Just what is fine jewelry?

Jewelry Discussion
101

Hi Gustavo,

You believe “fine jewellery” is precision in execution, and
materials used in construction?

The following object is 14k gold, the craftsmanship is excellent,
but shows signs of wear, I’m sure it would have looked lovely when
brand new.

Actually it’s not jewellery,… it’s an antique IUD, but I have seen
similar pieces being worn as jewellery.

Found this on a familiar website [wikipedia]:-

"Fine jewellery does not exist. You can ask for it to be created

So I went looking elsewhere and found this :-

Modern fine jewellery usually includes gold, white gold, platinum
palladium, titanium, or silver.

Regards Charles A.

102 
And why not include silver? It's a precious metal, and sterling is
a far more pure alloy of silver than the 14kt alloy is of gold.
It's the whitest metal available. And it is, OMG, affordable! Is
that why it gets so little respect? And yet jewelers will put CZs
in gold, and customers will buy it and feel superior.

I am not clear on what the point of defining fine jewelry is. Seems
like trying to make sense out of nonsense.

This is the best post to point out how pointless and fruitless it is
after all the other posts that have been made.

In the past, Lenoid has made reference to jewelry made from silver
with, I believe, platinum top plates. I am sure some of these pieces
would have been handmade with the quality of workmanship to be called
fine jewelry by Lenoid’s definition.

I guess it is like the word cute in regards to what people say when
looking at a baby. Sometimes the baby looks like a little monkey to
me, but everyone says it is cute. Cute if it was a monkey, but not
for a human, to me…

The one reference point that seems to have some merit to many is
quality of construction, but I am sure this could be a point of
contention if the discussion was, Can cast jewelry be considered fine
jewelry? So not only quality of construction would be a criteria, it
would also be method of construction. This would lead to further
debate.

In my opinion, everyone still has the same opinion or is more
confused.

Richard Hart G.G.
Denver, Co.

103

Hi Guys,

The term “fine jewellery” is too subjective to be quantified.

Looking at the great houses (and I wont mention their names), you
see some of the jewellery produced under the banner of “fine
jewellery”. Some I would agree “is” what I consider to be “fine
jewellery”. However some of the pieces I wouldn’t consider “fine” at
all. These guys have been around for at least a century, and they
can’t nail down the term.

To have your jewellery considered “fine jewellery” you "need"
someone to agree with you, otherwise it’s unjustified self
gratification, or a vanity piece.

If you made the most perfectly executed piece of jewellery, with the
finest alloys, finest gems, and you were the only one to like it,
does that make it fine jewellery?

The answer is “Yes”, but only for you.

Looking into this further, a selection of "fine jewellery"
definitions :-

  1. “Fine jewellery is defined as a piece of jewellery that contains
    precious materials and stones such as gold, platinum, diamonds, and
    pearls. It is different from costume jewellery, which tends to be
    made from more inexpensive materials like copper and brass. Fine
    jewellery tends to cost quite a bit more than costume jewellery. Fine
    jewellery usually exhibits a higher level of craftsmanship in its
    making and generally has greater longevity.”

  2. “Jewellery of superior quality, immaculately crafted using only
    the best grade of precious metals, diamonds, and other gemstones.”

  3. “The definition of fine jewellery differs from person to person
    and is generally a personal definition. Although this definition
    varies, many people would define fine jewellery as any jewellery that
    is manufactured to a high standard incorporating diamonds and or
    precious stones for extra aesthetic pleasure.”

  4. “We don’t believe that a gold alloy of less than 75% (750 18ct)
    has the correct properties for hand making fine jewellery”.

  5. “it is generally accepted that fine jewelry is more pricey and
    expensive”.

  6. “Fine jewellery is jewellery created from precious metals only,
    defined as platinum, gold or silver.”

  7. “If an item does not carry a Hallmark, it is not fine jewellery”.

