Latest update June 29th, 2020 10:38 AM
Design vs Jewellery: The Battle of the Rocks
Almost everyone would love to have a piece of designer jewellery. You see jewellery stores wherever they go, most especially malls and department stores. And even now, you can find designer jewellery online. You may believe that you are looking at designer jewellery but actually, you are buying commercial jewellery.
But what is the difference between designer jewellery and commercial jewellery? They are both pieces of jewellery that are designed by someone. However, they are actually quite different from one another.
Commercial jewellery is also known as mass-produced jewellery. While it is in its manufacturing process, it is made by using machines. In that way, millions of pieces are made with the same kind of style which you then see being sold around every day. Unfortunately, these types of jewellery are made up of low quality and can decay much quicker. The good side is that it is affordable. It is both flexible and replaceable.
Designer jewellery, on the other hand, is made with a certain aesthetic in mind thought by a craftsman or a design company. Each piece stresses out a specific type of aesthetic, typically including materials that are either precious or unusual and can also have elements that are handcrafted. Pieces range from ten to hundreds all with varying designs, motifs, or techniques.
Designer pieces of jewellery are usually created by artisans with their own hands. There are times wherein the designers or companies request a lending hand from master model makers to help create design prototypes that can be mass-produced.
There are even celebrities who introduce their own designer jewellery collection. Although, these types of jewellery are often mass-produced by using the same methods when producing commercial jewellery.
There is more than one category of designer jewellery. Below are but a few of the most well-known types:
- High jewellery – this is the most expensive type of jewellery. In Frech, it is haute jaillerie, or high-end in English. The exquisite design with the rare, expensive materials as well as the expertise of the craftsman can be used to recognize high-end jewellery. The pieces of these types of jewellery typically have gemstones that are rare and one of a kind that is not allowed to be used for mass-production.
- Designer jewellery – although the term is used as a whole, “designer jewellery” is just one of the categories. These types of jewellery are those that are carried out by those who possess artistic and jewellery craftsmanship. In this category, the jewellery may or may not be handcrafted.
- Custom jewellery – this type is the one that is made to order. They are designed solely fr one person and are usually designed by the customer and often involves a bit of handcrafting.
- Studio jewellery – in this category, the jewels are made by jewelers working y themselves or with just a small number of assistants or apprentices.
