Designer Piece that is not easy to duplicate?

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#16
etoupebirkin said:
I agree with these! Especially the Verdura and Buccellati. Jewelry from these designers are immediately recognizable to people in the know, while the general public is ignorant. The pieces are exquisite without screaming, "look how much $ I have!"
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Verdura uses the best colored and semi-precious stones. The quality of their workmanship is superb. I doubt that most jewelers can make the criss-cross cuff well, since the gold is literally woven. Buccellati's workmanship is so minute and detailed, I doubt it can be easily copied, too.
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I don't agree that most competent jewelers can copy anything. I think a very few could but the cost of doing so at the exact same level of quality would negate the point of not buying from the original house. Further. Many top bench jewelers specialize in certain techniques and or styles. You can't just engrave a al Buccellati just like Henri Matisse can't paint like Richard Diebenkorn and so on. Big and/or important stones are simply that, big important stones. Notable for their color or rarity. So it is design and technique that is what is so special about these truly unique houses like a Buccellati. David Webb's stuff is in fact remarkably easy to copy and there are many copies out there because of it. And further still, it is relatively easy to copy anything using CAD and other computer design aids as well as lasers but then again it will look different than a hand made piece even if only in subtle ways.
 
#17
Hermesaholic said:
I don't agree that most competent jewelers can copy anything. I think a very few could but the cost of doing so at the exact same level of quality would negate the point of not buying from the original house. Further. Many top bench jewelers specialize in certain techniques and or styles. You can't just engrave a al Buccellati just like Henri Matisse can't paint like Richard Diebenkorn and so on. Big and/or important stones are simply that, big important stones. Notable for their color or rarity. So it is design and technique that is what is so special about these truly unique houses like a Buccellati. David Webb's stuff is in fact remarkably easy to copy and there are many copies out there because of it. And further still, it is relatively easy to copy anything using CAD and other computer design aids as well as lasers but then again it will look different than a hand made piece even if only in subtle ways.
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Indeed haute joaillerie is another ball game, but many of the simple styles such as Cartier, VCA & Piaget's standard consumer lines (Love/JuC/Alhambra/Altiplano) are fairly simple to imitate at a fraction of the cost (at least 1/2 the price).

As for big important stones, they can be synthesized in labs (diamonds & corundums). They won't be "natural" but they'll be chemically identical so for all intensive purposes the same.

As for Wolfgang Beltracchi, he did a pretty good job fooling the art world!
 
#18
I agree with you completely but that really wasn't the OPs question. So yes, Alhambra is easy to copy. There is nothing inherently special or difficult about its construction. The pieces difficult to copy are pieces of art.....if they were easy to coy they would nt be so expensive to make. (Tiffany diamonds by yard easy to copy, Schlumberger not so much)
 
#19
Hermesaholic said:
I don't agree that most competent jewelers can copy anything. I think a very few could but the cost of doing so at the exact same level of quality would negate the point of not buying from the original house. Further. Many top bench jewelers specialize in certain techniques and or styles. You can't just engrave a al Buccellati just like Henri Matisse can't paint like Richard Diebenkorn and so on. Big and/or important stones are simply that, big important stones. Notable for their color or rarity. So it is design and technique that is what is so special about these truly unique houses like a Buccellati. David Webb's stuff is in fact remarkably easy to copy and there are many copies out there because of it. And further still, it is relatively easy to copy anything using CAD and other computer design aids as well as lasers but then again it will look different than a hand made piece even if only in subtle ways.
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I think you mis-interpreted my post. I am in agreement with everything you say here and in the original post I quoted.

I love and own numerous Verdura and Buccellati pieces. One of the reasons why I collect them is that they are not easily copied.
 
#20
etoupebirkin said:
I think you mis-interpreted my post. I am in agreement with everything you say here and in the original post I quoted.

I love and own numerous Verdura and Buccellati pieces. One of the reasons why I collect them is that they are not easily copied.
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Oh no. I apologize. I wasn't replying to you but to Ogilvy. My mistake. Yes we are in compete agreement
 
#22
Hermesaholic said:
Oh no. I apologize. I wasn't replying to you but to Ogilvy. My mistake. Yes we are in compete agreement
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Thank you. We've posted in the same forum for years, and usually we are quite simpatico.

Another reason to purchase from vendors like Verdura is UNPARALLELED service. For instance, I own a black jade 18K curb link bracelet. Shortly after purchase, I dropped it while I was putting it on and rushing out of the house. One of the jade links broke. Verdura replaced the link free of charge, even though it was my fault.

Now back to topic.
 
#24
etoupebirkin said:
Thank you. We've posted in the same forum for years, and usually we are quite simpatico.

Another reason to purchase from vendors like Verdura is UNPARALLELED service. For instance, I own a black jade 18K curb link bracelet. Shortly after purchase, I dropped it while I was putting it on and rushing out of the house. One of the jade links broke. Verdura replaced the link free of charge, even though it was my fault.

Now back to topic.
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Yes agreed!!! That is a gorgeous piece. So envious!!! The service is really tremendous to boot
 
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