From the beginning of mankind until today, man has always crafted and utilized Jewelry to show social status and importance, the belonging to a certain family, tribe or specific group. While today the purposes for which jewelry is worn have multiplied, the main idea stays the same. Jewelry is a valuable way to show social status.

What has changed a lot today is the fact that we have a plethora of brands which have specialized in producing such accessories. Large or small, cheap or super expensive, there is a broad range of jewelry available for every type of individual today.

Some brands have been around for decades while others are unheard of, but brand alone doesn’t mean much. Instead, the value they provide is what matters. And if that value increases with time, then you know that the respective brand is among the best of the best in the field.

For those of you interested in excellence in craftsmanship, heritage and long term value, check out the 10 finest jewelry brands in the world:

10. Hermes

Hermes is an exquisite and bold jewelry brand founded back in 1837 by the Parisian designer Thierry Hermes and still keeps its direction today. The combination of limited edition bold designs with whimsical colors is what made them so notorious.

They’re famous for both jewelry and watchmaking, but they also offer other luxurious items such as scarves, bags and fragrances. The lifetime quality of their products is ensured through the fact that everything is handmade in France, thus offering their clients only the highest quality craftsmanship.

9. David Yurman

One of the newest jewelry companies on the market today, David Yurman was founded in 1980 in New York City. The company was started by David and Sybil Yurman, and they are now very well known for drawing their inspiration from architectural designs.

Some of their collections have the Moon, the stars, the clouds and rainbows as their motifs, while others fit perfectly on the red carpet, with astonishing colorful gemstones in a wonderful blend with silver, platinum or gold wiring. Their signature collection, Cable Motif, has impressed women all over the world.

8. Graff

Graff is a British jewelry brand founded in 1962’s London as Graff Diamonds company, named after its founder, Laurence Graff, who started his career into the jewelry world at only 15 years old, right after dropping out of school one year earlier.

After his initial success with the first store, many more stores were opened in London and soon after he started to be known in many countries for his amazing talent and mastery in working with diamonds.

Today he still runs his company and it’s one of the most famous jewelry designers in the whole world, with his clientele including the likes of Oprah Winfrey or Donald Trump.

7. Mikimoto

Founded in Tokyo in 1899, the Japanese jewelry brand Mikimoto is famous for its near perfect cultured pearls in combination with fine gemstones and top grade diamonds. Their collections boast elegance and simplicity and are adored by many people around the world.

Given the success of their fine pearls, they’ve spread all over the globe, with stores in big cities such as Shanghai, London, New York, Paris, Bombay and many other.

6. Tiffany & Co.

Tiffany & Co. is one of the most iconic American jewelry company. It was founded back in 1837 in New York City and was a stationery store for 20 years, before started selling jewelry.

It has since expanded its business worldwide, spreading to over 300 locations today, impressing many people around the globe with what’s probably the best and widest range of engagement rings a brand has ever created.

Tiffany’s expert artisans take great pride for their wonderful collections of rings, earrings, charms, pendants with diamonds, platinum and other fine materials.

5. Van Cleef & Arpels

Born in the Art Deco era in 1896’s Paris, Van Cleef & Arpels is another fine brand of jewelry, renowned for their stunning designs and high quality jewelry making. They charm everyone with their Old World inspired creations like necklaces, watches, earrings or rings.

Probably the most famous Van Cleef & Arpels collection is the Alhambra range of necklaces that astonished almost everyone with its simple motifs yet exquisite and elegant designs.

Apart from that, the brand is also known for their fairies, flowers and ballerinas, crafted from only the finest jewels and gemstones they could find.

4. Chopard

The Swiss company Chopard first started making luxury watches for women and later it became known for its jewelry as well. Founded in 1860 by the legendary Swiss watchmaker Louis-Ulysse Chopard, the company was sold in 1963 to the German watchmaker and jeweler Karl Scheufele, which runs it to this day together with his two children.

Chopard is now well known all around the world for both fine jewelry and sophisticated luxury watches. Their design is simple, classic but nonetheless distinctive. They are a long time sponsor of the Cannes Film Festival and of the Monaco F1 Grand Prix.

3. Harry Winston

Known as the ‘King of Diamonds’ and probably the greatest American jeweler of the 20th century and one of the greatest jewelers of all time, Harry Winston is a legendary name in the world of luxury jewelry.

The eponymous company, created in 1932 in New York City, has become a resounding name in the luxury jewelry business, with elegant and intricate designs, using the finest metals and gemstones and masterful craftsmanship.

Harry Winston is a brand that continues the tradition set by its founder, and it’s the number one choice of many celebrities stepping on the red carpet.

2. Cartier

The French jewelry house Cartier is one of the most famous of them all, with aristocratic families and royal houses as their most important clients along the history.

Founded in 1847 in Paris by French designer Louis Cartier, the eponymous brand gained a lot of notoriety for its fine and exquisite creations like the legendary Panthere de Cartier brooch with pave diamonds and wonderful gems, but it’s also a big name in the world of luxury watches and timepieces.

1. Bvlgari

With what was at first a tiny store in a small Greek village 134 years ago, the local jeweler Sotrios Boulgaris set the first steps to a world phenomenon in the exclusive field of jewelry. Today, Bvlgari is a world-renown jewelry brand that almost anyone has at least heard of.

The Italian based company, with its signature features, focuses on elegant and extravagant pieces without losing its touch of the traditional. Their most famous collections are bold and sensual, always meant to receive attention and respect, thus evoking the Italian heritage and glamour.

Bvlgari is the brand of choice for many artists, actors, celebrities and top stars, no matter if man or woman, as the brand addresses both with the same fine jewelry, luxury watches and leather goods. As of lately, the brand has extended to the market of luxury hotels in some of the most important locations in the world, such as London, Dubai, Milan, Beijing or Bali.

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