Iconic Jewels: Are Big Brand Classics Always a Safe Investment?

Sotheby’s New York recently held a single-owner jewelry auction titled “From the Vault: Exceptional Signed Jewels.” Why such a name?

Because this collector is truly impressive, with over 220 pieces of jewelry all from classic designs by brands like Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, and Bulgari. One glance and you can precisely identify them! This collector is definitely a seasoned player in the jewelry collecting circle.

So, what exactly is a “signature style”? Let’s look at some highlights from this auction, and you’ll understand completely!

A “signature style” refers to a brand or designer’s most identifiable designs, their representative work style. In long-established luxury jewelry brands, these representative works often evolve into their classic collections, such as Bulgari’s Serpenti, Cartier’s Panthère, and Van Cleef & Arpels’ Ballerina series.

For designer brands, it’s the style with strong personal characteristics that initially made the designer famous, like Jean Schlumberger’s “gold wire,” David Webb’s “vibrant color combinations,” or JAR’s “diamond threadwork.”

Whether it’s a classic collection from a big brand or a personal signature of a jewelry master, these “signature style” pieces allow you to instantly recognize their prestigious origins. As the saying goes, amateurs see the excitement, while experts see the essence. Almost all seasoned jewelry collectors possess this discerning eye.

Why not test your jewelry expertise? How many of these collector’s “signature style” pieces can you identify?

This jewelry collector’s true love is undoubtedly Van Cleef & Arpels, with 82 out of over 200 pieces coming from this French luxury brand. Naturally, the collection encompasses almost all of the brand’s “signature styles.”

These include the previously mentioned Ballerina series, the instantly recognizable Zip collection, the still-popular Snowflake series, and of course, the indispensable and well-known Mystery Set technique.

Van Cleef & Arpels’ most representative “signature style” is undoubtedly the Mystery Set technique. It creates various jewelry silhouettes entirely from colored gemstones without any visible gaps, whether flat, curved, or even fully three-dimensional. This unique calibrated cut of gemstones combined with the Mystery Set allows designers to manipulate the stones freely, shaping them into various forms at will.

Van Cleef & Arpels’ designs from the latter half of the 20th century were very bold, aligning perfectly with the prevailing Retro Style. Many of their iconic designs almost led the fashion trends. For instance, the wide Ludo bracelets utilized gold “honeycomb” or “rectangular” chain designs, creating soft, flexible, yet dazzling bracelets. Sometimes they would add Mystery Set gemstone decorations, use “star-setting” to add variety to the chain, or even evolve into hidden watches.

Some designs might be more niche but still qualify as Van Cleef & Arpels’ “signature style.” For example, the bold gold designs popular in the 1970s. You might be surprised to find that this poetic and romantic jewelry brand also had a free-spirited side, excelling in various chain designs. Whether paired with colorful gemstones or impressive carved gold lions, they left a deep impression.

This collector’s eye was precise and unique, focusing on each brand’s specialties. For instance, when buying from Harry Winston, known as the “King of Diamonds,” the focus was on diamonds.

Their love for diamonds was pure. Besides the founder’s passion for collecting legendary diamonds, they introduced the iconic Cluster design in the 1940s. This design uses pear-shaped, marquise-cut, and round brilliant-cut diamonds set at different angles to create sculptural, high-dimensional designs that capture light from all directions, making the diamonds even more brilliant.

This design is undoubtedly the best for evening jewelry, and pieces featuring this Harry Winston “signature style” can be found in this auction.

What did this collector choose from Bulgari?

She opted for the relatively understated but culturally rich Monete ancient coin series. This series is also representative of Bulgari. While many brands create ancient coin jewelry, Bulgari was the first and most systematic in doing so.

In the latter half of the 20th century, when Bulgari entered the New York market, it was this series that helped them establish their position and brand style.

Another representative series from Bulgari is naturally the famous Serpenti collection, of which she collected several pieces. This series incorporates many of Bulgari’s exclusive techniques, such as the Tubogas craftsmanship, flexible use of gemstones and enamel, and the hexagonal fine scale design.

This is why, regardless of the theme of Bulgari’s annual high jewelry collection, there’s always at least one significant Serpenti piece to showcase the brand’s proud history and craftsmanship.

Speaking of which, the editor suddenly realized that this collector had a strong affinity for animal jewelry. Not only did she acquire Serpenti pieces from Bulgari, but she also bought several panther jewels from Cartier. Indeed, Cartier’s Panthère is probably a “signature style” that all jewelry enthusiasts can recognize at a glance.

This series encompasses many of the brand’s exclusive techniques, material preferences, and design styles: the unique fur-setting technique, the classic combination of diamonds and onyx, and designs ranging from flat to three-dimensional, from figurative to abstract, all contributing to the instantly recognizable Cartier panther.

This private collector clearly favored the Panthère series, collecting pieces in figurative, abstract, and openwork styles. It’s also evident that she considered practicality, choosing designs that were versatile, maintaining the panther’s strong presence while avoiding excessive flamboyance. After all, not everyone is like the Duchess of Windsor, willing to maintain a high profile at all times.

Besides these two brands’ classic animal jewelry, this collector also acquired several animal jewels from David Webb, specifically his iconic open cuff bracelets.

David Webb’s design style is passionate, bold, and full of vitality, with a sense of primitive totem beauty. His uninhibited color combinations evoke vast grasslands and vibrant tropical jungles, while his exaggerated and unrestrained shapes remind one of the mysterious imprints of ancient civilizations. His love for nature and reverence for human civilization are condensed into a single small bracelet.

Sometimes, one can deduce a collector’s “portrait” from their collection. The editor dares to speculate that the mysterious owner of this Sotheby’s “From the Vault: Exceptional Signed Jewels” auction might have been a socialite active in the 1960s-70s, as many pieces are representative works from brands’ Retro Style period.

She might have been tall, as she collected many long necklaces that petite women couldn’t carry off. She probably loved nature, especially animals, as her collection includes snakes, panthers, birds, elephants… creatures from the sky and sea, encompassing all.

Most importantly, this collector had exquisite taste and truly understood jewelry, enabling her to build such a stylistically representative jewelry collection rather than merely pursuing gemstone quality.

Although her jewelry collection doesn’t cover all brands’ or masters’ “signature styles,” you might aspire to own some. Tell the editor, what “signature style” design do you most want to acquire? What’s the most praiseworthy “signature style” jewelry piece you already own?

Iconic Jewels: Are Big Brand Classics Always a Safe Investment?

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