How To Buy And Care For Investment Jewelry
Costume jewelry can be a lot of fun. It is, however, unlikely to hold its value let alone increase in value over time. Investment jewelry, by contrast, is both a pleasure and a treasure. That’s why it’s associated with special occasions such as weddings. If well-chosen and well-cared-for, investment jewelry can be passed down through generations. Here are some tips to help.
Understand what makes investment jewelry
Investment jewelry has to have premium materials and/or premium craftship. The two generally go hand in hand. In other words, if a jeweler spends the money on premium materials then they’re going to apply their best craftship and vice versa.
The definition of premium materials has become more fluid over the years. Traditional precious metals and gemstones are still popular. There is, however, now a bit more room to maneuver. For example, a jeweler might choose a more common metal but add gemstones or use a precious metal with more common stones.
Remember that quality is more than just numbers
The value of precious metals is determined by their level of purity and their weight. This is fairly easy to calculate. The value of gemstones, however, typically depends on various factors. Their weight is certainly important. If you’re buying gemstones then you definitely want them to be weighed on a proper diamond scale.
Other key factors include provenance, color, and cut. Provenance and color are both determined either by nature or by the laboratory. Cut, however, is down to the jeweler. It’s impossible to overstate the importance of having a stone well cut. It really will bring out the very best in a stone including color, luster, and sparkle.
Cut is so important that if your budget is tight, it’s better to buy a smaller stone and have it well cut than to buy a larger stone that is poorly cut. In principle, you might be able to have a jeweler repair it later. In practice that isn’t guaranteed. What’s more, even if a jeweler can improve it, they will probably have to reduce the weight to do so.
Take good care of good jewelry
Jewelry, by definition, is made to be worn. When it’s not being worn, however, it needs to be stored properly. Ideally, that should mean back in its original packaging or another protective container. If you want to leave it out on display then make sure that it has suitable space. Avoid letting it be rubbed by other jewelry pieces or bumped into by humans (or pets).
Alternatively, put your jewelry in a jewelry box but make sure that each of your pieces is protected from the others. If possible, store them in dust bags. If that’s not possible, then make sure that they’re well spread out. That may require you to buy multiple jewelry boxes. Stacking ones can help to save on storage space.
If you regularly wear jewelry with gems in it, then you should take it to a jeweler every six months. Your jeweler will check for minor damage and, if necessary, repair it quickly. This substantially reduces the likelihood of stones coming loose and being lost. If necessary, they will also give your gems a professional clean to restore their sparkle.
