Gold jewellery: finishing touches

© Pagliani

How can the staggering cost of gold be offset?

To make up for the cost, one solution is to add value through the goldsmith's craft, as the cost of labour hasn't increased as much.
Perfectly polished jewellery isn't enough: jewellery has to be gadrooned, filigreed, guilloched, corded, engraved with messages...

Every jewellery house dreams up their own signatures that stand out; for example, at Boucheron, the gold is fashioned into diamond points; and at Buccellati, it is crafted to look like velvet and tulle.