Investment Guides Archives - Page 6 of 10

Vintage Avant-Garde – Brutalist & Modernist Jewelry

This 18 karat yellow gold, diamond and moonstone pendant is a stunning example of Modernist jewelry. The combination of textured metal with an interesting, but low value moonstone provides maximum visual impact and is typical of Modernist work. This pendant was made in Europe, probably in the 1960s or 1970s, but possibly as late as the 1980s.

It can be argued rather convincingly that contemporary art as a movement has failed miserably. Whether it takes the form of Surrealism, Abstract Expressionism or Post Minimalism, contemporary art is often unattractive, if not downright ugly. These aesthetic shortcomings, combined with the movement’s intellectual inaccessibility, make contemporary art both an elitist’s dream and a practical failure.

However, in one of those little ironies of life, the principles of contemporary art which fail so miserably when applied to large works like paintings and sculptures succeed rather brilliantly when applied to miniature works like jewelry. Modernist jewelry is one of the very few places that the ideas of contemporary art found fertile ground, blooming into an effusion of exquisite, unrivaled beauty.

Modernist jewelry stands alone as an island of elegance in a sea of humdrum contemporary art. To say it embodies many of our modern concepts of beauty, while true, doesn’t really do Modernist jewelry justice. Glittering precious metals gracefully fuse with countless different varieties of bewitching gemstones into a glittering mass of avant-garde style.

One piece of Modernist jewelry may have sensuously organic forms seamlessly melt into heavily textured yellow gold while another hand-wrought specimen may have gracefully sweeping lines simultaneously vie with outrageously angular spikes for visual dominance. Modernist jewelry happily abandons all convention; the results are often breathtaking.

The Modernist movement in jewelry had its origins in the United States in the 1930s and 1940s. At that time, Victorian, Art Nouveau and Art Deco had all been popular jewelry styles within the past 50 years. However, some cutting-edge artists found these established traditions unreasonably constricting. In the end, they repudiated Victorian style as being needlessly ornamental, Art Nouveau as too rigidly naturalistic and Art Deco as excessively uncompromising and austere.

Instead, Modernist jewelers envisioned themselves as peers to the great painters and sculptors of the age like Salvador Dali, Willem de Kooning and Jackson Pollock, among others. As a result, the radically new form of jewelry known as Modernism was born.

Throwing convention to the wind, bold founding artists Sam Kramer and Art Smith fearlessly experimented with the new, unbounded Modernist ethos in their Greenwich Village studios. Andrew Grima, another famous Modernist jeweler, created such alluring, innovative work that he was appointed Crown Jeweller to the British Royal Family in 1970.

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Once Modernism gained mainstream popularity in the 1960s and 1970s, even illustrious luxury houses like Tiffany, Van Cleef & Arpels and Boucheron produced compelling, high quality Modernist pieces. With its broad appeal, bold look and eclectic styling, Modernist jewelry is still widely hand crafted by fine artists all over the world today.

The Modernist style is incredibly broad and flexible, but is generally characterized by a dizzying variety of textures, shapes and colors. One piece may show nothing but sharp angles and straight lines while another may be exclusively composed of rounded, highly organic shapes. In any case, abstraction and asymmetry are the norm for Modernist jewelry, with the interest flowing from the juxtaposition of disparate forms, colors and finishes.

Little thought is given to the intrinsic value of items incorporated into a design. Instead, elements are chosen based on the visual effect they will have within the overall composition of the piece. It is not unusual to find a piece of Modernist jewelry with a simple amber cabochon next to fine diamonds or with humble mother of pearl nestled within impressively heavy 18 karat gold. In fact, even nontraditional materials like wood and fabric are occasionally incorporated into these unique works of art.

Modernist jewelry often displays chunky, heavy forms with large expanses of gold or silver. The use of mixed metals is also a hallmark of Modernism, with platinum, gold, silver and copper freely and commonly intermingled. Obscure or unusual gemstones are frequently used in the pursuit of experimental, avant-garde color combinations. Unconventionally shaped gemstones like trillion, cabochon or custom cut stones are sometimes found in Modernist pieces. Occasionally stones are even carved or left as rough crystals for greater effect.

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One offshoot of Modernism is known as Brutalism. The term Brutalism originally applied to a type of roughly finished, monolithic architecture originating in the mid 20th century, but has since been applied to jewelry as well. This radical style of jewelry is typified by massive, jagged and highly abstract designs that are at once intriguing and perhaps slightly disquieting. In a sense Brutalism is the more uncompromising, extreme little brother of Modernism.