  8. “Fine jewelry is technically jewelry made from precious metals
    such as platinum, gold and in some cases sterling silver. Fine
    jewelry may contain precious synthetics, imitations or
    created gems. For the most part fine jewelry is manufactured on
    assembly lines and in sweatshops in other countries working as a
    siphon on the US economy.”

  9. “Fine jewellery is jewellery that is great, fantastic, nice to
    look at, fitting with the person that is wearing it. To be honest
    fine jewellery can be just about any type of jewellery as long as a
    person is happy with it.”

…

These are all valid definitions of the term “fine jewellery”, we
have no leg to stand on to say that they are wrong, we have no
official definition to say they’re wrong, all we have is our own
opinion.

I like definition 9) the best… try putting that into a standard,
then try policing it :smiley:

Regards Charles A.

104 
It conjures a feeling of taking a sip of water from cold mountain
spring with all the feelings associated with that.

In Colorado, what is associated with taking a sip of “pure water”
from a cold mountain stream is the possibility of ingesting giardia
which is a microscopic parasite. Treatment with antibiotics would be
required.

Richard Hart G.G.
Denver, Co.

105 
The only time it would ever be solved is if a government body
produced a "fine jewellery" standard.

Pencil pushing govt geeks defining ‘fine jewellery’ Please spare me,
I can see standard rules for metal quality but not style.

Your quote from Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart once said " I
know it when I see it". He was talking about obscenity, he makes
sense.

Hell I could give my dumb cat a piece of fine jewellery and a turkey
piece and guess which piece gets batted round the floor for hours.

jeffD
Demand Designs
Analog/Digital Modelling & Goldsmithing
http://www.gmavt.net/~jdemand

106 
The following object is 14k gold, the craftsmanship is excellent,
but shows signs of wear, I'm sure it would have looked lovely when
brand new.

I’d just let this go, but Charles presents a few great examples. And
sorry Charles, but your link says it all. The craftsmanship on that
piece is of average, routine quality and far, far away from what
would be called fine jewelry, if it were jewelry. Posting that link
says, “I don’t get it” more than anything. Sorry… Give that
design to me and I’ll make it sit up and sing, and walk your dog for
you, to boot.

Charles especially, and some other postings, are essentially
speaking from a consumer point of view. Again: the entire field of
goldsmithing is not populated by bumbling idiots. There are
professional people who know just exactly what’s going on and what
quality workmanship means, and who have a fine perspective on the
relative merits of workmanship and craft and how art, design and
craftsmansip meld with each other to form every sort of jewelry
there is. That’s what professionals a

Re: people who aren’t guessing, but people who actually know.
Whether Jim Binnion would qualify for such a title in a place like
Cartier I can’t say, but certainly we all know he does in terms of
mokume and metallurgy and various other things. He actually DID THE
WORK and learned what he knows. He’s not guessing.

Finally, there is the, “since I don’t understand it, it’s not
possible that anybody else could, because I am a smart person.”
thing. Well, yeah, except it’s something else that’s just not
true… Goldsmithing is anancient craft.

107

John,

i don't think there's any reason to pursue Richard's sideline,
myself. GIA is a fine outfit, and Liddicoat devised a fine system.
Like any essentially academic enterprise, it gives you a general
framework to prepare you for the real world, but that's all. Read
a cert and think about how much (how little) info is actually
there. Plenty for most circumstances, yes. Enough to give ~the
retail customer~ comfort. They don't do rough...... The diamond
industry is vast and ancient.

" Plenty for most circumstances" but not enough for which
circumstance? You allude to incompleteness or lack of
What are you alluding to that you know that is not contained in a
G.I.A. cert as result of your experience in the trade?

I have never needed a cert to design or make a piece of diamond
jewelry. The G.I.A. grading system, with or without a cert, does
provide exactly the to help me explain to a customer what
the value is that they are getting for their money in relationship to
the negatives and positives of how color, cut and clarity affect
beauty and value of a diamond. Monetary value is established by the
market place.

