FRA9 FILE · Fashion, beauty & luxury
Place Vendôme: jewellery, watches and how to buy
Understand stones, signatures and after-sales service before being dazzled by the window.
See the essentials at a glance
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key points: High jewellery · Watchmaking · Gemstones · Certificates
One square, many traditions
Place Vendôme brings together high jewellery, watches, special commissions and Parisian taste. Each house has its own language of stones, volumes and settings. Look at that coherence before looking only at diamond size.
Stone, metal and setting
Ask about stone type, weight, known treatments, metal quality and setting. A significant stone deserves an appropriate report from a recognised laboratory; the report describes but does not replace examination or taste. Comfort, strength and resizing matter as much as brilliance.
Watches: reference and history
For a watch, record reference, movement, dimensions, material, stated water resistance and service history. On the secondary market, box and papers add context but do not guarantee everything. Recent servicing should be documented.
Commissioning and trying on
Try the piece seated, standing and moving. For a commission, ask about timing, deposit, possible changes, returns and the final drawing. Bespoke work creates greater commitment, so every choice should be written before production.
Insurance and care
Keep invoice, certificate, photographs and valuation in separate places. Ask about care, prong checks and repair abroad. Sentimental value is not automatically the insured value.
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