In our last edition, we explored the many reasons we choose to collect jewellery – whether to preserve the past, celebrate the present, or to invest in the future. Vanessa then poses the second question: what roles do collectors play in this industry? With a sparkle in her eyes, she explains they don many hats: possessor, influencer, and guardian.
Collecting is less about acquisition and more an act of belief.
What do we do with the treasures we’ve collected? Are they simply for beauty, investment, or a way to carry on a story?
The Power to Create
Collectors are not always passive buyers. They include patrons, collaborators, and catalysts, actively bringing an idea to a designer and providing the resources to give it life. Without the other, we would not have the jewellery we know and love today.
Cartier Crocodile Necklace, 1975
One crocodile in 18k yellow gold with more than 1,000 brilliant cut fancy yellow diamonds, the other in 18k white gold with over 1,000 emeralds. Their eyes were set with rubies for one and emeralds for the other.
María Félix, the Mexican actress and renowned jewellery collector, famously commissioned Cartier to create her iconic crocodile necklace. A live baby crocodile in one hand and a dream in the other, she had waltzed into a Cartier boutique and requested the jewelers to immortalise its exact shape, scales, and movement into a necklace before her pet grew too large. The resulting piece was not picked from a catalogue but plucked from her imagination and molded into a stunning piece of art. Collectors are not simply buyers but are the gateway for new pieces of jewellery to emerge in our world.
Over the years, we have been honored by many clients who have entrusted us with their stories. Before they wore our creations, they first believed in us to create them. Across the countless hours sharing coffee, laughter, and fantasies, these relationships have blossomed into pieces that capture the many facets of life our clients have lived. Each piece orchestrates a symphony of said chapter, its melody only understood by the person it was composed for.
An industry based on imagination alone is not sustainable – faith in our craft is wind in our sails.
The Power to Define Taste
Collectors are the best marketing tools for designers and ateliers. By modelling their creations, they essentially become walking advertisements for everyone they meet. Through what they choose to wear, commission, and collect, they affect how pieces are seen and hence judged. A piece that might initially be unusual might turn desirable simply because someone influential has worn it.
This is where the relationship between collector and creator becomes interesting. The designer might create the language, but the client dictates what is heard. Their collection depicts a story of what they recognise, value, and is deserving of attention. Diana Vreeland, the Anna Wintour of her time, was a pioneering force for identifying pieces that might not necessarily be obviously appealing. She took brooches, normally worn on lapels, and iconically studded her headbands and turbans with them instead. Her inventive way of styling lent her credence as one of the trailblazers of fashion in her time.
“You’re not supposed to give people what they want, you’re supposed to give them what they don’t know that they want yet.”
– Dianna Vreeland
The Power to Move Markets
Collectors also influence what the market considers valuable. In the jewellery world, the market does not exist independently of the people participating in it. A significant purchase or auction bid sends sirens to everyone watching, that this is worth paying attention to.
The perception of rare gemstones in particular can shift dramatically with a single sale. Although the first person might be willing to place extraordinary value on the stone, the second person who follows in their footsteps turns an isolated purchase into a pattern. Collectors are therefore bidders, signals, and price makers. Their conviction simply adjusts and clarifies society’s lenses in what is rare and valuable.
The Power to Create Legacy
The Napoleon Diamond Necklace
A 263 carat necklace commissioned for his second wife in 1811
It is only a fact of nature that our jewellery outlives us. The most enduring power of a collector is their ability to decide what transcends generations. Historical collections only persist because, at some point, someone believed that it was worth preserving. A collector takes on the hat of custodian, guardian, and eventually its transmitter whose overarching goal is to protect not just the physical items but the interwoven story attached to it.
Marjorie Merriweather Post
Vanessa suggests: we do not necessarily collect jewellery; jewellery collects us. Heirlooms, for example, are passed down the bloodline and each owner effectively becomes another chapter in their story. Marjorie Merriweather Post embodies one example of stewardship. Throughout her lifetime, she amassed a grand collection of jewels with fascinating lore, many of which had once been in the hands of royalty, such as Napoleon and Marie Antoinette. Possessing a strong belief that such historical pieces should be enjoyed by the masses, Marjorie gifted her collection to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. Her contributions are an illustration of civic philanthropy, unlocking access to these treasures for all to appreciate.
Looking at the bigger picture
Jewellery becomes larger than life; it becomes part of a story that persists beyond its original owner. A new collector might begin with asking “What do I want to own?” Over time, it begs the question, “What do I want to preserve?” Through creation, taste, markets, and legacy, collectors are quintessential pieces of the puzzle: giving designers reasons to create, lending meaning to objects, directing trajectories of markets, and allowing future generations a legacy to inherit.
Vanessa concluded with a conviction:
When it comes to Picasso, no one demands the price of the material but admires the value of the hand.
The lessons Vanessa shared were not only thought-provoking but cathartic. Giving a voice to the feelings we often mute reminds us that we are not alone and, perhaps more importantly, our work continues to matter. In a climate of inflation and insecurity, this reassurance is a glass of iced water on a hot summer day. Blessed is an understatement; the relationships we have fostered are the buoys that keep our heads afloat. From the team behind Calla Lily, we are grateful.
Thank you to the Diamond Exchange of Singapore and Vanessa Cron for sharing your expertise and insights. Your enthusiastic storytelling offered a glimpse into the artistry and heritage that make exceptional jewellery so enthralling.
