Investment pieces for 30+

Thank you ladies and gentlemen for providing advice and life experiences on the matter. I was originally intrigued after realizing my old-monyed girlfriends not having to spend much because they kept inheriting beautiful pieces from their older relatives. It was perplexing to me how spending big can save money in the long run. Instead of buying flimsy jewelries that doesn't pass the test of time, it seems smarter to buy solid pieces that I can one day pass it down. I am eyeing to purchase a necklace since I can't wear rings or bracelets at work, but I am also set to purchase love bracelet and nail bracelet with diamonds. Again, I want to thank you all!
 
Thank you ladies and gentlemen for providing advice and life experiences on the matter. I was originally intrigued after realizing my old-monyed girlfriends not having to spend much because they kept inheriting beautiful pieces from their older relatives. It was perplexing to me how spending big can save money in the long run. Instead of buying flimsy jewelries that doesn't pass the test of time, it seems smarter to buy solid pieces that I can one day pass it down. I am eyeing to purchase a necklace since I can't wear rings or bracelets at work, but I am also set to purchase love bracelet and nail bracelet with diamonds. Again, I want to thank you all!
Goody !
"J!m"
 
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My views on jewelry have changed so dramatically as I age. Over the past year and a half, I've lost my mother and both grandmothers. My mother and her mother, particularly, loved jewelry -- and it has meant more than I can say to have received some of their pieces. Some of it, but not all of it, is fine jewelry and not all of it is "classic" (diamond studs, strands of pearls, VCA or Tiffany pieces etc) -- but all of it reflects their personalities. I can't tell you how much it means to me to put on the Mexican turquoise necklace that my grandmother wore on special occasions, to wear the simple emerald-cut ruby ring in 10K gold that my mother wore every day of my childhood, or to put on carved rose-quartz beads that my mother received from my grandfather on her 16th birthday.

When I buy jewelry now, I buy what I love & what I hope will last -- and I think of my daughter. I don't know what she'll like when she's an adult, but I hope to give her some similar feelings.

I guess what I'm saying is that to me, investment in jewelry is as much emotional as monetary. I think that's part of why I think it's so great if you can find pieces that you like AND that will serve you well in terms of wear/tear/financial return (and no judgment at all if those pieces are diamond studs, pearls, VCA etc). Jewelry is like a visual language and the people who love you will read it and remember. :smile:
This was beautifully written and I feel the same about my late mother’s jewelry. The last sentence sums it all up. I’m so sorry for your loss. I love what you wrote.
 
My advice? You will age out of everything. Nothing works forever. Spend to get the best quality you can afford, but accept that eventually you won't be wearing the item at all.

This is a great comment because thought provoking. It’s mostly true I think, but there are probably a few pieces out there that look good at any age and which won’t become dated. Diamond studs and tennis bracelets of substantial carat weight? Pearl studs?
 
This is a great comment because thought provoking. It’s mostly true I think, but there are probably a few pieces out there that look good at any age and which won’t become dated. Diamond studs and tennis bracelets of substantial carat weight? Pearl studs?
Maybe... But in my 20s, only old women wore big diamond studs... and the tennis bracelet hadn't been invented, so it's a relatively new style.

You never know what'll be dated in 30 years.

At one point, we thought this was timeless:

IMG_20190324_222724.jpeg
 
Maybe... But in my 20s, only old women wore big diamond studs... and the tennis bracelet hadn't been invented, so it's a relatively new style.

You never know what'll be dated in 30 years.

At one point, we thought this was timeless:

View attachment 4382736

LOL! Very true. I have a "timeless" diamond solitaire pendant that now looks terribly 90s to me. I guess everything dates, and if it doesn't, it could easily not look right on an older self.
 
I don't quite agree on the "passing down generations" mentality. To me, it feels like old toys passed down by your older sibling, you didn't like them, but your parents think you should appreciate them and play them all the time. I think it's more meaningful to take your child to the jewellery store and buy him/her first piece of luxury fine jewellery that suit your child's taste when he/she grown up, so they can have that exciting purchase experience, and build their own memory with it.

