Conception - Azami Luxury

As producers, jewelry stores and manufacturers are responsible for quality. The creation of fine jewelry is the result of using gemstones of fine quality and employing designers, gemstone buyers, and craftsmen for the purpose of creating comfortable, carefully made jewelry. If standards for the materials or craftsmanship are lowered, the quality of the jewelry will suffer accordingly. The maker’s hallmark that s stamped on jewelry is a guarantee of quality that clearly acknowledges the jewelry store’s or manufacturer’s accountability. The reason for the popularity of so-called “signed pieces” of jewelry lies in the maker’s willingness to assume responsibility for the essential element of product quality. By stamping his signature, the producer shows his commitment to excellence and assures the customer that he stands behind the quality of the piece. The stamp assures, for example, that the producer will not hide the flaws of a diamond under a prong, as mentioned in Chapter1. There is a saying that goes, “In buying jewelry, who you buy from is more important than what you buy.” Because quality is difficult to understand at a glance, and since jewelry is something that is kept for many years after it is purchased, choosing the right seller is an essential step in avoiding mistakes.

The making of gemstone-oriented jewelry requires a familiarity with the possibilities of fabrication and stone setting, along with an ability to conceptualize the beauty of gemstones and the effects of using them in combination. Jewelry may use just a few large gemstones, or it may display the beauty of a coordinated arrangement of small-sized gemstones. Even if genuine precious metals and gemstones are used as components, pieces using metal of low fineness, or gemstones of inferior quality, are not worthy of being called “jewelry.” Jewelry stands on a foundation of three factors - a style that fits in with modern life, gemstones that are genuine and beautiful, and a make that is comfortable to wear.

The purpose of jewelry is for fine pieces to be enjoyed over many years, in contribution to a full and rich life. Jewelry born of a superior concept is precise and subtle, delicate yet exceptionally durable, easy to care for, and able to bring out the maximum beauty of the gemstones. Yet the gemstones must be more than simply beautiful. The conception must also carefully consider the balance of characteristics such as the hardness and durability of the various gemstone types, their appearance and size, and their transparency and brilliance. Wonderful jewelry is a direct result of considering the unique character of each individual gemstone as the piece is being created.

Sapphire and diamond earrings. The outer line is conceptualized to follow the lines of the ear.

When building a house, a superior design concept that addresses the fundamentals will result in a better-designed, more comfortable home. Consideration of basic elements such as the strength of foundation, the functionally of fixtures and appliances, energy efficiency, and climate must be made in order to decide upon details such as the style of roof and the placement of windows. As we have seen in Chapter1, comfortable jewelry is the result of a superior conception that takes into account the overall balance of factors such as the optimum weight of the piece, the number and strength of the prongs, the form of the bezel, the thickness and size of a brooch’s pin, and the arrangement of gemstones. When the conception of a piece of jewelry is superior, the value of the individual gemstones used in that jewelry will also be judged higher. Both gemstone jewelry and houses are meant to last decades or even centuries, making their fundamental planning extremely important. A house that beings to lean after 25 years is not worth its price, even if it costs just one-fourth the price of a house built to last for 100 years. Not only that, but it would also be less comfortable to live in, making the difference in value an even larger one.

Whether a piece of jewelry is made of platinum or gold, its shape is round or square, or the gemstones used are diamonds or citrines – these are all matters of preference. It is the same issue of personal taste as whether a house is made of wood or brick, whether its shape is square or oval, or whether the walls are white or yellow. Such variations are undeniably related to design, but these do not determine superiority or inferiority. White jewelry does not pursue rapidly changing trends, it is important that a piece can be worn by the working woman on the job, while having a make that reflects fashion and class. Whether or not modern lifestyles are considered is a key point in the quality of a conception.

With an emphasis on wearability, a plan is made to bring out the maximum beauty of a sequence of 4 x 2 millimeter baguette rubies. A design is rendered, keeping the size of the ring's shank and the diamonds in balance, and the ring is ready to be made.

Ring
Suwa
Ruby/Diamond

When attempting to develop a new style, actual gemstones are laid out and compared to the rendered design, and their color and arrangement are evaluated. After all, drawing in paper cannot convey the actual beauty of gemstones, and often the characteristics beauty of each individual gemstone may inspire a new concept. The actual process of creating jewelry begins after decisions are made regarding how to set the stones, how the piece will feel when worn, its safety features, its total weight, the dimensions of its design, the overall balance, and its level of finish.

A talented designer’s finished work makes a lasting impression on those who see it. However, much of the jewelry that is valued for a designer’s individuality and character does not center on gemstone-oriented design, and this book does not address such jewelry. Naturally, people will clearly either like or dislike jewelry with a strong, individual character.

Countless pieces of precious metal jewelry of just gold or silver have been made since ancient times, but since precious metals are rare, they are made and melted in a continuing cycle. As a result, far fewer old pieces remain than one would expect. Nowadays, jewelry is often made in forms that follow current trends, and it is important to realize the fact that when those trends change, such jewelry is destined to be melted down. Furthermore, hen the form of a precious metal adornment is decided upon, it can be mass-produced. Gemstone-oriented jewelry is produced in limited quantities and is fundamentally different from precious metal adornments.

Among the treasures housed in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London is a collection of jewelry ranging from ancient times to the present. Here one can see that all appearances of jewelry have already been made. I believe that carefully creating jewelry by drawing from what already exists and raising its level of perfection is also an important aspect of creativity. It is often difficult to read the maker’s conceptual intent from a piece of finished jewelry. However, when holding and looking at a apiece that is based on a solid conception, the maker’s intentions can be recognized. Wonderful jewelry has a fine overall configuration, and there is much thought that goes into the fabrication process. This chain of thought is conception.

THE QUALITY OF CONCEPTION

This chart shows examples of the quality of conception. Using the photographs and comments as a reference, notice how there is a difference in conception. Even with the same jewelry design, there are items ranging from high to low quality. The quality of jewelry is not in its form, but in the quality of its conception.

Finely conceived jewelry in the range of four stars and above makes up about 10 percent of all jewelry. There are limits to the availability of the materials and workmanship that are required, but their scarcity is the very reason why the conception must be thoroughly worked out. 70 percent of all jewelry is of two-star quality or lower. They are abundant because procurement of materials is relatively easy, and they can be produced with inferior skills.