Blog: buying jewellery online – insider guide

The molecular structure of Aquamarine, a type of beryl of which Emerald is another variety, is perhaps not as beautiful as the gemstone itself, but is nonetheless interesting. It seems amazing that a basic combination of Beryllium, Silicon, Aluminium and Oxygen can create such sensational stones.

In the flesh beryl presents in hexagonal crystals. Colours include red, green (Emerald), blue and yellow. Normally free from inclusions, aquamarines are cut into largish stones to emphasise the clear blue green hue. 

The birthstone for March is said to keep sailors safe at sea. Aquamarines certainly can transport you to a vision of oceanic serenity.

If you have a March birthday coming up, why not pick a mesmerising 4.26ct Tiffany & Co Oval Aquamarine ring with baguette cut diamonds? And be transported to the Caribbean or Maldives in the glint of an eye.

Here at Bloomsbury Manor we are very serious about authenticity. We use a variety of methods to ensure that all our jewellery meets our exacting requirements and yours. Our jewellery specialist will perform tests using specialist diamond testing equipment and microscopes. Pictured below is a laser inscription from a Tiffany & Co engagement ring.

We check laser inscriptions to make sure that they exist and tally with any certification.

In addition to the testing of precious stones we are also well versed in the workmanship of master jewellers such as Bulgari, Cartier and Tiffany & Co. It takes years to understand what to expect from their craftsmen. So many years in fact that it really does pay to deal with and expert.

A final round of verification involves pure experience. Does the item "add up" does it feel right? There is no blog or youtube video that can teach you this skill. Only experience can tell you.

If you have any questions about our verification process or authenticity in general please do not hesitate to contact us on 0207 692 5103 or via email info@bloomsburymanor.com

Which Investment? Shares, gold, pensions? The idea of an investment is not a complex one. We buy something and hopefully its value increases. But not necessarily.. when we buy shares or pensions even the small print tells us that the value of our investment can go up, as well as down. What if you could buy something now that would increase in value and you could wear it whilst you owned it?

Luxury pre-owned jewellery, can fit the brief and a growing number of savvy women are realising that they can have their cake and eat it by buying stylish pieces they know they can hold and sell on later on for profit. The price of new jewellery always rises. Labour, marketing and other overheads all contribute, as well as the fact that luxury items by definition cannot become cheaper. It does not make sense however, to invest in new items. It typically takes 30 years to recoup the value of a new item because so much of the RRP goes on the company’s overheads.

This is where pre-owned luxury jewellery comes into its own. The value of carefully chosen preowned designer high jewellery (platinum, gold) is often more than that of the metals and gemstones. But without the hefty overheads of the brand to pay for you are left with the items' real value. As the price of new designer jewellery rises so should that of the pre-owned. It can even weather the storms of the gold/platinum markets as it's value is propped up by the brand.

So, if luxury designer jewellery is such a good buy why don’t we hear more about it? The truth is that it’s an opaque market where 'value' isn’t clear. You need reliable dealers with a good instinct for what will make a good future investment. Brands such as Tiffany & Co., Cartier and Bulgari will always hold their value, but within those brands there are certain pieces, which carry more investment potential than others. You also need to know how to sell. If you hold for 5-10 yrs the original seller may buy your item back for more than you paid - can you imagine that happening anywhere else? If not high end auction houses are an option. If you buy new jewellery you might wait 30 years to recoup the original asking price. But with pre-owned branded jewellery you could be looking to making a substantial profit on the price paid after as little as 5 years. If you’re really lucky you could buy something that becomes the next super coveted piece. In the meantime you get to have a lot of fun wearing it.

If you would like to talk to us about jewellery for investment please call us on +44 207 692 5103 or email info@bloomsburymanor.com and we’ll be happy to give you our considered advice.

When you are proposing on Valentine's Day, it's not a regular proposal. The location is usually somewhere you're very familiar with already, often somewhere fancy – or somewhere special to you both. There are other differences too – the biggest is often the element of surprise!

At Bloomsbury Manor, we think that there is a golden triangle of gifts that should make your Valentine's Day proposal go very smoothly indeed. Whether you've bought a Tiffany & Co. or Cartier Engagement ring from us – or anywhere else for that matter – we think there are two essential little extras...