The grading system provides a basis for comprehensive comparison.

Richard Hart G.G.
Denver, Co.

108

Well as an old fart I learned that “Fine Jewelry” was a term used to
seperate jewelry in to fine and costume. Costume being plated or
lower quality metals and faux gems. An example of this would be the
Princess Diana Sapphire ring. The real thing is “Fine” jewelry. But
now make it out of nickle silver and use CZ for the stones. Now you
have “Costume” jewelry. From the way I learned the definitions it
has to do with Quality of materials and quality of execution. In fact
it was further later defined as Fine Gold or Fine Silver. But all of
them were marketing ploys just like the famous "Diamonds are
forever"Just my 2 cents. I believe that what ever definition you
choose will change with time. I’ve seen things made in 18k gold with
large Natural stones that could by definition be called fine
jewelry. But the stuff would be luck to sell for anything other than
its materials value. Things that are not practical to wear but make a
statement about how extreme the designer can push a process. John
(Jack) Sexton The most precious things in life cannotbe built by
hand or bought by man.

109

Has anyone else noticed the new breed of “Fine Jewelry” being sold
these days? In the last few months or years, a lot of press ink has
been devoted to “New Designers” such as Todd Reed and Just Jules.
These “young, fresh and new” designers are putting out new designs
marketed as the coolest new thing in Fine Jewelry since sliced bread.
It seems they have not only thrown our traditional bench standards to
the four winds, they seem to have actually embraced embarrassingly
shoddy craftsmanship as an integral part of their design concept.

Words such as “rustic”, “organic” and “earthy” are often used to
describe the new “fine jewelry”. It seems that the craftsmanship
needs to be as rough hewn and irregular as the uncut gemstones often
used. Those terms are pretty accurate in my humble opinion. “Rustic”

  • like made by a bored junkyard mechanic using a pocketknife and
    stuff from an old bucket of bolts, “organic” - like unadorned and
    unpolished natural fertilizer worked over lightly with a mallet and
    cone bur and “earthy” as if its inspiration was something found under
    a rock in someone’s back yard. Much of this style is marked by stone
    setting typical of a first-time effort of someone that’s never done
    anything even remotely like it before and finishing techniques that
    look like they were applied with a claw hammer, a screwdriver and 80
    grit sandpaper. There also seems to be no room for basic symmetry
    either, even in symmetrical pieces. I for one would be quite
    embarrassed to see my name associated with this kind of “fine
    jewelry”.

But “fine jewelry” it is, according to the press and judging by the
prices. The most recent issue of InDesign magazine, a subsidiary of
InStore, has a spread entitled “The Finer Things, for the Jeweler Who
Always Seeks the Very Best”. This advertising spread masquerading as
journalism is chock full of this kind of “fine jewelry”. It also
includes suggested sales “pitches”, one of which says “… for the
discriminating woman who knows fine jewelry and knows what she
wants”. If she wants this, she doesn’t have a clue about what fine
jewelry really is and her jeweler is blatantly remiss in not doing
the job of educating her.

It seems to me like the standards of fine jewelry we have been
discussing here are known only to those of us that work the bench
anymore. What’s worse is that we seem to be the only ones that care
about them.

I mourn their passing.

Dave Phelps

110 
To have your jewellery considered "fine jewellery" you "need"
someone to agree with you, otherwise it's unjustified self
gratification, or a vanity piece.

Not directed towards Charles in particular, but just his quote is
somewhat representative. Read David Phelp’s posting today - another
“fine jeweler”. You say it over and over again and it just doesn’t
sink in because it doesn’t suit the preconceptions. WE DO AGREE. The
trade, the industry, is composed of people who share a common
language of people who are not confused. It’s the consumers and the
spectators who are swayed by the PR. I have no problem with saying,
“that is fine jewelry and that is not.” Because it IS defined by
people who know. And is has nothing whatever to do with art, design
or desirability. There is much fine jewelry that I don’t like, that
doesn’t change the situation. You want it written down? I’m a
high-level fine jewelry manufacturer with credentials as long as my
arm. Fine jewelry is defined as perfection by inspection under 10x
magnification, and that inspection is by a trained observer. There’s
your standard. Why a person would want, indeed, a pencil pusher to
say anything about it is one of life’s mysteries. If you want to
know what fine jewelry is, why on Earth wouldn’t you ask a fine
jeweler?

