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Designer Jewelry

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Designer jewelry has a rich history. Most cultures indulged in some form of body adornment, much of this is done in relation to a ceremonial purpose, religious affiliation or social status.

This was just as true in Italy. Classical Italian Jewelry designers used traces of Egyptian, Greek and Asian culture. These early jewelry designers perfected techniques that are still used in making Italian jewelry today. A great example of a well-known Italian designer was Pio Fortuna Castellani. He studied the "granulation" technique for crafting gold jewelry. Castellani, along with other jewelry designers have infused passion into this art, that has become an obsession in many regions of Italy. This is what sets Italian Jewelry apart from the rest of the world.

A highly used metal in Italian Jewelry is gold. Even today, gold is the metal of choice in Italian Designer Jewelry, though sterling silver jewelry is a close second. There is great demand for Italian Jewelry, because of its high quality. It is easy to see why people love to wear Italian designer jewelry.

Louis Francois Cartier was born in Paris in 1847. He was a great artist, but also a shrewd businessman. He found great jewelry designers such as Charles Jacqueau and Jenny Miss du Sang. In 1909 Cartier established the New York City branch, and in 1917 moved to the current location of 653 Fifth Avenue. The building was a mansion of Morton Freeman Plant, and designed by CPH Gilbert. Cartier purchased the mansion in exchange for $100 in cash and a double-stranded natural pearl necklace. It was valued at 1 million dollars. Today, Cartier operates more than 200 stores in 125 countries.

As you can see, the history of designer jewelry is rich, and has influenced greatly the designer jewelry of today. A few of today's great jewelry designers are John Hardy, Judith Ripka, and Mikimotto. Each of these great artists have their own style.

Judith Ripka designs were influenced by nature. She has been in the jewelry design business for over 30 years. She and her family are enjoying their great success as they work together in the jewelry company.

Another artist of great designer jewelry is John Hardy. His company was founded in 1989. His designs are also inspired by nature. John Hardy's designs are sold all around the world.

Last but certainly not least is Mikimoto. Mikimoto is best known for his pearls. He was dissatisfied with the poor quality pearls being bought and sold in the pearl business, therefore he created his own techniques to create high quality lustrous pearls.

Designer Jewelry is a thriving industry today. In fact there are many companies making great incomes by copying their jewelry. So be careful when shopping for your designer jewelry. The price tag would obviously be much higher if the jewelry is actually designer jewelry. Find a reputable jeweler, or go to your local Jewelry Store to make sure you are purchasing the real thing!