Posts Tagged ‘Thing Of Beauty’

The Ronald Platt Story: How a Rolex Watch Helped Solve a Crime

Wednesday, January 20th, 2010

There are many reasons why people buy Rolex watches; it is usually because the Rolex watch is a thing of beauty, a luxurious status symbol, a wise financial investment, or all of the above.  But for all the possible reasons why you may want to buy a Rolex, there is one reason that you may not really consider – you can use your Rolex to prove your identity.

In 1996, a Rolex Oyster Perpetual Chronometer was the centerpiece of an elaborate murder case that happened in the United Kingdom.  The body of a man was caught by a fishing crew off the coast of Devon at that time.  The face of the man was already in an advanced state of decomposition, and the fingerprints and DNA of the remains could not be found in police or Interpol databases.  The only identifying marks that he had were a tattoo of a maple leaf on the back of his hand and the Rolex watch around his wrist.

All the traditional methods used in forensic science for identifying remains were exhausted before a member of the investigating team pointed out at the victim’s Rolex.  It was suggested that the team should get in touch with the watch manufacturer itself because Rolex may have a record of the watch found on the victim.

True enough, Rolex has a record of every watch it has manufactured.  The serial number of a Rolex watch can be found at the watch’s shoulder, just underneath the curve where the bracelet meets the watch’s face.  In addition to that, every time a Rolex watch is taken to customer care for service and repairs, special engravings were made on the watch.

Because of the help extended by Rolex, the victim was later identified to be Ronald Joseph Platt.  His Rolex Oyster Perpetual Chronometer was manufactured in Geneva in 1967 and he took it for servicing in 1977, 1982 and 1986.  The identification of the body was confirmed later on by a man who came forward as Platt’s friend, David Davis.

As it turned out, the identification of the victim through his Rolex watch and his friend was only the beginning of a major discovery.  When the British police investigated the whereabouts of Mr. Platt at the time of his death, it was uncovered that the man who introduced himself as David Davis was using the identity of Ronald Platt while living in England.  Davis had arranged for Platt and his girlfriend to immigrate to Canada and, after doing that, had assumed Platt’s identity in England without Platt knowing it.

David Davis was not his real name, either.  He was actually Albert Johnson Walker, and he had been on the Interpol most wanted list in the last six years for swindling millions of dollars from clients in Canada.  He had taken on Platt’s identity as a means of escape.  Walker did not count on the real Platt returning to England and living just a town away from where he lived.

It was never really established how Platt had died.  The theory of the investigating police was that Walker had lured Platt to his boat on the premise that he needed help with it.  Once on the boat, Walker hit Platt on the head, tied an anchor to Platt’s belt, threw him overboard and left him to drown.

No matter how the crime had occurred or how it was planned, the point is that it would never have been uncovered if not for the Rolex watch found around Platt’s wrist when he was fished up from the sea.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/jewelry-articles/the-ronald-platt-story-how-a-rolex-watch-helped-solve-a-crime-1757861.html

Diamond Engagement Ring Best Way to Express Your Love

Friday, December 25th, 2009

The first thing that comes to your mind when we talk about engagement is the engagement ring. Since engagements are special occasions, they call for rings which are special too. This is why diamond engagements rings have found an exclusive place for themselves in such ceremonies. Since diamonds have an edge over gold, silver, platinum etc in more than one way, they have almost eclipsed other types of rings as a part of engagement and marriage ceremonies.

The popularity of diamond engagement rings is not a recent phenomenon, but dates back to the Roman period. By that time people had become aware that the diamonds were the strongest substance found on earth. Since engagements also symbolize a strong union between a couple, diamonds seemed to be the best choice for such occasions.

The dazzling diamond ring can mesmerize any would-be bride and is undoubtedly the best gift or token of affection that a person can gift his fiance. Women from all over the world are fascinated by jewellery and what better piece of adornment can they be offered than a beautiful diamond ring.

Although some prudent people may get skeptical about buying a diamond ring since one has to dish out a huge amount to purchase them, yet one cannot refute the phrase that ‘A thing of beauty is a joy forever. Moreover, diamonds don’t get worn out with the passing time and neither do they get devalued. Due to these qualities, they also hold great value as family heirlooms and are passed down to generations as assets with special importance.

But before purchasing diamond engagement ring you must be very careful and should do little research. Always remember that buying precious diamond engagement ring does not call for any specialized knowledge, but a basic understanding about some aspects about diamonds such as its cut, colour, carat weight and clarity. And by browsing online jewellery stores you can find detail of all the attributes of diamond. You can also find depth analysis about the different types of engagement rings and will help you in making the right choice. Always remember that a little research will satisfy you and your partner and will help you in wining the trust of your partner.

The author has written many articles and is offering much valuable information on aspect of engagement rings, wedding rings and diamond engagement rings. He also offers valuable ideas to make your occasion special. For more information you can feel free to visit www.whitefleur.co.uk.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/jewelry-articles/diamond-engagement-ring-best-way-to-express-your-love-1624062.html