When buying Modernist or Brutalist jewelry, the single most important element is the overall stylistic impact of the piece. A well designed example will captivate and dazzle the observer with compellingly tactile surfaces, explosions of contrasting colors and provocative shapes. The hallmark of Modernism is uniqueness; most exceptional pieces of Modernist jewelry are one-of-a-kind creations. Look for pieces that feel solid, substantial and heavy. Signed pieces will always command a premium over similar but unsigned examples.

As mentioned before, Modernist and Brutalist jewelry commonly uses a wide range of materials, including some that do not possess much intrinsic value. However, this doesn’t mean that poor quality or shoddy materials are acceptable. To the contrary, quality is still vitally important.

For example, if wood is incorporated into the design it should be an immaculately finished, exotic hardwood like ebony, rosewood or walnut. If gold is used, it should be 14 karat (58.3%) gold or better. Likewise, any precious or semi-precious stones employed should be considered good quality within their respective variety. And while not strictly necessary, only considering examples with at least one intrinsically valuable element – either precious metals or gems – will help ensure good investment returns.

Modernism as a stylistic movement is a bit of a Rorschach test. On the one hand, this means that a wide variety of interesting and varied looks fall within its boundaries. However, it also means that some pieces of jewelry are peddled as Modernist when they don’t actually conform to any of the style’s characteristics.

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Some mass produced jewelry from the 1960s through the present has attempted to imitate the Modernist look. But these cheap pieces lack any notable presence and only vaguely resemble true Modernist work. Avoiding these flimsy and mundane pseudo-Modernist specimens is paramount in order to achieve acceptable future investment performance. In any case, jewelry that is boring, clumsy or poorly executed should be rejected outright, regardless of whether it was mass produced or not.

Modernist jewelry is a garden of earthly delights for the savvy investor. Because it is not as well known as some of the other, older jewelry movements like Art Deco or Edwardian, prices are often still surprisingly affordable. This effect is enhanced by the fact that some materials used in the movement have modest intrinsic value. Simple, but still desirable investment grade examples of Modernist jewelry start at around $400 each. However, truly breathtaking specimens that incorporate large, expensive gemstones or extensive amounts of heavy, high karat gold can easily exceed several thousand dollars. Pieces by well known artists are also, predictably, rather expensive.

For decades Modernist artists have striven to create a style of jewelry that is both cutting edge and completely new. Luckily for both investors and collectors alike, they not only succeeded, but did so magnificently.

Read more in-depth Antique Sage vintage jewelry investment guides here.

Arabian Delight – Medieval Gold Dinars of the Islamic Caliphates

Pictured is a fine example of the iconic “bullseye” type Islamic medieval gold dinars struck by the Egyptian Fatimid dynasty during the 10th and 11th centuries AD. Fatimid Egypt was quite wealthy due to its strategic position on the busy trade routes between India and Europe.

Our daily lives can be monotonous affairs. We drag ourselves out of bed every morning, suffer a punishing commute, grind it out at work all day and then trudge home. Then we are expected to repeat this routine daily for the next 40 years straight. One possible way to avert this disagreeable lifestyle is to become a connoisseur of the fine arts. Pursing such a rewarding avocation allows the aspiring art aficionado to experience splendidly fascinating items in his daily life.

And there are few kinds of art more alluring, exotic and accessible than the medieval gold dinar coins of the early Islamic caliphates. They are glittering pieces of the distant past – tangible reminders of a bygone era of shimmering oases, ancient cities and dazzling palaces in faraway lands.

Unlike Europe, which fell into the Dark Ages after the collapse of the Western Roman Empire, Islam experienced a centuries long cultural flowering. The Islamic golden age spanned from circa 650 AD to 1258 AD, when Baghdad was sacked by the Mongols. This enlightened period featured religious toleration as well as significant advances in the fields of philosophy, science, mathematics and medicine.

A major intellectual center for the Islamic world called the House of Wisdom was founded in Baghdad during this time. Muslims also established the world’s first degree granting universities in the 9th and 10th centuries. Countless ancient Greek and Roman texts were translated into Arabic during Islam’s golden age, preserving the priceless knowledge of those classical civilizations. Muslim mathematicians developed advanced maths such as algebra and algorithms. Innovative Muslim chemists of the 8th century even invented the distillation process that made hard liquors possible!

