Investing in Jewelry? Here’s why it makes sense and where you can start buying for less!

Investment you can wear? Go for Gold!

All my friends know how much I love bags. Although I started just a couple of years ago because of the pandemic, my modest collection has been my stress reliever as well as my source of pride—especially when I find out that their value has risen in just a few months.

It’s the same reason why I’ve become more interested in jewelry recently. I remember my nanay telling me that it’s the only purchase that wasn’t just “gastos lang” because the value of jewelry often appreciates. Now it’s my daughter and daughter-in-law who have been teaching and influencing me with my initial purchases.

Precious stones, gemstones, and jewelry have always been connected to human culture since time immemorial. Throughout the course of history, jewelry has been offered as a trophy, an amulet, and sometimes, even art because of how meticulously it has been crafted. It perfectly symbolizes love, a celebration of milestones, and of course, the ultimate representation of wealth giving these beautiful adornments real meaning and value.

The line between jewelry and money has always been intertwined with each other and to this day, jewelry continues to be used as currency, inheritance, and investment.

Interestingly enough, while the value of the world’s currencies has severely been affected by the global pandemic, gold, diamonds, and other precious metals and stones remained stable and the value of jewelry has held strong.

As its market value continues to grow in every year, the idea of investing in jewelry is making more sense because it is less risky than stocks and way less dangerous than crypto.

Unlike the investment of a car or a house, with jewelry, you are more than likely to get your money back (sometimes even more than your invested value) when you sell it. And unlike your shares of stock, you can wear and enjoy your jewelry--- while it grows in value.

Now before you start calling your “alahera” or rush of to the mall and hoard that jewelry on display, there are a few things you need to consider as you’d want to avoid paying for expensive jewelry only to  find out that it is either fake or not worth the value you’ve paid for it.

If you are decided that investing in good quality jewelry is a good idea, then it is time to learn some valuable tips when it comes to buying jewelry. These tips will guide you to guarantee that you are buying the right pieces of jewelry, from the right shops.

1. Always go to a reputable jeweler: Because of its popularity, a lot of people are now going into the jewelry business. While that may be easier and more convenient for you since they could go to your house, it also makes buying a bit more tricky—and risky. 

You’ll need a license and specific business permits to be able to sell high-value jewelry and only certified jewelers have the right to sell such valuable pieces of items. So going to reputable jewelry shops makes more sense and safer than getting it from someone you barely know or just found online. Avoid buying jewelry from just a regular-looking shop, or even from a vintage store, as there’s no guarantee that the jewelry you are looking at, is both authentic and are legally sold. This is of course with the exception of pawnshops.  

2. It's good to compare: Sometimes you find yourself completely smitten by a piece of jewelry, but before handing off your cash or credit card you might want to do a quick online check to see if the value of that piece of jewelry reflects similarly to that of similar designs from other jewelers. This will guarantee that you are not overpaying for an item.

3. Inspect the jewelry: Like the jewelry and convinced that you are getting a good deal? Now its time to inspect the quality and condition of a piece of jewelry. Look for scratches, discolorations, and even loose stones. With the high amount of money you’ll be paying, you should also have high standards for the quality you are receiving. Remember that having that loose stone secured, or getting scratches removed will cost you as well so make sure that you are getting the item at its utmost best quality. You should also check for the designer marks to make sure it's legit.

Buying from a pawnshop is a smarter choice: Many people immediately think of going to a jewelry store when looking for jewelry for themselves or a loved one. But visiting a pawn shop first is actually very smart if you are investing. If you are truly searching for a bargain over other jewelry shops you might want to go to a pawnshop like Cebuana Lhuillier instead. 

Pawnshops are more analytic when it comes to pricing their items. They can price their gold pieces according to the current price of gold in the market this means that their prices are even more realistic than what you can find on a jewelry retailer.

While jewelers price their items according to its make, design, or even designer name, pawnshops price theirs according to weight and karat. So it’s not just aesthetics, but more about the real value of the item. This means that you would always get a fair price, or even lower if the item in question is affordable according to the market markdown.

Pawnshops usually disregard designer names and origins, in order to evaluate the jewelry fair and square, its contents, its weight, its make, the intricacies of its design, etc. Getting rid of the designer name makes it more practical to analyze the item since you wouldn’t want to raise its price just because the designer or brand name is famous. The reputation of the designer would definitely come last as it’s all about the actual quality of the jewelry.

CEBUANA LHUILLIER, THE INVESTMENT JEWELER’s SECRET SOURCE

With all the jewelry available, getting started might feel quite overwhelming. Well, it can be a lot less complicated if you head over to Cebuana Lhuillier’s online or even offline stores.

I actually went to Cebuana Lhuillier’s  branch at Circle C in Quezon City  to ask if they have upcoming sales or promotions and they actually have a PAYDAY sale happening until September 30 and you could get 10% off all items. What I do like about visiting their offline stores is that they have really helpful  staff who will gladly assist you with your purchase.

But if you want to have a more private browsing experience I would suggest you head over to either https://www.cebuanalhuillierjewelry.com/ or https://www.cebuanalhuillierjewelrypremium.com/  for premium jewelry, to check out all the jewelry (and other items) they have available.

From there you could choose the type of jewelry you are looking for, whether its Necklaces;  Anklets; Rings; Bracelets;  Jewelry Sets; earings, pendants, new arrivals, or Website Exclusives. You can even sort them according to price or set your preferred price range.

Cebuana Lhuillier even does jewelry selling via FB Live, Shopee and Lazada and besides offering great deals you could also get a lot of tips from their hosts.

Ready for your first purchase? 

Remember investing in good quality jewelry may just be one of the smartest investments you’ll make in your life.

There are so many advantages to buying real jewelry and contrary to what many believe, its not as expensive as you'd think, you just have to know the right place to buy it and there's no better time to start but now!

Happy Jewelry Hunting!