111 
In the past, Lenoid has made reference to jewelry made from silver
with, I believe, platinum top plates. I am sure some of these
pieces would have been handmade with the quality of workmanship to
be called fine jewelry by Lenoid's definition.

Silver is perfectly fine as long as it is used as silver and not a
substitute for something else. Platinum in Spanish is platina, which
means “little silver”. When platinum was discovered it was considered
to be of lesser desirability than silver.

Concepts like fine jewellery, fine wine, fine porcelain, fine taste,
and etc… are nebulous by intent. They were not supposed to be
understood easily and by everybody. It takes some work and some
education. The understanding of these concepts is a shibboleth of a
kind.

There is a joke to shed some light on this. “What is the difference
between concert piano and a toilet?” Faced with such question, people
invariably have nothing to say. After giving them a minute or two,
the punch line delivered by saying, - “since you do not know, I
cannot invite you in my house”

Leonid Surpin

112

well why not silver ? then why ? at least 14kt doesnt tarnish like
sterling silver, it is much more valuable dollar wise, further more
it sounds like you want to be right… all the time… i dont see
you coming up with any better suggestions only challenges to every
one elses suggestions and arguments as to why everyone else is not
right. try posting a list of requirements to be considered fine and
you might find even i may agree w/ you -

goo

113

I believe that the word “fine” in this case is used in the sense of
"distinct" “standing out from the crowd”. But discussions like this
are useful because people share ideas and opinions and it gets the
"leetle grey cells" working as M. Poirot says. And Richard - I agree
with you about the monkey – just remember not to offer the mother a
banana. :wink: It’s a major faux pas. Barbara, at the beginning of the
evening on PEI when the snow is drifting down and is forecast to
amount to 30 cm overnight. Hot cocoa is the event of the evening.

114

That is true, Richard…been there done that! No fun! Beware the
cool running Colorado High Mountain Stream waters…bad bug!

Rose Marie Christison

115

I couldn’t agree more with David’s assessment of designers like Todd
Reed being more “Rustic” than “Fine Jewelry.” I’ve been very
surprised at his rough diamond lines success. Every time I see it I
think, boy, that guy should be getting awards for marketing, but not
for design. I mean, good for him, way to go Todd! But it does strike
me as funny that his line is work that just about anyone who has
taken an introductory jewelry metal class could do, yet you see it
everywhere. While the super fine work that I really admire is so hard
to fine (I mean find)?

Mark

116

Thank you Dave!

Very well said and I think you speak for all of us classically
trained goldsmiths. I cringe at most of the images in those glossy
publications. And you can just forget trying to size or repair any of
them. Won’t touch it. Period.

Brigit

117 
I couldn't agree more with David's assessment of designers like
Todd Reed being more "Rustic" than "Fine Jewelry."

Instead of singling out Todd Reed, why not suggest an example of fine
jewelry? I would like to see an example other than classic design,
ballerina rings, Lalique or Faberge. Something contemporary and that
pushes the envelope of tradition.

118

Leonid gave a many line definition of “fine” jewelry. Personally, I
add that any piece is “fine” to my interpretation if I consider it
“fine.” I like Leonid’s definition. Both of us are curmudgeons. We
tend to think in the “traditional” processes.

Keep in perspective, that in 50 to 100 years, some of the “new”
processes will be old. Look at “fine art” in the painting/sculpture
genres. Some pieces that I consider to be “junk” are displayed in
major exhibitions/museums as being great.

