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| Gems & Jewelry |
Tomorrow's Classics
Jill Newman
08/02/2004
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VALUE JUDGMENT
What makes a one-of-kind piece of jewelry a potential collectible? The designer
must have an uncompromising commitment to an artistic vision and old-world
craftsmanship. The atelier’s output should be limited, and so should the
clientele. Those who wear a JAR jewel are unmistakably women of taste;
otherwise, he would not sell his work to them. No matter how much we might beg
and cajole, the designer will not make a copy of a masterpiece. |
Martin Katz perfected his jewelry skills while dealing posh vintage
items through his salons in Beverly Hills and New York. Over the past decade he
has been creating intricate, singular designs that flaunt his incisive
creativity and craftsmanship. His pieces have done well at auction, according to
Lisa Hubbard, Sotheby’s executive director of International Jewelry. His
colorful octopus brooch of tsavorite, paraiba tourmaline, pink sapphire and
diamonds sold for $32,000, more than double its estimated value. “It was a
gorgeous piece, and very unique,” recalls Hubbard. “People are always interested
in something that has a different look and is not what everyone else has.”
In
addition to technique and talent, jewelry designers require incredible
perseverance and commitment to achieve star status. For example, Christie’s
Magnificent Jewels sale in 1999 witnessed a heated bidding war over Michelle
Ong’s briolette diamond ear clips in the shape of sparkling grape clusters. The
clips ultimately sold for $189,500, double their estimate. When the losing
bidder asked Ong to create another pair, the designer replied, “I wouldn’t copy
them, not even for $1 million. It would be like an artist recreating a similar
painting.” It is that uncompromising attitude that makes a designer’s work
collectible.
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