The 21st century gold rush. 

Following the current state of global economies and their associated stock markets and banking sectors, investors are again turning to precious metals - but contemporary and fine jewellery has value beyond these raw materials. 

If you’re just looking at gold for investment purposes, gold bars are probably the route to take. Available in metric sizes, they are based directly on that day’s gold price - but stored at the bank or in the safe, they provide little enjoyment. 

Jewellery is an investment; not just in monetary value, but in design talent, time, creativity, cultural knowledge and passion.

Sourcing the correct materials to create fine and contemporary jewellery starts with the mining of precious metals and stones - whether that’s gold, platinum, silver, palladium, diamonds, sapphire, rubies, emeralds or the more subtle tones of semi-precious stones. 

Like any product, a piece of contemporary fine jewellery is the sum of its part and the quality of the raw materials provides the foundations. An investment in the bare, raw materials is crucial in order for the ultimate design to succeed - but the magic happens when these materials are manipulated into a piece of jewellery. 

A specific design can take many hours, days, even years to complete. An enormous investment of the designer’s time and emotional input into one creative piece is often needed to produce the final product. 

Jewellery also requires a cultural investment - with works inspired by artists, architecture, costumes, films, theatre, couture or a lifetime of ideas culminated into one piece.

Ultimately a unique piece of jewellery, such as those in the May Thomas collection, is a work of art that could ultimately become highly collectible - in years to come possibly fetching a fortune at auction. 

At a more basic level, to own a piece of jewellery that you love and makes you feel good, has a value far in excess of the raw materials. That’s a life investment that is priceless. 

Published by Gaynor E. on Tuesday, August 07, 2012 in Jewellery News. Comments: 0

Comments

No comments posted so far.