Photo Credit: silverpaw
Solid Gold and Gemstone Set Signed Modernist Pendant
Buy It Now Price: $849 (price as of 2017; item no longer available)
Pros:
-This captivating, solid gold, signed Modernist pendant is set with pink tourmaline, amethyst, Australian black opal and iolite cabochons, along with two Akoya pearls.
-The piece measures 1.475 inches (3.75 cm) long by 0.675 inches (1.71 cm) wide. The total weight of the pendant is 5.3 grams (0.1704 troy ounces).
-This signed Modernist pendant is a one-of-a-kind, hand-crafted designer piece by the self-taught jeweler Debbie Noiseux. Debbie Noiseux’s work is characterized by elegant, flowing goldwork that is set with gems of varying color, texture and transparency. These seemingly disparate elements inevitably resolve into an alluring and desirable Modernist piece.
–Modernist jewelry is unconventional, often featuring wildly different forms, colors and textures – sometimes in the same piece. But, generally speaking, Modernist jewelry always strives for maximum visual impact without regard for the intrinsic value of materials, conventions of style or other rules typical of traditional jewelry.
-The gemstones in this signed Modernist pendant are set in 22 karat (91.67%) yellow gold, which frames the gems with a rich, deep golden color that really catches the eye. The remainder of the pendant is constructed from 14 karat (58.3%) yellow gold.
-This signed Modernist pendant has a provenance! According to the seller, it was originally purchased from The Vault Gallery in downtown Santa Cruz, California, circa 1993. The Vault Gallery opened in 1973 and operated until 2011, when the art gallery succumbed to the same trends decimating physical antique stores.
-The designer pendant was purchased (presumably new) from The Vault Gallery in 1993 for $860. However, the asking price today, fully 24 years later, is only $849. This is a great opportunity to purchase an investment grade, signed Modernist pendant for early 1990s pricing! The current, stable prices for tangible assets are undoubtedly fleeting, yet are often taken for granted by citizens of developed nations – much to the consternation of those living in less stable, inflation-prone economies.
-Good, hand-crafted designer jewelry is getting harder and harder to find for less than $1,000. I think it is inevitable that prices will rise. This signed Modernist pendant is an excellent chance to invest in a fine example at a reasonable, sub-$1,000 price.
Cons:
-It is extremely difficult to accurately estimate the intrinsic value of this piece of jewelry. I think there is probably at least 4.3 grams of gold in the pendant after deducting the weight of the stones. With gold trading at $1,285 per troy ounce, this gives a melt value of about $130. Even though the contained gems are of fair to good quality, most of them are worth very little. The Akoya pearls and amethyst cabochon are of minimal value, just a few dollars at most. The pink tourmaline and iolite gems are probably worth between $20 and $30 together. The Australian black opal is almost certainly the most valuable stone, with a (very, very loosely) estimated value of $50 to $200. This gives a tentative intrinsic value for the entire pendant of $200 to $360. In any case, this wonderful, signed Modernist pendant is worth far more as an intact work of art than it would ever be broken up into its component parts.
