellers in New York and Los Angeles to create its pure Iridium jewellery. It patented its first pure Iridium wedding band last month, along with bracelets, earrings, watch bands and necklaces.