Parent's jewellery suited the parent's taste and lifestyle but may not suit the child's. Sure you can force them to wear it, but what if their wrist/finger/neck is larger/smaller than yours? What if they don't like the colour of gold you chose for yourself few decades ago? What if they don't like the look of it? What if they hate wearing bracelets/rings/necklaces/earrings? The biggest issue: What if they only like new things? I have so many examples but I'm not bothered to write an essay.

One or two memorable pieces, like parent's wedding band or engagement ring, or something grandma always worn would be sentimental enough for your child to keep, but it felt very weird when your child get handed over several drawers full with mum's old jewellery items (yes, I bought three full and long drawers of jewellery for myself already, now started to fill the fourth). With multiple pieces, he/she could be holding an estate sale instead of keeping them all for mum's loving memories.

I think sometimes it was just an excuse trying to justify own purchases by thinking, "oh sh*t just spent too much, but... I can pass it down to generations, it will last forever.... It's an investment!" Let's be honest, jewellery/bag/shoes/fashion are most likely for your own enjoyment for a period of time.
Buy pieces that you will enjoy and wear.
 
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I don't quite agree on the "passing down generations" mentality. To me, it feels like old toys passed down by your older sibling, you didn't like them, but your parents think you should appreciate them and play them all the time. I think it's more meaningful to take your child to the jewellery store and buy him/her first piece of luxury fine jewellery that suit your child's taste when he/she grown up, so they can have that exciting purchase experience, and build their own memory with it.

Parent's jewellery suited the parent's taste and lifestyle but may not suit the child's. Sure you can force them to wear it, but what if their wrist/finger/neck is larger/smaller than yours? What if they don't like the colour of gold you chose for yourself few decades ago? What if they don't like the look of it? What if they hate wearing bracelets/rings/necklaces/earrings? The biggest issue: What if they only like new things? I have so many examples but I'm not bothered to write an essay.

One or two memorable pieces, like parent's wedding band or engagement ring, or something grandma always worn would be sentimental enough for your child to keep, but it felt very weird when your child get handed over several drawers full with mum's old jewellery items (yes, I bought three full and long drawers of jewellery for myself already, now started to fill the fourth). With multiple pieces, he/she could be holding an estate sale instead of keeping them for mum's loving memories.

I think sometimes it was just an excuse trying to justify own purchases by thinking, "oh sh*t just spent too much, but... I can pass it down to generations, it will last forever.... It's an investment!" Let's be honest, jewellery/bag/shoes/fashion are most likely for your own enjoyment for a period of time.
Buy pieces that you will enjoy and wear.

In someways I think you're right, we see a lot of similar thinking in terms of 'investment' bags. People have different taste and that includes our children (if we have any) It's justifying what doesn't really need to be.

Having said that, I too just lost my mother and finding and wearing the high modernist (almost brutalist) ring my father bought my mother in the mid-70s has made me so happy even though it's incredibly dated. I absolutely treasure it because it reminds me of them both.
 
LOL! Very true. I have a "timeless" diamond solitaire pendant that now looks terribly 90s to me. I guess everything dates, and if it doesn't, it could easily not look right on an older self.
You could always reset it. I had a diamond pendant in the old style setting I just placed it in a newer one and now I love it again!
 
The best advice I can give you that has served me well over the years is to buy what YOU love whether it is “in” at the time or not. I have found if you buy something because you love it and it truly made your heart sing; you will always love it and you will not care if it is “in” or not. My best example is yellow gold. Totally love it, always have whether it is “in” or not. One of the few mistakes I have made in building my jewelry collection is to feel pressured into a platinum setting for a pair of diamond stud earrings. White gold and platinum were considered really “in” and all the SAs and my friends told me that yellow gold looked dated. I conceded and although they are beautiful they aren’t “me” and I have wrong them maybe twice in 6 years. I have found out over the years that with enough patience the things I love eventually come out in yellow gold (VCA is one that has driven me crazy on multiple occasions. One that vividly stands out is when they initially released the Perlee collection. There was no rhyme or reason as to why the signature bangles were initially only offered in pink and white gold but the rings were offered in yellow gold). And if they don’t, I have found most jewelers are quite willing to make bespoke pieces (if I inquire about them) for me in my preferred gold color. So, please do not purchase something just because it is “in” or a guide or list recommends it as a “must have” piece of jewelry for every collector as it may not suit your personal taste and style and those are you pieces that will not age well with you. JMHO.