Photo Credit: Jewelry Treasures New and Old
Ben Dyer Designer Brooch in 18K Gold
Buy It Now Price: $1,500 (price as of 2018; item no longer available)
Pros:
-This 18 karat gold designer brooch by the celebrated North Carolina jeweler Ben Dyer is set with an opal cabochon, a trillion-cut aquamarine and a small accent diamond.
-This Ben Dyer masterpiece measures 2 inches (5.1 cm) long by 0.5 inches (1.3 cm) wide. It weighs 7.2 grams (0.2315 troy ounces) – a substantial amount for such a delicate design.
-This contemporary 18 karat gold brooch, with its wild combination of textures, colors and forms, is an excellent example of Modernist jewelry.
-Ben Dyer is an accomplished goldsmith based in Hillsborough, North Carolina. He is tremendously experienced in his craft, having first started making jewelry in 1975. His work is characterized by flowing lines and elongated forms, combined with contrasting textures and gemstone accents.
-I estimate the weight of the aquamarine in this brooch at around 0.60 carats, the opal at about 2.5 to 3.0 carats and the diamond at 0.05 carats. Altogether, the intrinsic value of the gemstones set in this brooch is probably around $300 (assuming $200 per carat for the aquamarine, $50 per carat for the opal and $800 per carat for the diamond).
-The gold melt value of this Ben Dyer original is about $188 (at a $1,200 gold spot price). When combined with the value of its gems, the piece has a total intrinsic value of $488, give or take. However, I have been fairly conservative with these estimates; it is entirely possible that the components of this fine brooch are worth more than my assumptions.
-The materials and build quality of this designer brooch are beyond reproach. In my estimation, less than 1 in 1,000 pieces of estate jewelry stand at the same level as this marvelous specimen. It is simply a superb piece of jewelry.
-High quality estate jewelry is growing ever more expensive as time passes. It used to be possible to buy high end pieces like this for $1,000 or less a decade ago. But since then, we have reached what I believe to be the permanent end of inexpensive fine vintage jewelry.
-The asking price of $1,500 for this Ben Dyer tour de force is probably less than half what it would cost you if you were to commission it directly from the artist. This is the primary reason that buying fine designer or vintage jewelry in the secondary market is a necessity for anyone interested in jewelry as an investment.
-I believe this is a compelling piece of investment-grade jewelry at a very reasonable price. But if you balk at the $1,500 price tag, you can always make the seller a lower offer.
Cons:
-At $1,500, this superlative piece of designer jewelry is not cheap. And I fully appreciate that many people cannot afford to drop this sum of money on a piece of jewelry. But in the world of investment-grade antiques, the best of the best rarely comes cheap. And if you want an heirloom-quality piece of jewelry that you can pass onto your children or grandchildren, this is definitely it!
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