Who Determines Value of Jewellery Design?

Nowadays, jewellery plays an increasingly important role in people's lives. And collectors' pursuit of jewelry has gone beyond the gems themselves, and they become more and more pursuing the value of design.

So who determines the value of jewellery design? 

This is a good question.

For gems, we have pricing standards and market references, but there does not seem to be a fixed standard for the value of design, and aesthetics are a matter of opinion. When auction houses are valuing jewellery lots, in most cases they simply do not consider brand value and design value. If experts favour the design of a piece of work, it is almost certain that it will be a big hit at auction, but it will still only be evaluated from the gem and the crafting itself. So how does the value of design manifest?

In 2012, Cindy Chao's "Rebirth Butterfly Brooch" was sold at a hammer price of 5 times the estimated price of about one million US dollars. The multiple of the difference between the transaction price and the estimated price is the value of the design.

In 2020, Wallace Chan's "Fire Phoenix" brooch sold at HK$2,375,000, nearly three times more than the underestimated price. This gap also comes from the recognition of collectors.

Although we cannot judge the superiority of design by price, outstanding works that have been recognized since ancient times will certainly have matching high prices. Because the real value of design has always been left to the buyer to decide! Which works can have more value than the material is really measured by real money, which is very fair.

How to determines the value of jewellery design?

If it's you who determines the value judgment of the jewellery design, how should you judge it? Or rather, how should you choose the jewelry design?

Detail

In the 1980s and 1990s, gorgeous jewellery with many gems was very popular. At that time, people paid more attention to the overall effect than the delicate details. In 2000, especially after the 2008 economic crisis, the jewelry market as a whole returned to the pursuit of true and lasting value of jewelry, paying more attention to subtleties. When the most professional jewelry expert in the world gets a piece of work, he will definitely make an action, that is, turn the jewelry over, because an excellent design work should have stunning beauty from any angle.

Design

To judge the value of design, the design itself is of course very important. Whether a jewelry designer has his own design language and style, and whether he can always stick to his own style, gradually improve and dig in this style, are all things you need to consider. Buying jewelry is not just about buying materials. Of course, design is not just about drawing drawings, so you can focus on those works that combine infinite creativity and innovative techniques.

Wear

For the designer's work, wearing is definitely not negligible. They are not only cost-effective, but also more fashionable and easy to match. These works with unlimited creativity will definitely make you the most shining one in the crowd when you wear them. . When choosing, don't ignore your wearing habits and life occasions. After all, jewelry is not an antique in a safe, but a collection that can be worn on the body.

Potential

The value of design is never achieved overnight. It is more suitable to be considered in a longer timeline, so this gives us the opportunity to be insightful and to tap potential stocks. Historically, the iconic works of some design masters have a very obvious upward trend in auction. As the designer’s reputation grows, more and more collectors like him, the opportunity to buy his designs is natural. Fewer and fewer. So when the jewelry designer is not unattainable, accepting his masterpieces, maybe one day in the future, there will be a surprise.

What is costume jewelry?

Costume jewelry, also known as  trinkets, fashion jewellery, refers to fake jewelry used to adorn garments. To meet the needs of frequent changes of fashion, artificial synthetic gems (resin), imitation gems and cheap metals are usually used as the raw materials, and some may be made of low-value or subpar gems, such as agate, ordinary jade, and colored stones, etc. As the name suggests, such jewelry is generally of little value, just for decoration, although many people may wear costume jewelry the same way as real jewelry.

What is costume jewelry?

What is costume jewelry made of?

The raw materials of costume jewelry are generally taken from non-precious materials such as semi-gemstones, glass, alloys, and plastics. Because their materials are relatively easy to obtain, low cost and high plasticity, designers are free to play in the design of accessories. Instead of deliberately imitating precious metals, costume jewellery focus more on the designer's creativity and craftsmanship to reflect the value. Costume jewelry never bother to disguise being of plastic or glass. Of course, there are also some types of costume jewelry whose prices are not much lower than high-end jewelry. For example, the costume jewelry in the "Paris-Moscow" high-end handmade series launched by Chanel two years earlier, hundreds of professional craftsmen and technicians spent 10,000-12,000 hours on them. Whatever the market price, the artistic value is huge.

Noble history of costume jewelry

Nowadays, most of the costume jewellery we see has its own counters in brand stores. They are not expensive and a variety of styles are available. They are sought after by celebrities and fashionistas, and are regarded as the best helpers for matching clothes. But the earliest costume jewelry was a substitute for Fine Jewellery. This history can be traced back to the 18th century. In order to cope with rampant thieves, the wealthy at that time ordered craftsmen to make imitations according to the collections in their homes, and wear them in some less important public places (especially outdoors) Even if they were robbed, there were no heavy losses. Later, it gradually evolved into a trend. Major fashion brands active in Paris will create two sets of jewelry series for customers to choose from. Of course, the prices of these two series are very different, and the clothing jewelry industry is more class-oriented because of its rich materials. With the characteristics of broad and auxiliary clothing as the mainstay, the design scale is getting wider and wider, and it gradually breaks away from the role of "substitute" for high-end jewelry.

Jewelry Seen in Ancient Oil Paints

What is a promise ring?

A promise ring a symbol of love. A promise ring is often given by a boy to a girl to show his dedication to the relationship and demonstrates his love and represents. It represents fidelity and commitment between the two lovers.

What is a promise ring?

The custom of using a promise ring as a token of affection has a long history in China. In the Southern Dynasty (AD 420～589) Liu Jingshu's mystery novel collection Yiyuan, a romantic story is recorded: Qin Shu, a native of Peijun, dated a woman in a tomb. When parting, she cried and said: "After this meeting, who know when we'll meet again! I give this pair of promise rings to you! Seeing them is just like seeing me!" And knotted the rings to his clothes belt (Not onto fingers at that time of China), and bid him farewell.  The significance of the promise ring is clearly demonstrated in the lines.

What does a promise ring mean?

A promise ring means promise, fidelity and a romantic bond between the two lovers! It's an overture for marriage! And probably a promise ring also act a signal to the potential rivals that the girl is already in a long-lasting relationship!