Why Fine Jewelry Stands the Test of Time

The Metropolitan Museum of Art contains the world’s most prized ancient relics, on display for anyone to peruse. Many of these artifacts are jewelry, with pieces dating as far back as 2051-2030 BC in Ancient Egypt (pictured below). As a lifelong lover of jewelry and now its history, it dawned on me that there are very few prized possessions that withstand the test of time as this variant of art does. And it does so not only robustly but also elegantly and exquisitely. Fast forward a few millennia to our contemporary era - with steep increases in gold prices as well as the constant media barrage of global recession warnings and economic uncertainty, fine jewelry sales continue to remain stable, if not increase. When solidly crafted, it is one of the only kinds of art that can be adorned while also embodying the essence of one of my favorite quotes from the French poet Charles Baudelaire, “Tirer l’éternel du transitoire.” (“Extract the eternal from the ephemeral.”) The real beauty of art lies in overcoming the urge of modern day’s instant gratification of quick and fast consumerism and appreciating the everlasting, permanent, and universal aspects of the human experience. There are a multitude of reasons why fine jewelry is a historically coveted luxury item, with the most significant being its quality, longevity, craftsmanship, cultural relevance, and perhaps most importantly, its sentimentality.

The craftsmanship of a piece is the most significant factor in determining its quality. A jeweler can design and create an expensive piece with the highest quality materials available; however, if the handicraft leaves much to be desired, its actual value decreases. Being skillfully hand-made as well as hand-finished ensures jewelry’s form and function. This is not only important for comfort and appearance but also for long-term performance, which is exemplified in the pieces that have endured for millennia. Mass-produced jewelry will not remain intact for long periods of time as it cannot withstand the test of everyday wear. A skilled craftsman’s attention to detail and ability to find minute imperfections, sometimes not visible to the naked eye, are essential to ensure longevity. With such high standards, he or she ascertains that the settings holding the stones in place are strong, the clasps are reliable and secure, and the piece has overall durability that is crucial for continuous wear. The time-honored hand techniques, such as forging, sawing, setting, and engraving, can also add character and detail that a machine typically cannot. Another component of the human aspect is that a well-trained jeweler is also able to distinguish between the highest quality materials that go into fabricating a piece, namely the precious metals and the gemstones. There are a number of considerations that are involved when choosing stones, including but not limited to rarity, durability, and visual appeal. When dealing with precious metals, an adept craftsman can quickly identify whether a metal is real gold, gold-filled, gold-plated, or a less expensive alloy not compatible with endurance. Clearly, there are a number of factors (at times overwhelming!) that a bench jeweler must consider when handling any piece of jewelry.

Jewelry has had long-lasting value, dating back to the beginnings of recorded human civilization, in large part due to its cultural relevance. Its magnitudinous ability to represent the self, ethnic backgrounds, ceremonial rites of passage, love and affection, among others, spans the entire globe, with even the most primitive of cultures and tribes incorporating its use into their societies. To begin with, the concept of adorning oneself for the sake of individuality and style has been a practice that has both metamorphosed and come full circle throughout human history. While some adorners simply appreciate accessorizing themselves as a form of self-expression, others sport jewelry as a symbol of their faith and/or cultural identity. For example, crosses and patron saint medals have been a symbol of Christianity from its inception while rosary beads (pictured bottom left) have long been utilized by Catholics during acts of prayer. Similarly, those who belong to the Muslim faith use prayer beads, known as Tasbih or Mishaba (pictured bottom middle), to aid in their remembrance of God. In the Hindu religion, adorning and decorating idols that represent their deities (pictured bottom right) is part of their rituals of worship in order to exemplify their faith and gratitude as well as enhance their spiritual aura. For them, jewelry represents actual divine qualities that strengthens the connections between humans and their gods.

Each ethnic or tribal culture’s jewelry carries deeply ingrained societal symbolism that is specific to their traditions and beliefs. Those that identify with Celtic culture and its history often wear jewelry that consist of knots to represent eternity and interconnectedness. The traditional Claddagh symbol, including two hands holding a heart with a crown (pictured bottom left), symbolizes loyalty and love. Talismans are also used in many cultures to ward off evil spirits or those who seek to do harm. For example, the evil eye (pictured bottom middle) is used in many cultures to prevent envious and malevolent glares from inflicting misfortune. The hamsa, an open hand with an eye in its center (pictured bottom right), is used in the Middle East and Africa for similar reasons. Likewise, the St. Christopher medal originated in the Catholic religion to also be worn for protection. Not to mention the ancient to modern belief that certain gemstones carry metaphysical qualities and powers. GIA’s birthstone catalogue details the history of each stone and delineates the cross-cultural powers that rubies were believed to possess, “In past centuries, some believed this birthstone for July could predict misfortune or danger, and others claimed it would cure inflammatory diseases and soothe anger. Burmese warriors believed it made them invincible in battle. Medieval Europeans maintained that rubies bestowed health, wisdom, wealth and success in love.” These are just a few examples of the various ways that talismans and gemstones have been utilized as cultural symbols throughout the world.

While we can argue that each of the aforementioned factors is the most important aspect of fine jewelry, an item that holds emotional and sentimental significance is invaluable to a family or loved ones. Because jewelry is often gifted, to others but also to oneself, during a ceremonial rite of passage, such as a wedding, birthday, anniversary, graduation, etc., the piece now encapsulates a memory of an important or transformational event. These representations are commonly passed down through generations as inheritance, with the story of its inception or creation acting as the central component to this work of art. Even if an inherited piece doesn’t possess high economical value, a jeweler can attempt to reinforce or restore a piece so that the sentimentality of its heritage remains. The majority of the repairs and restorations that we do in our store are sentimental pieces, and one of Austin and Faith’s favorite parts of this industry is listening to the stories that accompany them. Some of my most favorite pieces of jewelry are those that once belonged to both of my grandmothers, who passed away years ago. I carry them with me by wearing their bracelets daily to serve as a reminder that though we are not together physically, they live on in my heart ethereally. One of them has my grandmother’s first name engraved on the front of a sterling silver ID bracelet, with “From the Gang 1-23-46” etched on the back (pictured below). Not even knowing who “the gang” was or what the date signifies, it delights me to know that my grandmother was surrounded by wonderful friends to give her such a thoughtful gift that she cherished and wore throughout her lifetime. This added value to a piece is a driving motivation to deliver the utmost quality and care in its handling.

These are only a few of the innumerable reasons why jewelry is a priceless and eternal investment. We take great pride and care in assuring only the utmost quality for our clients and customers because we not only want your jewelry to last as long as it can, but we also want to provide peace of mind by valuing the importance that it holds to an individual or a family. While the higher cost of fine jewelry can be intimidating, there are always inexpensive options that can still endure for long periods of time, and our goal is to ensure that it does so with our expertise, attention to detail, as well as regular checks and maintenance. As we always love to say, there is something for everyone in jewelry due to its variety of styles, materials, personalization, functions, occasions for gifting, beauty, meaning - the possibilities are truly endless!