The Islamic dinar, a nearly pure gold coin of about 4 grams, was a high denomination piece widely used in medieval international trade. Europe, in contrast to the Muslim world, was an impoverished backwater in this era, with little trade outside the Byzantine Empire. As a consequence, almost none of the European nations struck gold coins during this time, with the exception of the Byzantines.

The early Islamic caliphates, on the other hand, were obscenely wealthy due to their extensive trade relations with sub-Saharan Africa, India and even China. Because of this robust commerce, gold dinar coins of the early Islamic Caliphates had relatively high mintages and thus survived in reasonable quantities to the present. In addition to the dinar, fractional gold coins were also sometimes struck in quarter and half units.

Islam has a general prohibition on displaying images in art – human or otherwise. Most Islamic art is therefore non-representational in nature, instead consisting of intricate, geometric patterns or elaborate, ornamental calligraphy. Consequently, the coinage of Muslim kingdoms was struck with highly stylized Arabic (or Persian) calligraphy on both sides.

This style of Islamic coinage was a distinctive break from the ancient Greek and Roman tradition of placing rulers, gods or animals on coins. This resulted in a breathtakingly beautiful, as well as tantalizingly exotic Islamic-style coinage that was minted for hundreds of years across dozens of Muslim dynasties.

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Muslims use their own unique dating system known as the Hijri calendar which is based on a lunar calendar of approximately 354 days. This Islamic calendar commenced in the year 622 AD (on the Western calendar) when Muhammad and his followers fled from Mecca to Medina in the event known as the Hijra. This event also gives the Hijri calendar its name. The abbreviation for the Hijri calendar is “AH” and will oftentimes be found in date descriptions of Islamic coins put up for sale online or in dealer catalogues.

Islamic coins were some of the first coins to be struck with dates, something that didn’t regularly happen on European coinage for almost another 800 years. Mint names are also often encountered on medieval Islamic coinage, allowing a collector to identify the city where a coin was struck.

The Umayyad Caliphate (661-750 AD) was the second great Islamic state after the death of the prophet Muhammad and controlled a massive territory, stretching from Spain in the west to Afghanistan in the east. The ancient metropolis of Damascus was the Umayyad Caliphate’s capital city. The first uniquely Islamic coinage, stylistically speaking, was minted starting in 696 AD during the reign of the 5th Umayyad Caliph, Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan.

During the Abbasid Caliphate (750-1258 AD), Islamic civilization reached the pinnacle of its golden age. Extending from Tunisia in the west to Pakistan in the east, the Abbasid Caliphate’s capital was Baghdad. The greatest ruler of the dynasty, Harun al-Rashid (reigned 786-809 AD), not only founded The House of Wisdom but also featured prominently in the classic Arabic literary work “One Thousand and One Nights”. Gold dinar coins of the famous Harun al-Rashid were struck in substantial numbers and can frequently be found today at reasonable prices.

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The Fatimid Caliphate (909-1171 AD) was a splinter dynasty from the Abbasid Caliphate that ruled from Morocco in the west to Syria in the east. The Fatimid’s center of power was in Egypt. This led them to found the city of Cairo specifically to be their capital.

Most gold dinar coins of the Fatimid Caliphate, although adhering to the canonical Muslim tradition of Arabic script on both sides, have a style of calligraphy that is readily identifiable as uniquely Egyptian. The calligraphy of Fatimid coinage is often strongly reminiscent of ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics, even though it is in Kufic (medieval Arabic) script. The iconic Fatimid “bullseye” type gold dinar coins are especially coveted by discerning collectors for their attractive appearance.

A desirable specimen of an early Islamic gold dinar should have modest wear; aim for a grade of Very Fine (VF) or better. In addition, a crisp strike, good centering and fine style are all highly desirable. Examples that have been bent, holed or excessively clipped should be avoided.

Clipping was an ancient form of fraud in which shears were use to shave off very thin strips of metal around the edge of the coin. If done properly, the coin was almost imperceptibly smaller in diameter and could be easily passed back into circulation at full face value. The coin clipper kept the metal shavings from the coin and eventually, after clipping many coins, would have pilfered a substantial amount of gold.

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Coin collecting has been called “The Hobby of Kings” because it was once the exclusive domain of royalty and other wealthy nobles. If coin collecting truly is the hobby of kings, then gold coins are surely its zenith. Islamic medieval gold dinars are among the most advantageous ways to invest in the burgeoning Islamic art market. Prices range from about $250 for common, but still desirable, pieces to well over $1,000 for pristine or rare examples.

