Jewellery Investments: Which Jewellery Increases in Value

Jewellery investments: Which jewellery gains in value. In short: Honesty first: Most pieces of jewellery are not good financial investments. Buying a ring from a jeweller and reselling it a few years later almost always results in a loss; the purchase price includes margin, design costs, and craftsmanship that is not recouped upon resale.

As of: September 2026. By Phil Oberlaender, Corelune Jewellery, Düsseldorf.

Treated in detail: Determining jewellery value: How much is your jewellery really worth?.

Jewellery as an investment is a topic that receives more interest in economically uncertain times. But not every piece of jewellery increases in value. This guide explains objectively which jewellery is suitable as an investment and which is not.

The basic truth about jewellery as an investment

What can gain in value?

Rare natural gemstones (untreated, with certificate)

Large, untreated Burma rubies, Kashmir sapphires, or Colombian emeralds of top quality with a GIA or GRS certificate: these stones have gained significantly in value over the last few decades. Untreated sapphires from Kashmir have become rarer, and the price per carat has increased tenfold in 30 years. Important: Only certified pieces are valuable; non-certified ones cannot be reliably valued.

Historical jewellery (Antique, signed pieces)

Signed jewellery from major houses (Cartier, Van Cleef, Bulgari) from historical periods (Art Deco, Art Nouveau, Edwardian) is regularly sold at auctions for more than the purchase price. This is a very specialized field that requires expertise.

Gold bullion purity in solid gold

The material value of solid gold jewellery (14k, 18k) corresponds to the current gold price, and gold prices rise in the long term. This means: genuine gold jewellery never loses its material value. It is not an investment in terms of capital appreciation, but it is a value-preserving asset.

What never works as an investment

• Fashion jewellery: No material value, no collector's value, consumable item
• Mass-produced gold jewellery without design value: Material value minus processing costs results in a loss when melted down
• Treated gemstones without a certificate: Hardly traceable and hardly valuable
• Diamonds in the mid-quality range: The increase in diamond prices was historically real; however, lab-grown diamonds have permanently changed the market

The emotional investment value

There is another type of "value" in jewellery that is not monetary: a piece passed down through a generation, a ring gifted upon graduation, a grandmother's necklace. This emotional value is not transferable at auctions, but it is real and sometimes more significant than any financial value.

What matters

Those who view jewellery as a financial investment should better invest in gold ETFs or commodity funds. Those who buy jewellery because they love it, wear it, and find joy in it are making the right decision. The "return" lies in the daily wearing, not in the resale price.

What do you find at Corelune regarding quality jewellery?

For the joy of wearing, not for the investment portfolio, at Corelune Jewellery you will find jewellery that is meant to be lived in.

Discover jewellery that brings joy!

Which material lasts best in everyday life?

Detailed info on this: Why jewellery is the ideal Christmas gift.

When does wearing damage the jewellery?

Most damage does not occur in the bathroom, but during sports, while sleeping, and when putting on or taking off. For glued-in stones, hot water and ultrasonic cleaners are the two real risks. Those who make this a routine only notice the difference after years, and that is precisely what it is all about.

What most frequently goes wrong when buying jewellery?

Those who ask themselves one question before buying jewellery can eliminate half of their mistakes: How often will I actually wear this? Often, one's own existing jewellery is ignored, so the new piece doesn't go with anything already owned. This significantly reduces the probability that the piece will end up sitting in a drawer after two weeks.

How do you recognize well-made jewellery?

Anyone who has ever had to discard a piece after a few weeks knows the places where it gives way first. The clasp is the most common weak point, followed by jump rings and solder seams, in that order. Everything else, from the polish to the packaging, says little about durability.

What is frequently asked about this

What cleans stainless steel jewellery without damaging it?

Cleaning without risk: warm water, mild soap, soft cloth. Keep ultrasonic cleaners away from glued-in stones and avoid anything abrasive.

Does stainless steel jewellery become dull or dark?

Stainless steel loses its color more slowly than the alternatives. Where a coating is applied, such as with colored parts, abrasion is still to be expected over the years.

Can I resell fashion jewellery later?

No, and no one should pretend otherwise. Fashion jewellery has utility value, not material value. Those looking for substance will end up with solid gold and different prices.

In the assortment, this corresponds to: Heart ring with crystal stones made of stainless steel and Circle drop earrings made of stainless steel. Further bestsellers can be found in the category our bestsellers.

About the author

Phil Oberlaender runs Corelune Jewellery in Düsseldorf and has been working daily with stainless steel jewellery since 2024: quality inspections, returns, and daily wear tests. The information in this article comes from our own assortment and from customer feedback. Where Corelune does not offer something, it is stated as such here.

Material, dimensions, and prices at a glance

Showering, swimming, and sports do not harm stainless steel; it does not tarnish. Values from the Corelune range for reference.

Which categories fit this topic?

Concretely, this looks like this:

• Zirconia and crystal jewellery

The unit price decreases from two items onwards: 20% off 2, 25% off 3, 30% off 4, 35% off 5, and shipping is free from 59 euros. Two items in the same metal color can be combined freely.

View Zirconia and crystal jewellery at Corelune

At Corelune: Free shipping from €59, 14-day return policy, shipping from the Netherlands.

→ View waterproof jewellery at Corelune