<p>I probably shouldn’t have used Tiffany as an example - I don’t own any Tiffany pieces and find their things rather blah and overpriced. They do use good quality stones, however, and I thought that most people would at least recognize the brand. I’m not commenting on the sentimental value or emotional connection to jewelry - of course that’s a real and important part of owning and wearing a piece. I have my great aunt’s costume scarf clip from the 1950s that I wear all of the time - it’s really cool looking and it reminds me of her. My comments were specifically about quality, design, and craftsmanship…there are a handful of jewelers in the world who make sublime pieces that are apart from everything else. It’s not different than a pair of custom handmade shoes or a couture gown…there is really a difference. Even if you can’t afford it, I think it’s good to know the difference because it makes you more discerning in general to know what the best looks like. You can appreciate a good $8 wine if you know what a fabulous $400 wine tastes like. I have seen artisans here and there who make beautiful pieces - most are on the simple side because they don’t have the resources to do intricate work. But the typical “local jeweler” - we have many around here - usually don’t meet a minimum bar for quality and design, in my view, but there are without question, exceptions.</p>
<p>But the big brand name chains ( Tiffanys, Van Cleef and Arpel, Debeers, Cartier, Harry Winston,etc) are no longer individual artisans. Its quite possible that the individual jewelry artisans might be, excuse the pun, a diamond in the rough. Buying something for the name does not always guarantee quality. Just price</p>
<p>Actually it does guarantee quality and they’ll stand behind their products forever. I have an estate Bulgari necklace from the 1940s that they repaired free of charge and I didn’t buy it new from them. </p>
<p>They have teams of artisans, hence the resources, to make intricate pieces. </p>
<p>Funny how anything expensive is considered “not worth it” by so many people here.</p>
not according to the posters above. And I’ve had Tiffany bracelets fall apart. One is just tossed into the jewelry box. meh.</p>
<p>Don’t know who the “expensive isnt worth it” comment is directed at, but its ironic considering the constant “is undergrad worth the $$” debate that rages here .</p>
<p>As for me, I’d put the $ into my kids education in a heartbeat over a piece of jewelry for me. But hey, thats just me, and my priorities.</p>
<p>I took Tiffany off the list - their sterling novelty jewelry is not what I’m discussing.</p>
<p>That’s me too - all three full pay private HS and college. My point is, why not understand what the best is so that you can appreciate quality? I like art and love to go to galleries. I own a lot of work by up and coming artists and even some pieces I bought on the street. I developed my eye by studying the best, so what I bought is pretty good. I’m not kidding myself that I own the next Cezanne, however.</p>
<p>My daughter will probably never understand the quality of her ring. Many years ago, I was in a position to provide significant assistance to one of the name jewelers here in New York, and we have always remained close. When daughter’s young man was looking for a ring, my friend designed and set the ring after giving the diamond and the setting at his cost. It is exactly the ring my daughter had dreamed of (my friend scoped out D’s Pinterest for ideas) at a saving of tens of thousands of dollars. If future SIL would only decide to propose already!</p>
<p>“Best” is about the most subjective term there is.
My “best” is clearly not your “best” which is not someone else’s “best”</p>
<p>Btw, my ring and stones are guaranteed for life by my local artist shop. Could they go out of business or something? Sure, but I’ll take my chances. </p>
<p>Good point. “Best” is very subjective. DH has a cousin who used to have 2 jaguars… because one was always on the shop. This was before they were bought/sold by daimler, ford, tata motors or whoever it was. But still- poorly made with lots of constant costly repairs. But they thought the brand was the “best”.</p>
<p>A former boyfriend’s Dad had a Jaguar back in the 80’s, and it was a constant source of amusement for the family that the car was so often in the shop. I thought it was just a lemon, but maybe not!</p>
<p>Also, the aesthetics don’t always match the “quality” measures. Who’s to say that a more colorless diamond is more beautiful than one with a blue or yellow cast (especially in a yellow-gold setting)? My mother’s diamond has a flaw that can only be seen with a jeweler’s loupe. Since we plan to look at it with the naked eye, that only matters for investment purposes. From a beauty standpoint, it’s just as pretty as it was before I knew about the flaw.</p>
<p>“there are a handful of jewelers in the world who make sublime pieces that are apart from everything else. It’s not different than a pair of custom handmade shoes or a couture gown…there is really a difference. Even if you can’t afford it, I think it’s good to know the difference because it makes you more discerning in general to know what the best looks like.”</p>
<p>I don’t need the absolute best in everything, though. There is a level of quality that’s absolutely fine enough for my purposes. I just went and bought my son a bunch of investment clothing (suits, overcoat) from Brooks Brothers, that will (god willing!) last a long time and serve him well. The fact that there are far “higher” men’s clothiers isn’t necessary … their quality is more than fine for my purposes. Likewise, I can appreciate far more expensive shoes than I own, but my little Repetto ballet slippers (that I’m wearing right now) channel Audrey Hepburn and that’s good enough for me, even if they aren’t the price point of Jimmy Choos or Louboutins. </p>
<p>I’ve been to many of the major art galleries in Europe, but understanding the quality of the Old Masters’ work has absolutely no bearing on the pieces I buy for my home. And I haven’t needed any kind of formal training to have a good eye (and in fact to get paid for it in my professional life).</p>
<p>Likewise, in what possible way does it benefit me to know how couture gowns are constructed when I am shopping for clothes for work? </p>
<p>You left out the part where Gourmetmom said, “I’m not kidding myself that I own the next Cezanne, however.”</p>
<p>Understanding how couture gowns are constructed can help us understand the quality available in garments bought off the rack. There is a lot of disposable fashion out there even in supposedly high end shops. How many people turn a garment inside out and check out the seams and fabric content before purchasing? I grew up with very talented grandmothers creating any kind of garments I dreamed up, fitted to my body. If I wanted beading or sequins, those were sewn on individually. Plaids were expertly matched. I’ve been thinking about this matching of plaids a lot lately.</p>
<p>I absolutely equate jewelry and fashion with art. Where I part ways with Gourmetmom is the idea that “best” exists and that a mass media consumer take on “best” is useful or productive education. </p>
<p>This is an incredibly interesting topic to me if it could be discussed without the competitive aspect which, of course, I’ve contributed to as much as anyone here ; (</p>
<p>i, for one, feel clueless when it comes to diamonds. I don’t have a local jeweler whom I trust. When the time comes, I hope I can find a CCer in sV or Boston to help out.</p>
<p>I do agree that when you are familar with materials and construction, you have an advantage when shopping, whether it be for a home, a car or a sweater.</p>
<p>But it isn’t a character attribute to spend a lot of money and it isn’t a character flaw to be happy with something not as * fine*.</p>
<p>I have a friend who makes custom wedding gowns. When she was just starting out she made a lot of my clothes, which of course were expertly tailored and of the best fabrics. Nowadays if I am buying a jacket or coat or dress pants I’ll look at the construction, and I always look at the fabric content and care instructions. But it is of no use to me to understand the best way to make a gown of duchesse satin and a boned corset-style bodice when I am shopping for a knit wrap dress to wear to work with tights and boots.</p>
<p>Really? We are having a piece made. We are providing all of the stones and some of the gold (rose gold that we want used). It’s going to be gorgeous. </p>
<p>It also found the above comment about the Tiffany silver necklaces to be offensive. They are simple, and lovely, and make a very nice gift for a special occasion for a young lady (high school graduation, for example).</p>
<p>I personally love a piece of worthless costume jewelry more than any of my more valuable pieces. I wear it all the time. No one ever comments on my wedding ring…but I get frequent comments about this other, much less vlaudable ring. </p>