1. Champagne

As you might expect, we're not in to generic; we know exactly which one is best, of course!  Rosé is just what is needed, and you cannot go wrong with Charles Heidsieck's 1999 Rosé Millésimé. Toasty, mellow, rich – just like you perhaps? Either way, it's a wonderful celebratory drink for you both to share.

2. Chocolates

Truffles no less, but not from your local supermarket! These truffles, made by distinguished chocolatier Michel Cluizel, are undoubtedly the finest we have found. Rich smooth ganache, with a dusting of cocoa powder.

3. The ring!

We can trace the origins of the now famous “Atlas” range of jewellery back to one watch. You know, the one with the Roman numerals, designed by the now Emeritus Design Director, John Loring. It first hit the display cabinets at Tiffany & Co back in 1983 and was deemed so revolutionary it was granted a patent!

Slick and modern, a distillation of the best of American design, the Atlas watch spawned an entire collection of wearable, distinctive and refined jewellery. Recently tweaked and updated by the newly appointed design director, Francesca Amfitheatrof the Atlas range is once more thrust into the spotlight where we can see that it is a true design classic.

Our current Atlas pieces, please click on each one to find out more:-

You may or may not have noticed change in the air, it’s subtle right now but in five years perhaps we’ll realise that we’ve all stopped craving handbags and we’ve started craving particular pieces of jewellery?!

The designer handbag; Gucci, Tods’, Hermes, Vuitton has been the accessory of choice every since the mid nineties when Prada made the world take notice of their modern black nylon creations. Every fashionista had a Prada bag and every regular woman wanted one. When Tom Ford took over Gucci even more bag desire was created!

Think about jewellery during that time. Cartier was still making Love rings, a style largely unchanged since its inception in the seventies. Tiffany & Co had its never changing (and always desirable engagement rings) and some well-known silver designs, which were created in the seventies and eighties. We loved jewellery but we weren’t hooked on it. We didn’t use it to mark out our identity.

Those days are over! After more than a decade concentrating on high-end jewellery all the big jewellery houses; Tiffany & Co, Cartier and Bulgari have shifted focus onto the high fashion segment of their businesses. All have created new iconic ranges, aimed at the same women who have only had eyes for handbags - until now!

Tiffany & Co. has managed to almost single-handedly shift focus from the Chanel flap to the Tiffany T. The ‘T’ collection is a game changer, pulling in desire from the desire makers: fashion editors and celebrities. Once these guys are hooked we are all hooked! With new design director Francesca Amfitheatrof at the helm they have managed to distill all of the brand’s elegance, creativity and longevity into one collection!

Then there’s Bulgari’s Diva collection, modern yet exuding the classic lines of the art deco era. Mother of pearl and Onyx provide the cool yet classic juxtapositions to the gold tones of this collection. 'Diva' is all diva but in a wearable fashionable way.

At Cartier, designers have been channelling the spirit of the classic Love and Trinity collections into the new and super slick Juste une Clou and Amulette de Cartier. In common with the Tiffany T and Diva range, Cartier’s offering is aimed at a modern woman who wants to look sleek and groomed.

Will jewellery really replace handbags? At Bloomsbury Manor we think that handbags will still be important but that more and more women will be looking to complement their wardrobe with high fashion fine jewellery in the £500 - £10,000 range. None of the premium handbag makers need worry too much though as pretty much all of them sell jewellery too!

1. Ask questions. A good seller will reply promptly and articulately. Bad English = bad jewellery!

2. Only buy from sellers with with a no quibble returns policy.

3. If you're in any doubt use a free authentication service such as ours. We can certainly tell you if we see something suspicious.

4. Pay with Paypal or a Credit Card so you're protected in case anything goes wrong.

5. Compare identical articles with another seller. Do the signatures and hallmarks match? Remember it is better to do this with more than one other seller as you could accidentally find yourself comparing your item against a fake!

There's always going to be value in buying preloved/second hand fine jewellery but some eras yield more value than others. Why? It's down commodity prices (that means gold, platinum and diamonds to you and I). 

Around the time of the millennium from around 1995 until 2003 gold and other commodities were at an all time low. That meant that jewellers could use more of it. When gold/platinum prices are high they use less. That means that items made around the low gold/platinum price era tend to be heavier and therefore better value for money than later items. In fact Tiffany & Co discontinued many of their heavier items towards the end of the noughties as they became too expensive to produce.