Keep in mind that there are countless other Islamic dynasties beyond the three major caliphates that have been highlighted in this article. Many of these smaller kingdoms also struck gold coins that are very collectible. While gold coins from these minor dynasties are especially undervalued in today’s marketplace, all medieval gold dinars represent a beguiling, exotic gateway to the refined and profitable world of the hobby of kings.

Read more in-depth Antique Sage rare coin investment guides here.

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Read more in-depth Antique Sage medieval art investment guides here.

Weird and Wonderful – Edo & Meiji Era Japanese Netsuke

This antique Japanese netsuke sculpture depicts a smaller rat playfully piggybacking on a larger rat. Although it looks like ivory, this example is probably made from either bone or antler. Given the relative crudeness of this piece, it could be a 20th century copy made for the tourist trade.

Americans like things big. We live in a country the size of a continent. We drive SUVs that can seat 8 or, alternatively, accommodate a pygmy hippo. We pioneered the concept of the 6 bedroom, 3500 square foot McMansion, complete with in-ground swimming pool. Hell, the unofficial motto of the state of Texas – which, incidentally, is comfortably larger than the nation of France – is “Everything’s bigger in Texas!” But sometimes our obsession with super-sizing everything can blind us to the subtle, understated charms of small things. And rarely are all the finest elements of small design more fully realized than in Edo and Meiji era Japanese Netsuke carvings.

The Japanese people have traditionally been – and still are today – masters of the miniature. This artistic gift is perhaps most evident in their incredibly skilled Netsuke sculpture. Netsuke are diminutive Japanese carvings that emphasize the wonderful plasticity of their constituent natural materials. They were an integral part of the traditional Japanese wardrobe during the Edo and early Meiji periods, from the mid 17th century to the end of the 19th century.

The primary Japanese garment during this time was the silk kimono, which was worn by both men and women. However, kimonos have no pockets. As a result, the Japanese used a pouch or purse to carry around money or other small items. A netsuke secured a traveler’s money pouch to his kimono sash and was used by everyone from samurai to peasants to courtesans.

Over the course of the Edo period netsuke evolved from purely functional items into increasingly elaborate works of art meant to display the wearer’s wealth, sophistication or even political views. Edo era Japan was a highly stratified society. The shogun (ruler) and his subordinate daimyo (lords) were at the top of the social pyramid followed by samurai, farmers, craftsmen and finally merchants. However, centuries of peace during the prosperous Tokugawa shogunate meant that the samurai class – near the top of the social order – became increasingly impoverished while merchants and craftsmen – at the bottom of society – became progressively wealthier.

The shoguns attempted to preserve Japan’s feudal social order by promulgating strict sumptuary laws. These laws prevented people in the lower classes from openly flaunting their wealth by building lavish houses or wearing fine clothing. Newly rich craftsmen and merchants responded to this repression, in part, by purchasing luxurious and fanciful netsuke for their personal use.

In 1853, a naval expedition under U.S. commodore Matthew Perry entered Edo (Tokyo) bay and demanded that the previously isolationist Japanese open up trade relations with the West. This event threw the shogunate into a crisis that eventually precipitated its downfall. After the collapse of the Tokugawa shogunate in the late 1860s, the Japanese increasingly adopted Western style clothing.

As a result, netsuke gradually became unnecessary, falling into disuse during the Meiji era in the late 19th century. Even after becoming anachronisms, devoted artists from Japan – as well as other countries – have continued to craft lavish, whimsical netsuke sculptures to the present day. This validates the netsuke’s legitimacy as an objet d’art par excellence.

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Antique Japanese netsuke come in a variety of different forms. The most common are katabori or figural designs. Popular themes for katabori netsuke were plants, animals, everyday scenes, holy men and gods. Round, flattened shapes that resemble large buttons or discs are known as manju netsuke. Mennetsuke (mask netsuke) were also extremely popular, imitating either noh, bugaku or kyogen masks from the Japanese theatre.

Japanese netsuke were made from myriad different materials, but preeminent among them was ivory. It is estimated that up to half of all netsuke were made from ivory. Although ivory is a compellingly tactile, durable and beautiful material, its sale has been banned in most developed nations to combat poaching. This, unfortunately, renders buying or selling elephant ivory netsuke technically illegal in many jurisdictions. Luckily, the Japanese also produced netsuke in a variety of remarkably attractive materials other than ivory, including boar tusk, horn, bone, lacquer and metal.

