#TBJTitaLife: A First Timer's Guide on Investing in Customized Fine Jewelry

I believe every woman goes through two fashion phases in her life: first, the trendy, disposable phase and finally, the timeless, investment phase; I believe I'm at the second phase now and everyday, I am embracing everything that comes with the #TitaLife and this includes investing in fine jewelry.

Gone are the days when I would splurge on the latest, fancy accessories of my youth. I used to hoard trendy accessories and wouldn't be caught dead wearing simplistic fine jewelry, but then it just came to a point when I stopped because of the evolution of my taste and the realization that when you get older, the heavier the jewelry, the more prone you are to headaches LOL. Another huge motivation for me is the fact that I have always been allergic to fancy jewelry; I'd get rashes on my neck and tender, pus- filled ear holes (sorry, graphic) whenever I wear non-precious jewelry.

Before entering the new year, I've set a project for me called PROJECT TIMELESS wherein I will invest in the following: tailored essentials (e.g. power suits), appreciating luxury bag brands (e.g. Chanel), and fine jewelry. I'm more sure of my style now and that is I love plains, minimalism, repeating outfits, and above all, luxury bags so in the next 5 years, I'll be replacing or adding key pieces that I know I will use over and over, would last me for decades, and will be an investment (appreciate overtime) or at least an asset (retain its value).

This year, I'm dead set on acquiring fine jewelry, a suit set, and a bag.

First off the list is jewelry.

They say that a woman goes through three phases when it comes to collecting jewelry: first is the fancy jewelry phase, second is the gold phase, and last is the diamond phase. I'm at the gold phase now; I've always loved gold, particularly yellow gold!

And you may also ask, WHY SHOULD I INVEST IN FINE JEWELRY? Because fine jewelry is an asset and if you've got a really good piece, it can be an investment. Like Gold: its value stays and doesn't decrease as much as other investments and is less volatile than the stock market; and Gold will always be in demand: it's used in currencies among other things apart from jewelry so its price, even if it goes down for a little, will always surge back to a high price (or even higher). That's why the truly rich are converting some of their money to Gold by buying bars or coins.

I have been meaning to customize a pair of gold hoop earrings because it's one of my most favorite styles; it just works so well with my style and face shape. A pair of yellow gold hoop earrings is my fine jewelry investment for the year and I had mine personalized by Nobela Manila.

Nobela Manila is by Liz Lanuzo of Project Vanity, one of her ventures; didn't know Liz had a passion for jewelry! It's always nice to see friends turning their passion into profit!

Nobela Manila specializes in pearls and gold, and other precious stones. Liz personally designs the RTW jewelry, but you can get a customized piece as well.

The product was well- packaged. I liked the wax seal detail, the environmentally- friendly bubble wrap alternative, the handwritten note, and the protective pouch; it was a thoughtful package.

And here's my customized fine jewelry piece! 14K hollow yellow gold, 2.5-in hoop earrings! Hooray!

The process took more or less 15 days from inquiry, production, to delivery. Nobela Manila was prompt on updating me about the status of my order: where they are currently in the customization process and vital updates such as style suggestions, remedies, and whatnots to ensure that the piece is well- made. I appreciate that their team would advise me on what are the best details to add or choose for my customized jewelry and even suggested other style variations, which are all helpful for first- timers like me. Nobela Manila's suggested style variations were more practical, which is good too because practicality means added security for my precious jewelry, but in the end, I stuck with my preferred style and I'm happy they respected that.

Btw, this pair is hollow gold, not solid gold. Hollow gold means the hoops have no filling inside while solid gold has; the former is lighter and cheaper while the latter is heavier and more expensive.

My customized yellow gold hoop earrings, I realized, are pretty thin; because as a first timer, I didn't realize I was buying fine jewelry and it's an asset and assets come at a cost. In short, my budget was only able to afford this much gold LOL. Nobela Manila advised that in order to make it thicker and sturdier, I should deduct some inches from the circumference and add it to the width so from 3 inches, this went down to 2.5 inches. I'm thinking of adding more width to this sometime this year and pleased to know that Nobela Manila is entertaining repairs and adjustments for clients.

So far, I've had a pleasant experience with Nobela Manila and I recommend them for your customized fine jewelry projects or if you want to invest in RTW fine jewelry! Their price is pretty competitive!

So let me end this post by giving you a first timer's tips on how to invest in customized fine jewelry:

1. First, ask yourself if you are ready financially and emotionally to invest in fine jewelry. These are some questions to ask yourself beforehand: Do you have enough disposable income to afford fine jewelry? Do you have savings and are you willing to invest them in jewelry? Are you open to the possibility of losing or breaking fine jewelry? Do you have money to cover for repairs or replacements? If a majority of your answer to the following questions is NO, then park your purchase because it means you're not ready yet to make the investment.

2. Research on suppliers and designers. Of course, mall- based jewelers are always expensive and those who are steeped in the world of fine jewelry know that Bulacan and Ongpin in Binondo are the best places to go for affordable, fine jewelry suppliers and makers. If you are from Manila, I would highly recommend that you visit the stores in Ongpin. As for the Bulacan suppliers and jewelers, a lot of them are on Facebook.

3. If it's your first time, I highly recommend that you go for the suppliers recommended by friends.

4. Beware of fakes. Do a thorough background check of the supplier and get the average quotation and price for the piece that you want to buy or customize so you have an idea of its market price. As the saying goes, if the price is too good to be true, it probably is!

5. If you're not used to wearing jewelry, go for a small piece like stud earrings or a chain necklace with a simple pendant first. At the end of the day, you want the investment to be wearable so go for a style that suits your preference and lifestyle.

6. Don't hesitate to ask your supplier questions regarding your customized piece (if you will opt for this one). Make sure that you will really like the item in the end!

That's all and I hope you liked this! Do let me know if you have further questions regarding my experience!

P.S. According to an article by CNBC, Gold experts are predicting that its price will surge in the coming years right after the pandemic as people will start buying back Gold that they have freed up for cash during the COVID-19 outbreak and currencies will start to appreciate when the global economy starts to pick up its pace; so if you're looking at investing in some personal investments/assets today, best to invest some of your money in Gold!