Yesterday we had a very interesting conversation regarding craftworks, jewelry and luxury. As you already know, Decimononic focuses its activity on fine jewelry at present, but… what’s fine jewelry?
I.- Fine Jewelry
Let me clarify that fine jewelry covers a vast range of jewels. This concept traditionally refers to jewelry that is made with precious metals and uses gemstones (often faceted or specially cut). It is distinct from fashion, costume or fake jewelry, which tends to be made from inexpensive, commonplace materials.
In recent years, however, innovative designers have begun to treat materials once considered inappropriate for this purpose (titanium, steel, etc.) with the same respect they give to platinum and gold. This obviously means that the definition of fine jewelry is undergoing a revision and Decimononic aims to be an active player in this process.
Although artisan jewelry, characterized by one-of-a-kind or small production works, may be easier to be found in an art show, a gallery or a boutique rather than in a typical jewelry, there is no need to explain that artisan jewelry is likely to fit into the fine jewelry category depending on the chosen materials and techniques.
II.- Luxury
Let’s talk now about luxury. As per Oxford Dictionaries:
a state of great comfort or elegance, especially when involving great expense.
- [count noun] an inessential, desirable item which is expensive or difficult to obtain.
- [in singular] a pleasure obtained only rarely.
From our point of view, the essence of luxury is the pleasure of exclusivity. And there is nothing more exclusive than something that is one-of-a-kind. As Ms. Franca Sozzani, editor-in-chief of Vogue Italia since 1988, said:
Craftsmanship is luxury. A product is luxe when it is handmade, tailored for few. Luxury meaning exclusiveness.
Luxury is not mere opulence. On the opposite, it is experimentation, class, sophistication, discret richness, uniqueness. Luxury is what Decimononic means: True Singularity. No more, no less.