Wood is the most frequently encountered netsuke material besides ivory. Species such as boxwood, cherry, cypress, yew and cedar were commonly used while exotic, imported woods like ebony and rosewood were employed less often. All of these woods possess exceptionally dense, compact grains that resist wear and are well-suited to finely detailed carving work. The warm, dark patina of a fine boxwood netsuke from the age of the samurai is both distinctively mellow and unmistakably alluring.

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The single greatest factor in determining a netsuke’s value is the execution and skill of the carving itself. This criterion overshadows every other consideration when evaluating a netsuke’s desirability and future return potential.

Condition is another major factor in determining the value of a Japanese netsuke. Genuine examples – all over a century old – will invariably possess an attractive, even and undisturbed patina. Due to their age, small chips, cracks or minor blemishes are acceptable on original netsuke. Major damage, however, is undesirable and renders a piece uninvestable.

Although uncommon, some netsuke makers signed their miniature sculptures just as any other artist would sign his work. The presence of a signature does not significantly affect a netsuke’s price unless it belongs to one of the most famous masters. A netsuke’s material, likewise, rarely impacts its value.

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Beware of crude “netsuke-like” carvings when acquiring specimens. These were produced in vast quantities in 20th century Japan for the Western tourist trade. These pieces were not meant to be fakes per se, but more like imitations. They lack the delicacy and refinement of genuine netsuke carvings. Consequently, they have no collector’s value and should be avoided. Verifying that a netsuke has two holes placed near each other (originally for the cords attaching it to a kimono sash) should help weed out some of the clumsier reproductions.

Their sweeping, delicate lines and bold, organic forms infuse netsuke sculpture with an unmistakable aura of Eastern sophistication. Simple, yet original, 19th century netsuke are available from around $175. More complex, intricately crafted examples of these overlooked investments readily trade for several hundred dollars. Truly exquisite netsuke start at around $1,000, escalating quickly into the thousands of dollars for museum quality pieces.

Few things exemplify the pure artistry of the diminutive better than authentic Edo and Meiji era Japanese netsuke. As some of the world’s finest works of miniature sculpture, netsuke prove that while sometimes bigger is better, other times small is the best of all.

Read more in-depth Antique Sage Japanese antiques investment guides here.

Engagement Ring or Investment? It Can Be Both

A fancy colored diamond mounted in a modern setting creates an engagement ring that is both attractive and investment oriented. The naturally colored, apricot-yellow diamond shown here would be surprisingly affordable. Its price may not be much different than that of a comparable white diamond.

You’ve finally chosen the person you want to spend the rest of your life with. Now the time has come to seal the deal with a gorgeous ring. Of course, any good thing comes with a price, and in this case it will be the cost of a glamorous engagement ring. Say goodbye to anywhere from a few hundred dollars to several tens of thousands of dollars.

Or do you really have to say goodbye to that money? Does the ring you are giving (or receiving) have any value, other than as a symbolic expression of love? In other words, you’re potentially spending several thousand dollars on this small piece of jewelry. Is an engagement ring an investment? Does it have tangible value that can be expected to appreciate over time?

These are reasonable questions, especially when spending so much money for a once in a lifetime event. Unfortunately, there are a myriad of diabolical myths making the rounds on the internet about engagement rings. Like all good myths, they have a kernel of truth to them – just enough to convince the unwary they are completely true.

The first myth is that diamond engagement rings were a 1930s marketing ploy by diamond monopolist De Beers to sell more stones. This is half true. De Beers did employ the U.S. advertising company N.W. Ayer & Son in a (tremendously successful) attempt to increase diamond sales in the U.S. toward the end of the Great Depression. Less than a decade later, Frances Gerety, a young copywriter employed by that same ad agency created what is arguably the greatest advertising slogan of the 20th century – “A diamond is forever.”

But diamond engagement rings were around long before De Beers’ marketing push. In fact, the first recorded use of a diamond engagement ring was in 1477 when Archduke Maximilian I of Austria gave one to his betrothed, Mary of Burgundy. Later, during the Victorian age in the 19th century, diamond engagement rings became popular among the middle class.

This was undoubtedly because large diamond deposits were discovered in South Africa in 1867, making the adamantine gems more widely available. Before that time, diamonds were the exclusive province of the wealthy and nobility. It’s no surprise every bride-to-be wanted a diamond of her own as soon as they became affordable!

