Valentine’s Day is celebrated annually on 14th February and has a surprisingly complex and layered history, blending ancient Roman traditions with Christian beliefs and medieval romance.
By the Victorian era, Valentine’s Day became a widely celebrated occasion, with flowers becoming common traditions. Today, Valentine’s Day is a global holiday expressing love and affection through various gestures and celebrations. There are also variations of the holiday including Galentine’s when one can celebrate friendships.
However you choose to celebrate, there is no getting away from the fact that it is fast approaching. With that in mind I am here to provide you with some expert guidance on how to choose the best items of jewellery this Valentine’s, for the one you love.
Tiffany & Co.
Arguably the most romantic of jewellers in the world, we couldn’t write about Valentine’s Day without mentioning Tiffany & Co., particularly a Tiffany & Co. engagement ring.
In 1887, Charles Lewis Tiffany, founder of Tiffany and Co., acquired an exceptional fancy yellow diamond from a mine in South Africa and it is known as The Tiffany diamond. It has been displayed in various settings throughout its history, with its most notable appearance as a pendant on a diamond necklace worn by Audrey Hepburn during a promotion of Breakfast at Tiffany’s in 1961.
The diamond, originally weighing 287.42 carats in its rough form, was sent to Paris where Tiffany’s chief gemmologist, Dr. George Frederick Kunz, cut the fancy yellow diamond into a beautiful, brilliant cushion-cut. It was here where Tiffany’s remarkable association with exquisite diamonds began.
Nowadays Tiffany & Co. is known to produce the most iconic engagement rings in the world, with the most popular style being The Tiffany Setting, distinguished by its 6 prongs/claws. This arrangement elevates the diamond well above the band allowing maximum light to enter the stone from all angles, therefore enhancing the diamond’s natural brilliance and sparkle and minimizing the amount of metal covering the stone. It is also held on a simple plain band ensuring that the diamond remains the centrepiece. Sales of the Tiffany engagement ring equate for 26% of their total sales. This remarkable success can be attributed to the iconic status of the brand, particularly the legendary Tiffany Setting introduced in 1886.
The price of a Tiffany Setting ring ranges anywhere from a few thousand up to six figure sums depending on the quality of the diamond.
The 1.65ct diamond single stone ring above has an insurance value of £75,000
Cartier Love bracelet
Nothing says love like a Cartier love bracelet. Created in 1969 by Italian jewellery designer Aldo Cipullo for Cartier, the bracelet was born as a unisex ‘modern handcuff’ with Cartier making the radical decision to leave the functional or decorative screws visible.
Its oval shape means it sits tight around the wearer’s wrist, and its physically screwed on to signify the permanence of true love, since two people are needed to secure the screws. The Love bracelet has become a symbol of love and commitment due to this design.
Today the bracelet is just as popular and it is rumoured that New York hospitals keep mini Love screwdrivers on the wards, in case they need to remove the bracelet in an emergency.
Its longevity and success is down to the design, according to Pierre Rainero, Cartier’s director of image, style and heritage. “For me, the Love bracelet is a success worldwide since it was created because of a combination of many different dimensions – first design, and second, symbolism. The design is linked to its meaning, because the screw, is the meaning of the object and the symbolic value is immediately visible through the very simple idea,” he explains. “The Love bracelet has become a permanent staple in modern style.”
Nowadays, the Cartier Love bracelet is seen on the wrists of many famous celebrities, including the Duke and Duchess of Sussex sporting matching Love bracelets on the cover of TIME magazine in 2020, while Meghan has been spotted wearing hers on numerous occasions over the years.
This year Cartier have released a brand-new Love Bracelet with a width of 4.8mm it the medium size with a slimmer and thicker versions available. This new version has an insurance value of £5,850.
Van Cleef and Aprels Alhambra
The Van Cleef & Arpels Alhambra collection is seen as a symbol of enduring femininity, luck and love. It was in 1968 when the brand’s designers were captivated by the four-leaf clover motif and incorporating Art Deco influences, they created the iconic Alhambra pendant, with the initial design featuring a stylised quatrefoil shape set with mother-of-pearl.
It quickly gained popularity and over the years, the collection has expanded to encompass various interpretations of the Alhambra theme: bracelets, necklaces, earrings, rings and even watches, all adorned with gemstones and precious metals like mother-of-pearl, onyx, carnelian, turquoise, and diamonds.
De Beers Talisman
The De Beers Talisman collection is a line of fine jewellery that prominently features rough diamonds, highlighting their raw beauty by juxtaposing them with polished diamonds, creating a unique aesthetic that celebrates the natural, unrefined quality of rough stones, while still showcasing De Beers’ expertise in diamond cutting and setting.
The collection often utilises their “serti poinçon” technique to encapsulate the rough diamonds in the metal, giving them a distinct appearance.
The unisex collection is enjoyed by men and women.
Ruby
Rubies have been treasured throughout history for their beauty and symbolic meaning of passion, love, power, protection, and good luck. They feature prominently in royal crowns, ancient artifacts, and works of art. Fine rubies are gemstones prized for their vibrant red hue, intense brilliance, and enduring beauty.
They belong to the corundum mineral family, which also includes sapphires. Their mesmerizing red colour comes from trace amounts of chromium in their chemical structure. The most desirable rubies exhibit a vivid “pigeon’s blood” red – a rich, saturated hue with a hint of blue undertones. Other shades include purplish-red, orangish-red, and brownish-red, but the “pigeon’s blood” remains the rarest and most sought-after. It is the colour, clarity and origin which can contribute to a rubies value along with a lack of any lab treatment. Large fine natural examples with good colour can command very high prices.
Locations, like Myanmar (Burma), Madagascar, and Mozambique, are known for their exceptional quality.
No matter what gift you give or recieve this Valentine’s Day, ensure that you get it accurately valued for insurance purposes by calling us on 01883 722736 or emailing us on [email protected].
Helen joined the jewellery department at Bonham’s Auctioneers before moving on to lead roles at various asset lenders in London and New York. As her career has progressed, she has also become a specialist in valuing designer handbags and watches, as well as jewellery.