16/04/2026
This morning I woke up to a sponsored advert, by a major UK diamond jewellery retailer (with 224k followers) and the call to action on the ad was:
‘Jewellery That Holds Value’
Altogether now BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO *deep breath* BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
(booing continues BOOOOOOOOO)
As always we’re here to tell you the truth: Jewellery doesn’t hold financial value — and here’s why.
There’s a common misconception that buying jewellery is “putting money into something tangible.” But here’s the thing: most things, including jewellery lose a significant portion of their new retail value the moment they’re purchased, much like buying a car or a television.
Firstly, retail pricing includes the gemstone mining and cutting costs, metal refining, design, manufacturing, branding, staffing, rent, packaging, insurance (we could go on and on but you get the idea, all the hidden costs of running a jewellery business). These costs run higher where people in the supply chain are paid fairly, particularly at the gemstone mining and cutting stage.
Secondly, resale markets operate at trade level. Whether it’s gold, diamonds, or gemstones, buyers are typically dealers who need margin to resell. That means offers are based on wholesale prices and not what you originally paid.
Precious metal and diamonds have a market value, so when you sell jewellery you’re usually paid the open market price, based generally on component weight, purity and in the case of diamonds, their cut, colour and clarity.
It’s not a financial investment.
It’s an emotional investment. It marks life’s moments, stories and milestones. A ring isn’t just a ring, it’s the day everything changed. It creates connections to the past, offering comfort. It reflects identity. And these are the things that really matter.
Don’t fall for the lie 🩷