Another false charge commonly leveled against engagement rings is that they are like cars. Once “driven off the lot” – or in this case carried out of the jewelry store – their value drops considerably and continues to depreciate for years to come. Once again, this myth has some truth to it. Every jewelry retailer must have a profit margin, so it is normal for the wholesale value of an engagement ring to be less than its retail value.

But where you buy an engagement ring has a huge impact on the amount of its markup. Buying an engagement ring online from a company like Blue Nile, Leibish & Company or James Allen will get you much more bang for your buck because these companies do not have to maintain the overhead of physical jewelry stores. They also function on relatively slim profit margins – usually around 10% for loose diamonds – and sometimes less!

Conversely, the markup on engagement rings from national retailers like Kay Jewelers or Zales is always excessive. Luxury retailers like Tiffany, Harry Winston and Cartier are no place to find bargains either. They use their prestigious brand names as an excuse to charge inflated prices for engagement rings.

Another excellent way to buy a superb engagement ring at a great price is to purchase an estate ring. The term “estate” simply means that a piece was pre-owned. Some people might be uncomfortable with this idea, but it really is the single best way to invest in a top quality engagement ring without breaking the bank. Think of it this way: heirloom quality jewelry rarely ends up scrapped or in the melting pot. So many fine antique and vintage estate engagement rings are still available at reasonable prices – especially when compared to the price of new engagement rings.

Unlike a new ring, the fabrication cost of an estate ring is what is known as a “sunk cost”. This means that the ring was made so long ago that no one is trying to make a profit based on its fabrication cost anymore. That lack of markup translates into a better ring and more money in your wallet simultaneously.

Here is the bottom line. There is no reason a carefully chosen engagement ring can’t appreciate like a stock, bond or any other investment. This is because, at its core, a fine engagement ring is a work of art sculpted from gold, platinum, diamonds and gemstones that a woman wears on her finger. Great works of art appreciate reliably over the decades and so too does a high quality engagement ring.

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But there are a few rules to follow if you’re considering buying an engagement ring with investment potential. First, you must avoid buying a ring set primarily with modern-cut, white diamonds. I know this might not make sense given that I just debunked the myth of diamond engagement rings as an artificial De Beers marketing creation. But, unfortunately, white diamonds are simply too common to make reliable investments.

Don’t let this discourage you however. There are exceptional diamond rings that do make good investments – notably antique rings set with old mine cut or old European cut diamonds. These beautiful diamonds were handcrafted by skilled artisans in the near mythical diamond cutting centers of Europe in the decades before World War II. Cushion shaped old mine cut diamonds were popular from the early 18th century to the Edwardian age – around 1910. Old European cut diamonds – a rounder, updated modification of the old mine cut – were in vogue from just before 1900 to the 1930s.

Both of these antique diamond cuts feature deeper proportions than a modern brilliant cut stone. This greatly enhances an antique cut diamond’s fire, or rainbow flashes of light. However, this comes at the cost of substantially reduced brilliance – the white pinpricks of light a viewer sees. This might seem like a dubious trade-off at first glance. You would be wrong to assume that, however.

High quality old mine cut and old European cut diamonds explode in a dazzling display of color. Their cut was meant to be at its best in low light conditions like candlelight. In this endeavor these marvelous diamonds do not disappoint; their intense fire can easily be seen across a room. The unique look and charming presence of old mine cut and old European cut diamonds is the stuff of legends. It is the reason these exceptional gems are still so desirable today even though a century or more has passed since they were cut.

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If old mine cut and old European cut diamonds do not appeal to you, then perhaps a colored diamond would? Diamonds are actually found in a range of colors in nature. This includes brown (champagne), yellow (canary), orange, pink, blue, green and even red! Colored diamonds – also referred to as fancy diamonds or fancy colored diamonds – are thousands of times rarer than their colorless counterparts.

Their incredible rarity, along with their wide range of alluring hues, is one of the reasons colored diamonds make good investments. However, not all fancy colored diamonds are equally rare and desirable. Champagne and light yellow canary diamonds are on the lower end of the pricing scale for colored diamonds, while orange, green, blue, pink and red diamonds are more expensive.

If you’re worried about being priced out of the market for these coveted, multi-hued gemstones, let me put your mind at ease. Champagne, light yellow canary and even some orange diamonds are generally less expensive per carat than equivalent white diamonds! That’s right. You can have a stunningly unique, investment grade diamond engagement ring that will appreciate over time and it can cost less than a run-of-the-mill, cookie cutter white diamond engagement ring!

