WITH auction jewellery becoming the talk of the town in investment circles, the major jewellery houses aren't about to let past classics - gorgeous as they are - outshine contemporary creations yet.
Never mind that the price of gold is at its highest this year, or that precious gemstones are getting harder to come by (no thanks to volatile political situations in certain countries), the big pieces - or what the industry calls high jewellery - are still being rolled out of jewellery workshops.
Opulence is back, and nowhere is it more obvious than in pieces of jewellery dripping with lusciously sparkling gemstones and diamonds.
Chopard, for example, has declared this to be the year of the necklace, and to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Cannes International Film Festival, as well as its own 10th year of partnership with the festival, the jewellery house came up with the Haute Joaillerie collection which has 60 necklace creations. Head-turning pieces befitting the red carpet, the necklaces of pearls, opal, coral, quartz, moonstones, amethysts and tourmalines were seen gracing the necklines of famous stars.
Even jewellery houses known for their minimalism are getting into the haute couture act. At Italian jewellery house Pomellato, its 40th anniversary was also a reason to bump up its bling. Pomellato's signature look might be clean golden lines and delicious looking cabochons, but now that it has turned 40, it has rolled out the couture Pom Pom collection. This collection is making its way to Singapore only next year, and features diamonds and sapphires paved around a central stone which are as exotic as aspinel, iolite, green beryl and moonstone.
Guidelines
When it comes to blowing off, oh, half a million, on a piece of jewellery, however, what are the 'guidelines' - if any - on how to make sure one really ends up with an heirloom or an auction-worthy piece?
Kim Goh, a private jeweller based at Raffles Hotel, says that when choosing jewellery from the main jewellery houses, it's important to go for history and the iconic jewellery that the brand is known for. 'You want to buy history. Cartier's orchids have a history, for instance, and the jewellery house updates this collection all the time. Its panther motif is also revived again and again with new twists. People who collect jewellery will look for certain motifs to keep adding to their collection,' he explains.
Van Cleef & Arpels is well known for the mystery settings it uses for its pieces, especially ruby and diamond flowers, while for Tiffany, you might want to look for an original Jean Schlumberger work.
'Just buying something from the brand isn't enough. You have to know its history,' says Mr Goh. 'This is something that Asian collectors are quite savvy about, actually. Asian buyers tend to go for value for their money; if they buy a piece of signed jewellery, it'll be a signature piece, and when it's gems, they'll go for quality gems,' he adds.
Extra wattage jewellery done in 'Harry Winston style' - which is essentially jewellery covered completely with gemstones - is also timeless, in his view.
As for upcoming trends, there's a strong revival of art deco designs of the '20s and '30s, those that use baquette cut diamonds and gemstones, for instance, for that geometric, architectural look.
The status of jewellery as an investment is ever stronger now, Mr Goh thinks, especially when it comes to diamonds. 'Thanks to their liquidity, a 10-carat diamond can be easily taken out of a country and resurface as a 9.9 carat diamond and sold anonymously, much easier than you can sell a Monet painting,' he says.
One can't go wrong with diamonds in their classic settings - either as a solitaire or a tennis bracelet. Gems like rubies can also be conversation pieces, as prices now for a good, natural ruby can be even more expensive than a D flawless diamond.
And choosing a good diamond isn't just about the four Cs - cut, carat, clarity and colour - he points out. 'It's a lot more complicated than that. There's also polish and symmetry, and proportion, and then flourescence, or how thick the girdle is on a diamond. All that affects how a diamond looks. Fluorescence isn't necessary for a D diamond. However, on a yellower diamond, fluorescence will make it look whiter,' explains Mr Goh.
Despite the turbulence in the stock market, there's no rocking haute rocks which look set to glitter in the limelight for a while longer, breaking records at auctions.
