Treasure chest advice

MANILA, Philippines - Jewelry has always traditionally been a status symbol; a store of wealth; a sign of ownership — but in our modern times, it means so much more than that. While pieces made of precious metals may form part of an investment portfolio, jewelry of your very own is more a reflection of your personality; a legacy to your children and grandchildren; and most of all, a measure of your self-confidence and self-worth.

Looking at society pages, it is easy to identify those who wear the usual pearl earrings or diamond studs — safe and easy choices but scarcely reflective of these ladies’ personalities. Jewelry should be as well-selected and thought-through as one does with shoes, handbags and clothes. However, many ladies fail to plan their jewelry purchases with the same care, perhaps because the subtleties and nuances of investing in jewelry are not well understood. I will, over several articles, aim to provide sound investment rules in the acquisition of jewelry.

An Eye For Value

First and foremost, know your jewelry facts and terminologies — what is fine jewelry as opposed to costume jewelry; what appreciates and what depreciates as soon as you buy it.

Fine jewelry can be defined as pieces of jewelry made from precious metals and gemstones. These possess intrinsic value and are used as a store of wealth. Costume jewelry is primarily made from synthetic or man-made materials such as plastic, wood, base metals, and others. These “investments” practically depreciate as soon as you buy them because there is no component present in them with intrinsic value in it.

Precious metals are silver, gold and platinum. Fine metal, on the other hand, means they are 99.99 percent pure and available in the form of ingots (a form of currency for investment, such as to store in a bank or a safe deposit box). Fine jewelry is made from any of these three metals, but are almost always alloyed or mixed with other metals to either strengthen them or to make them easier to fashion into wonderful pieces to wear. All three metals are subject to international standards to ensure that they are categorized as precious.

Silver

The most attainable precious metal is silver. There’s only one standard to remember — sterling silver is 92.5 percent fine silver and 7.5 percent composed of other metals such as copper. Genuine jewelry should be marked either as “sterling” or 925. Other variants of the 925 marking are .925 or 92.5 percent.

Sterling silver jewelry is also the most exciting because its relatively lower cost allows designers to be more adventurous and fashion-forward with their designs. Although silver jewelry does tarnish, it is easily removed with silver cleaners widely available in the market.

Another virtue of silver is that it is anti-bacterial. It can also serve as a clear indicator of the state of health of its wearer — if one’s sterling silver jewelry tarnishes too easily, it means the wearer’s system is too acidic and should eat more vegetables to balance the body composition. Too much acidity in one’s body can lead to more serious illnesses over time.

Silver jewelry buyers must beware of simulations such as other white metal alloys and “German silver” — composed of copper, nickel, and zinc mix — that looks like silver. “Silver plated” jewelry means a base metal is merely covered with a thin film of silver. Always look for the markings or hallmarks as a guide to determine if a piece of jewelry is sterling silver.

Your Own Treasure Box

Choose your jewelry to be striking and well coordinated. Whenever you enter a room or face people, your jewelry will be noticed first. As you gain confidence in buying and wearing, avoid matching sets — it is a terribly old-fashioned, not to mention tasteless notion. A modern way to wear jewelry is to be eclectic and personal. Choose designs that are unique and fashion forward but timeless as well. When shopping, focus on what catches your eye — let your instincts take over as to what would be right for you, but confidently mix styles, metals and stones as long as it looks great on you and you are comfortable wearing them.

Let your life experiences guide you — as we learn more about our inner self, we also grow more in self-confidence. Our tastes evolve and our choice of jewelry will reflect this, but over the years I have found that the jewelry I fell in love with and acquired continues to blend well with my new favorite pieces. Blending the old and new gives you a sense of freedom since it reflects your old self and your own style at present.

Go ahead and build a solid foundation with a jewelry wardrobe that contains such classic pieces as pearl and diamond studs, but as you grow, let your own style evolve — experiment with colored gemstones; mix old pieces with the new; layer, mix and match; but above all, avoid full sets or parures except for the most formal events requiring a ball gown and a suite of jewelry made of matching gemstones. 

Finally, spend more on your jewelry than your wardrobe because the value of your jewelry is sure to increase and will give you a lifetime of enjoyment, not to mention memories to be shared with your children and descendants when the time comes to enjoy your treasure box.

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Mia Faustmann is currently the president of the Guild of Philippine Jewellers Inc.)

For information about jewelry in general, you may reach the author at 723-7510.