Jason Merritt/Getty Images North America/Getty Images Having survived for millennia, gemstones have long been considered reliable investments, as they continue to hold their value through the generations. Just like in the art world, contemporary culture and trends also play their part. In addition to its rarity, a gem’s market value is often determined by its clarity, cut, color and carat – colloquially known as the “four Cs.”īut ultimately, a jewel is worth whatever bidders are willing to pay for it. Today, there are scientific ways of assessing the value of a precious stone. From Oprah to Nancy Pelosi to Jacqueline Kennedy, when they want to project the right image, pearls are going to come out.” “(She was) always walking the tightrope of not appearing unnatural and staying a woman – so that people wouldn’t think she was a monster – (while) also keeping power. “Think of Elizabeth I of England who covered herself in pearls and makeup as a shield,” Gay-Eckel said.

Pearls have often been used to project power, according to Inezita Gay-Eckel, a jewelry historian and professor at L’École, a Paris-based school founded by the jewelry brand Van Cleef & Arpels.

It returns to Hong Kong this September with courses such as 'Art History of Jewelry' and 'Universe of Gemstones.' Van Cleef & Arpels L'Ecole The School of Jewelry Arts was founded in Paris 2012.

Study of gems and crystals