My Jewellery Month: April 2025 - Battle for an ancient craft and a jewellery scandal

What occupied my mind a lot in April? In fact, it was all about the meaning of jewelry, the status of craftsmanship, and, above all, trust.

Left: Goldsmith work at Tantalum Wedding Rings in Magdeburg. © Tantalum Wedding Rings

Putting luxury under the microscope

April began with gossip from the world of the internet. In summary: A customer who purchased an expensive Van Cleef & Arpels bracelet in the US had a bad experience not only with the jewelry but also with the customer service at the boutique. 

Click here for the article: Unfortunately not luxurious at all: How van Cleef & Arpels got into trouble

While this could be a local issue with the store, a random look online reveals that—as is so often the case—facts don't matter much once tempers are running high. The mood indicator: bad! 

Consumers are angry, and I understand them. It's about the expectations a company has to fulfill when it puts four-figure sums on the table for its products. 

Once trust in a brand is damaged, it will also crumble in other competitors. Therefore, this article isn't just something to rant about, but also a warning to other manufacturers: Luxury doesn't just mean beautiful, expensive products, but a positive experience. If you can't offer that, you'll lose your customers forever.

Why the topic continued to concern me:

Since the beginning of the month, the clever YouTube algorithm has been feeding me more videos in which other Van Cleef & Arpels customers report negative experiences with the jewelry. Perhaps I'm currently witnessing a brand's image dying—partly because the internet wants it that way. One can draw one's own conclusions from that. I'll keep an eye on the topic. 

A long struggle for recognition

Good news has reached us directly from Germany: UNESCO has declared German gold and silversmithing an intangible cultural heritage. 

Click here for the article: The gold and silversmith's craft is intangible cultural heritage

At first glance, we might not even realize what this could mean for the real lives of goldsmiths. In Germany, the requirement to have a master craftsman's certificate was abolished in 2004. This led to a decline in the number of apprentices and trainers. We in the trade should really know how—excuse me—silly this decision was, because exclusivity creates value. 

Since the profession is virtually unprotected due to the abolition of the master craftsman requirement, it has lost some of its appeal – and security – for many. This is worrying from an economic perspective and from the perspective of jobs and future prospects for companies and employees. 

That's why I've dedicated a second article to this important topic, a follow-up interview with master goldsmith Rainer Fein. He works voluntarily for the Central Association of German Silversmiths and Goldsmiths. If you don't believe me, believe him!

Click here for the interview: Master goldsmith Rainer Fein on the future of jewelry

And to bridge the gap to Van Cleef & Arpels: It's about trust! It's about the fact that we all want to associate something as beautiful as jewelry with only positive experiences. We want to use jewelry to carry our emotions and memories into the future, preserving its value and meaning.

A conclusion of the month: Bring back the master craftsman requirement for goldsmiths!

Trust and quality come from expertise

Incidentally, the news about the new Bulgari location in Valenza – the largest in the world – is relevant to this topic. The luxury brand now has two training centers there, the Bulgari Academy and the Scuola Bulgari, which cater to qualified young talent. If the world's biggest brands spare no expense or effort, there must be something behind it, right?

Click here for the article: Largest jewellery manufacturer in the world: Bulgari opens new site in Valenza

So here again is the argument for our jewelry: Beauty brings joy. Joy comes from quality. Quality requires expertise. Expertise creates trust. Trust justifies higher prices.

All right? Great! See you next month!