Also remember – “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.”

John
http://rasmussengems.ganoksin.com/blogs/

119

Two thoughts, this Thanksgiving morning waiting for our traveling
companion.

The question at hand is Just what is fine jewelry? About two years
ago there was a discussion here about the finer points of
goldsmithing, and someone sent me pictures of his work, saying, “I’m
happy where I am, I don’t want to get into gold.” They were
beautifully designed, beautifully made, well-finished silver cuff
bracelets. Someone who had found a large success and was doing what
they do extremely well. We might say they were finely crafted,
though we might not apply the label of fine jewelry. IOW, this isn’t
about snobbery. There is a LOT of really good work that might not
earn the label in question.

On one side of my soldering pad is my tweezer collection. On the
other, next to my striker, is my loupe. Somebody walked away with it
a couple of weeks ago, and within a half hour I had bought another
one - yes, I go the other one back. I have two more in a drawer,
another in my diamond kit, and another in the pocket of my jacket.
Steve, a collegue, carries his in his pocket. When Will comes by, he
knows where mine is so he just picks it up, as needed. Some people
walk around with one on a chain around their neck. Jo-Ann is
teaching at CCA in January, and she bought a case of them as
graduation gifts for her students. I wheel-cut the students names on
each, because steel gravers just skip over the coating on them.

I could go on, but the fact is that all of these people come from
different places. None of us worked together or went to school
together or anything like that. It’s just how we work together.
Indispensible tool, that.

120 
I'd just let this go, but Charles presents a few great examples.
And sorry Charles, but your link says it all. The craftsmanship on
that piece is of average, routine quality and far, far away from
what would be called fine jewelry, if it were jewelry. Posting that
link says, "I don't get it" more than anything. Sorry....... Give
that design to me and I'll make it sit up and sing, and walk your
dog for you, to boot.

I was fitting it into context with the previous post, which outlined
that :-

“Fine jewelry is determined by inspection. Fine jewelry is defined
as perfection by a trained eye under 10x magnification. That includes
polish and finish and craftsmanship such as that circles are round
and squares are square and centered things are on-center. This is
very good point and i would like to see materials listed here as well
at the very least 14kt gold alloy, if its going to be a white gold
alloy it should be palladium white to be considered fine & platinum
maybe palladium”.

It was also a joke :wink:

And if ever I needed an IUD out of 14k, I’ll get you to make me one
:smiley:

Charles especially, and some other postings, are essentially
speaking from a consumer point of view. Again: the entire field of
goldsmithing is not populated by bumbling idiots.

This is absolutely true, because the market drives the direction of
the industry, and I’m assuming most of us are working jewellers or
striving to be. The customers tell us what to make, or set the trends
that influence what we make.

I definitely know we’re not bumbling idiots (and I’ve never said
that we were), and I wouldn’t be wasting my time on this list talking
to idiots, everyone here is intelligent, even though our views may
clash.

However everyone I speak to has a different opinion on what the term
“fine jewellery” is. It doesn’t matter how long they’ve been in the
industry, they’re all different. This makes it an opinion.

Would I take your opinion, over mine as to what “fine jewellery” is?

“Yes”… to a point. When and if my work skills exceed yours, then
my “own” definition of what “fine jewellery” is would take
precedence.

But that’s just my opinion :wink:

…

One person described “fine jewellery” to me as a well made piece of
jewellery, with hidden elements that only the wearer and jeweller
knows about, a piece that looks just as good standing on the dresser
as well as being worn. There was no mention of the materials, it was
more about the design… the jeweller was a designer.

Another mentioned that “fine jewellery” could be a perfectly
flawless wedding band, his implication was precious metals, although
he didn’t mention this as a factor. He’s a master jeweller, of many
years standing.

If this discussion is any gauge, we will “never” come to a consensus
of what fine jewellery is. It will always be someone elses opinion
over another.

Regards Charles A.