There is a persistant debate in the jewelry world over style vs substance.  Here at shopgemstones.com, we love the substance: the value of rare gems endures (fluctuates, but endures) while the trends in design do not.  However, some design houses and jewelry creators also endure: an example is Tiffany.  Tiffany was popular before tanzanite, and a vintage Tiffany design adds a definite premium to the value of a peice of jewelry.  But there’s a limit, right?

I recently spotted this lovely, beautifully designed pendant on Tiffany.com.  It is a peice of carved chrysoprase (good, but not outstanding color) on a silk cord for $975.

Compare this to another chrysoprase bead on a silk cord, made by “Heather”, not Tiffany. Hers costs $48.

Or, you can make your own with this chrysoprase bead, also carved, also a fish for 9.98.

Of course, excellent design deserves a premium, but how much?   If Tiffany’s carved chrysoprase were $10,000 would it still be acceptable?

There is a saying that the worth of a thing is what someone will pay for it.  So those that buy the Tiffany chrysoprase pendant make it worth $975.

Jewelry and precious gemstones are not commodities: we buy them and wear them for emotional and esthetic reasons.  I guess it comes down to this: for some, having bought it at Tiffany’s gives an emotional benefit that is worth the extra $950 on the price of the pendant.  For others, the joy of the chrysoprase is enough.