Colored diamonds have one big drawback however. It is difficult to find them in really intense, eye-popping colors. Colored diamonds almost universally tend towards desaturated, lighter shades, which naturally have less visual impact. Of course, some very intensely colored fancy diamonds do exist. Browns and yellows are the most commonly encountered intensely colored diamonds. Unfortunately, deep brown diamonds – also known as cognac diamonds – are sometimes unattractive due to oversaturation. Deep yellow canary diamonds, while not completely out of reach, are extremely expensive.

Vividly colored diamonds in orange, green, blue, pink and red are generally unattainable for the average person. For example, the Hope Diamond is renowned for its fully saturated, dramatic deep blue color. But it is also locked in a museum as a priceless treasure. Prices for attractive, vividly colored diamonds (other than brown and yellow) usually start in the high five or low six figure range and escalate quickly from there. Generally speaking, gemstones of this magnitude are usually reserved for movie stars, corporate titans and other wealthy moguls.

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Although diamonds are strongly associated with engagement rings in the public conscience, there are other compelling options available for those seeking a jaw-droppingly gorgeous, investment grade engagement ring. I am, of course, speaking about breathtakingly gorgeous, investment quality natural colored gemstones.

Even though ruby, sapphire and emerald are the most widely recognized colored stones, they are not necessarily the best colored gemstones for an investment worthy engagement ring. Instead, some less well known colored stones – spinel, tourmaline and some fancy garnet varieties – are not only rapidly appreciating in price, but also look fabulous in engagement rings. This is because these gems are almost always completely natural and untreated.

This situation is actually rather unusual in the world of gemstones. Most colored stones – including rubies, sapphires and emeralds – are subject to heat, flux filling, irradiation, diffusion, oiling or other artificial treatments to enhance their clarity or color. Only one of these, heat treatment, has been fully accepted within the gem industry, provided it is properly disclosed. Even diamonds are sometimes laser drilled or fracture filled to improve their clarity. Unfortunately, these gemstone treatments – even routine heat treatment – are rarely disclosed to the ultimate consumer at the time of purchase.

Preeminent among all natural, untreated colored gemstones is spinel. Spinel is a little known cousin to the ruby and sapphire family. Almost chemically identical to ruby, red spinels were mistaken for the king of colored gemstones for most of human history. It was only in the early 19th century that spinel was finally determined to be a chemically distinct gemstone from ruby and sapphire.

Spinels come in the same dizzying range of colors that sapphires and rubies do – intense blues, reds, pinks and purples. Being so closely related to sapphires and rubies, spinels have also inherited their superb physical properties. Spinels are tough, hard and extremely brilliant, making them a perfect colored stone investment for a breathtaking engagement ring.

Tourmalines are another class of gemstone that comes in a broad range of colors. While commonly found in shades of blue, green, red and pink, tourmaline stones can also be multi-colored, displaying two different hues on opposite ends of the same faceted gem!

Tourmaline’s wide range of colors and good hardness, couple with the fact it is readily available in larger sizes, make it perfect for the woman who wants an impressively flashy colored stone engagement ring. I should note that while it is relatively uncommon, tourmaline are sometimes heat treated to improve color.

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Garnets are usually thought of as excessively dark red stones that populate cheap jewelry. And this can certainly be true. But garnets are also found in a stunning range of colors – every hue of the rainbow except for blue! These exotic, non-red garnet types are known in the gem trade as fancy garnets.

One of the most desirable fancy garnet varieties is the fabled Mandarin garnet. Mandarin garnets, also called Spessartite garnets, are an exceptionally beautiful gemstone that range in color from light yellowish-orange to a deep, rich red-orange. The very finest specimens are a bright, crisp pumpkin orange – a very unusual color for a completely natural gemstone. Mandarin garnets also have excellent brilliance and hardness, making them a phenomenal choice for those seeking a unique, durable and unconventional engagement ring.

Another legendary fancy garnet variety is called Tsavorite. This relative newcomer to the gem community was first discovered in the African nation of Tanzania in 1967. It subsequently made its international public debut at the luxury retailer Tiffany & Co. in 1974.

High quality Tsavorite garnet is a bright, saturated emerald green color. In fact, Tsavorite can look stunningly like emerald, except that the green garnet is tougher, more brilliant and rarer than emerald. It is little wonder that Tsavorite prices have risen inexorably since the stone’s fortuitous discovery 50 years ago.

