First of all, let's clarify the concept of jewel: this word refers to objects produced in precious metals (gold, silver and platinum, rarely also palladium) and which usually have at least one precious or semi-precious stone set inside them.
These “objects” are used to decorate the body and their tradition is rooted in history.
Since the beginning of time, man has decorated his body and his clothing, in different ways and with different purposes. Both for simple aesthetic reasons of searching for beauty and for socio-political reasons.
A pendant with a wolf tooth, shark tooth or rhinoceros horn (depending on the geographical area) could have a very high intrinsic value, the value of the object was determined by its rarity and the difficulty of obtaining it by fighting a ferocious animal.
On the contrary, in the Middle Ages some jewel-reliquaries made of simple silver and fabric with the addition of poor material such as shells could have a much higher value than jewels in lapis lazuli, one of the most popular semi-precious stones of the century. In this case the value is not intrinsic since the materials are poor, but rather linked to the history of the materials, worn or owned by saints or mythical figures.
Modern jewelry and expensive diamonds
The value of modern jewelry is linked both to the prestige of those who own or have owned them, and to the value of the materials used. Currently, diamonds and precious stones with their size and quantity establish the value of a jewel.
Numerous rankings have been drawn up but currently it is difficult - if not impossible - to elect the most expensive jewels in the world precisely because some of these have an inestimable value. One thing is certain, however, is that all the jewels that are part of these rankings owe their esteem to the presence of precious stones, especially diamonds, while the presence of precious metals such as gold or platinum is overlooked.
If putting the most precious and expensive object of all time on the podium is not an easy thing, it is instead knowing the name of the greatest collector of jewels in the world: the English crown! The English royal house in fact owns some of the most expensive jewels, in some cases worn for important ceremonies and always kept in the Tower of London as a real treasure.
Just to mention two of the most famous “queen’s jewels”: the Koh-i-Noor (mountain of light, in Persian), the white diamond considered for centuries the largest in the world, is set in Queen Elizabeth’s tiara and is of inestimable value;
credits: http://www.aheadcomunicazione.it/koh-i-noor-il-gioiello-piu-prezioso/
Cullinan I Star of Africa set in St Edward's Sceptre, also priceless.
credits: https://www.pinterest.it/pin/144959681726385717/
The Blue Diamond “Hope Diamond”
credits: https://moneyinc.com/chopard-201-carat-watch/
Let's talk now about objects that are estimated, auctioned or purchased for which it is possible to have an idea of the real value. The "Hope" diamond is one of the most famous and expensive in the world with a mind-boggling figure between 200 and 250 million dollars.
This is a “fancy” diamond (a term that indicates natural diamonds whose color is outside the normal chromatic scale, which makes them very rare!) blue with gray reflections weighing 45.42 carats and cushion cut. It is considered by many to be the most expensive jewel in the world both for the value of the stone but also, and above all, for its fantastic story that I will now tell you.
It was most likely mined in India in 1666 and there, according to legend, possessed inside a temple and protected by a curse that accompanied it throughout its journey to the West following its theft.
It passed through the hands of many royals, first of all the French ones from Louis XIV and XV to Marie Antoinette, which is why it was also nicknamed “French Blue”. The curse is linked to the fact that many of its owners died of violent deaths or illness.
After having passed through the hands of nobles and eminent figures including Cartier himself, and after having been remodelled several times, losing part of its initial carat weight, it is today found at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, to which it was donated by Harry Winston in 1949.
Fun fact: this world-famous diamond inspired the “Heart of the Ocean” necklace from the movie Titanic.
The most expensive watch in the world
credits: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/luxury/jewellery/harry-winston-bond-street/hope-diamond-history/
It is called “Chopard 201-Carat” and was made with the homonymous jewelry house with 874 diamonds and a weight of 201 carats. Its value is 25 million dollars, a paltry sum if compared to the Hope Diamond but we must consider that it is a watch (usually not included in the jewelry category) although it is studded with diamonds.
The Largest Diamond and the “Perfect” Diamond Necklace
The value of diamonds, as seen, depends on numerous factors such as color and refraction of light but also on its purity. In general, purer diamonds are considered more beautiful and more expensive, but this is not a discriminating factor: consider for example that the Hope Diamond is impure due to some boron atoms that give it a unique color.
The jeweler Mouawad had the fortune and honor of setting the “Incomparable” diamond so called because it is still considered the largest diamond without imperfections (407 carats), after being exhibited in museums around the world it became the pendant of the necklace of the same name. This is made of rose gold and surrounded by 230 carats of diamonds for a total value of 55 million dollars.
Pink diamonds
Pink diamonds, together with the blue ones already mentioned, are rare and very expensive precisely because they also belong to the category of fancy diamonds. Among the most expensive we find the “Pink Star” set in a ring worth 71.2 million dollars,
credits: https://www.tentazioneluxury.it/diamante-pink-star/
“Sweet Josephine” also mounted on a 28 million dollar ring but this time surrounded by two rows of diamonds, the shield-cut “Graff Pink” mounted on a 46 million dollar ring.
credits: https://australia-diamonds.com.au/uncategorized/sweet-josephine-diamond/
Not just expensive diamonds
In our list of expensive precious items, there is an object that is out of the ordinary, whose value is not linked to diamonds. It is the “Hutton-Mdivani” necklace, so called for the names of its owners, including Princess Nina Mdivani, made by Cartier in emerald green jadeite with a platinum clasp, diamonds and rubies. It was sold in 2014 for a value of 27.4 million dollars.
Jade is one of the most appreciated stones in history, especially for cultural reasons: the intense green that characterizes some types of jadeite (the rarest) was chosen for example by Chinese emperors because it was a symbol of wisdom, strength and good luck. The Aztecs, the second people after the Chinese to make extensive use of jadeite in all its expressions, considered it a sacred stone whose value was higher than gold.
The value of the Hutton-Mdivani necklace is certainly linked to the perfection of the stones used, an intense emerald green, free from imperfections and veins.
And what do you think? Do you believe that the value of the jewels you choose depends exclusively on the materials? Or, like us at Giuzi, do you believe that the value of a jewel lies above all in the personal and cultural character it represents?