Jewelry: More Than a Fashion Accessory

woman holding her diamond pendantJewelry accentuates our style, and both women and men use it to express their status, wealth and beauty. Through the ages, materials as diverse as wood, bone, and metal have been used or jewelry.

But jewelry, be it made from silver, gold, or other precious metals and stones have been used since ancient times to show off the owner’s wealth and social status. While the same is true for modern times, jewelry also accentuates beauty. Rings, earrings, necklaces, brooches, and pendants emphasize the wearer’s beauty, whether it is their hands, their neck, or their face.

Jewelry design uses different styles and materials, so you can easily find a specific design to match your outfit. While silver, platinum and white gold are used for wedding rings and bands, brass, bronze, copper, mixed alloys and other “common” metals have been gaining popularity. Some designers are also experimenting with wood, glass, ceramic, and other materials.

Jewelry as an Investment

Jewelry can also be seen as an investment that can last for generations. The value of the pieces will also likely increase as time goes by especially with those using precious metals and stones. This reasoning is one of the reasons why jewelry are usually turned into family heirlooms, passed down from generation to generation. Antique jewelry using precious stones and unique materials like amber can fetch a high sum, but their authenticity needs to be reviewed and tested. Many jewelers check the gold or the cut of the precious stone.

One of the best examples of this is Elizabeth Taylor, who had a jewelry collection that included unique pieces such as the Krupp Diamond and the La Peregerina Pearl. When her collection was auctioned after her death, the total amount reached 116 million USD.

Men Can Enjoy Jewelry Too

Men are sometimes reluctant to wear jewelry, and you probably won’t see many wearing necklaces, brooches, or pendants. Most men limit their accessories to wristwatches, rings, and cufflinks. But in ancient times, the royalty and nobility used jewelry to adorn themselves and emphasize their status.

Gold jewelry and pearls in a box

Men have used cufflinks and rings as the best way to use precious stones and unique materials for jewelry. Some men wear necklaces, but often prefer simple gold chains with no pendant. Some men also like to wear rings, but most often prefer simple bands or those that signify memebership to an organization or society. In Britain, some men  wear pinkie rings with their family’s family crest.

For status, most men prefer wristwatches as a statement piece. Most expensive wristwatches use Swiss engineering to tell time accurately.  Some expensive pieces are customized to suit a specific person. In such cases, a wristwatch from a high-end company like Rolex, Patek Philippe, or Jaeger-LeCoultre could reach a very high price.

Jewelry is Forever

Fashion trends change every season, but jewelry will always remain a constant fashion article that people will always use as a fashion statement, a beauty enhancer, and status symbol. If you find yourself in a jewelry store checking out the wedding bands and jewelry sets, consider them not merely as an accessory, but also as an investment.

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