From left: Hemmerle ring, Taffin necklace and ring, Bhagat earclips.
Photographer: Joanna McClureHow to Invest in Jewelry: The Gems, Designers, and Eras to Know
As an asset class, luxury baubles have never been hotter. Here’s what you need to know to get in on the gem game.
Jewelry collecting has been a diversion for hundreds of years. J.P. Morgan was a well-known gem collector during his lifetime—Tiffany & Co. even named a newly discovered stone, morganite, in his honor. Indian maharajahs displayed their wealth in opulent jewelry suites featuring hundreds, if not thousands, of carats. Visit any museum in Europe, and you’ll find a dazzling parade of royal crown jewels that kings and queens collected.
Because nothing holds value quite like rare, precious jewels, collecting them can be a rather sound investment. Price makes little difference: In 2003 a Belperron amethyst cuff sold for $28,680; in 2021 that same cuff went for $87,500. In 2012 a 6.7-carat Kashmir sapphire auctioned for $206,500; last year a similarly sized one was bought for $550,000.