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Most women want the beautiful gemstones mounted in their engagement rings, diamond or otherwise, to be as natural as possible. This is one reason why old mine cut diamonds, old European cut diamonds, spinel, tourmaline and fancy garnets are particularly desirable for engagement rings. They are all extremely unlikely to have been subjected to any kind of treatment or enhancement.

In other words, the beauty you see in these gems is completely natural. They were mined straight from the earth looking that good – a pleasant anomaly in our modern, synthetic world. Because colored diamonds may be subject to certain treatments, it is recommended that you only consider specimens certified as untreated by the GIA (Gemological Institute of America) to ensure you are buying a completely natural stone.

In addition to buying an engagement ring set with the right gemstone, there are also a few other simple rules that can help you invest in the best ring possible. For example, it is wise to avoid pave settings, a technique where many small diamonds or gemstones are set closely together to imitate a larger stone.

All else being equal, a single gemstone of a given weight has more investment potential than many smaller stones that aggregate to the same weight. You want a ring set with either a single, large central stone or, at most, a few larger stones. However, it is perfectly acceptable for a big central gem to be surrounded by a multitude of small accent stones.

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Another guideline is to never purchase an engagement ring mounted with synthetic or simulant gemstones. Synthetic gems are sometimes referred to as “lab created”, “created” or “cultured” in marketing materials. Diamond simulants like moissanite and cubic zirconia, as well as synthetic diamonds or synthetic colored stones, should all be rejected.

The only exception to this rule is antique jewelry from before World War II. In this case, synthetic rubies, sapphires and emeralds – often calibre cut – were commonly employed as small accent stones. Because their use is historically accurate and intrinsic to the design of some rings from the early 20th century, synthetic gems used this way do not detract from the investment potential of an antique engagement ring, assuming the large central stone or stones are genuine.

Antique engagement rings are a hot trend right now. But their vintage look may not be ideal for everybody. A quick overview of the styles commonly seen in antique rings can help you decide if one is right for you.

The Victorian period lasted from 1840 to 1900. Rings during this time were characterized by heavy, yellow gold settings that were often decorated with engraved flowers, flutes and scrolls. Claw set solitaire rings became popular during this era, although rings employing the newly developed gypsy setting were also fashionable towards the end of the 19th century.

Edwardian rings from circa 1900 to 1915 are typically light and diaphanous in construction. They often feature ribbon, bow, garland or heart motifs set with calibre cut diamond or colored gemstone accents around one or more larger central stones. However, it also isn’t uncommon to find rings from this period set with anywhere from one to five gemstones – often diamonds – mounted flush into a simple gypsy setting.

Art Deco, popular from about 1915 to 1935, was a starkly linear design language. Its bold lines and rigid, geometric forms evoke the rapid and ubiquitous mechanization that dominated Western Europe, Japan and the U.S. at the time. Rings set with large diamonds or precious gemstones of high intrinsic value dominated Art Deco jewelry. These expensive stones were often lavishly set in white gold and platinum settings that were elaborately carved or filigreed.

If you are considering an antique ring, try to avoid buying a modern reproduction. A reproduction ring in an antique style may possess the look you desire, but it will not appreciate in the same way as a genuine, original antique. Numerous vaguely Edwardian and Art Deco “style” rings have been produced within the last couple of decades.

Recent imitations of these older styles will rarely adhere to all the characteristics found in original antique engagement rings. One dead giveaway is when a supposedly “antique” ring has no wear on its shoulders or shank. A true antique ring that is close to a century old will have at least modest wear in these areas. In addition, only diamonds with old mine cuts or old European cuts were mounted in antique rings before the 1930s.

An engagement ring is a token of the strength of your commitment – a symbol of the eternal love between two people. But there is no reason that this major purchase can’t also be a compelling investment as well. The many thousands of dollars you will spend on your wedding and honeymoon will quickly evaporate, leaving nothing but memories. They will be sweet memories certainly, but memories all the same.

An engagement ring is the one aspect of your marriage that can, if properly vetted, be a perpetual, tangible investment. Buying an engagement ring set with an antique cut diamond, colored diamond, spinel, tourmaline or fancy garnet can provide you and your spouse an asset of lasting value.

Buying an engagement ring isn’t all about money though, so it is important that both you and your future spouse are happy with your choice. Buy a ring that is within your budget and in a style she likes, even if it isn’t strictly “investment grade”. Don’t blindly buy a certificate, no matter what it claims. Instead, trust your eyes. Buy what looks good to you. In the end, this ring will be your treasure and your jewel.