A new piece of platinum jewellery valued at a quarter of a million dollars has gone on display in India.

The piece - a necklace designed by Orlando Orlandini - is being touted as one of the most exquisite examples of platinum work.

Entitled Aqua, the $250,000 necklace has been on display at the Indian International Jewellery show in Mumbai and is set to appear at a number of other industry trade fairs.

James Courage, chief executive at Platinum Guild International, which commissioned the piece, said that the necklace captured “the spirit of the metal in a masterpiece that conveys the whole platinum legend, its beauty and its contemporary dimension”.

The glamorous necklace echoes the use of platinum at a host of major celebrity occasions, most notably glitzy weddings, the Oscars and the Golden Globes.

Platinum jewellery has become the bridal jewellery of choice among Hollywood's cognoscenti, with singer and actress Jennifer Lopez recently sporting $7 million of jewellery designed by Neil Lane.

Earlier this year Neil Lane decked out Golden Globe winner Charlize Theron in platinum and diamond bracelets, while Jennifer Garner sported platinum and diamond cuff bracelets.

Other A-list celebrities to don platinum at recent events include Jude Law, Will Smith and Pierce Brosnan, who took a hint from James Bond's smart attire at this year's Oscars, wearing a pair of Neil Lane platinum cufflinks.