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The value of most collections climbs by £2,000 each decade It means women of 50 have jewellery worth, on average, £8,000 Most women wear less than half the jewellery they own However just 9% sell unwanted items Engagement ring is the most valuable piece for 78% of women Diamonds are owned by 67% of women by the time they are 40 Only 32% of women have bought themselves their most expensive piece The findings revealed that many women are sitting on a hidden treasure trove of gold and diamonds. The typical value of a woman's jewellery increases by £2,000 every 10 years as they reach middle age and add to their collections through gifts and their own purchases. So by the time she reaches 50, her jewellery is worth £8,000. This will include up to 150 pieces with the most expensive item normally an engagement ring worth £3,000. Just 33 per cent of this jewellery is regularly worn The remaining two-thirds is left neglected in a jewellery box - because just 9 per cent of women sell or remodel unwanted pieces. The typical woman in her early 20s has jewellery worth £2,000. This average figure rises to £4,000 by the time a woman hits 30 - with marriage likely to substantially boost the value of a woman's collection.
The value of her collection will increase on average by £2,000 over the next two decades, with women typically adding five new pieces each year. By the time a woman is 40, 54 per cent reckon their jewellery is worth at least £6,000. For more affluent women the figures are far higher. One in five 40-year-olds have jewellery worth in excess of £25,000 - with engagement rings in this wealthier group averaging £11,000. Just 33 per cent of this jewellery is regularly worn with the remaining two-thirds left neglected in a jewellery box Just 33 per cent of this jewellery is regularly worn with the remaining two-thirds left neglected in a jewellery box
And 16 per cent of 50-year-olds are sitting on jewellery collections worth £40,000. Only 32 per cent of women have bought their most expensive item of jewellery - for the other two-thirds, it was given to them, most typically by their husband or boyfriend.An engagement ring is the most valuable piece in 78 per cent of women’s collections. Four out of ten women feel guilty about letting jewellery go to waste by not wearing it. The vast majority of women (78 per cent) said they had no intention of selling these unwanted items - largely because they had sentimental value. Unsurprisingly, for the majority of women their engagement ring is the most expensive piece of jewellery they own Unsurprisingly, for the majority of women their engagement ring is the most expensive piece of jewellery they own Vashi Dominguez, founder of the jewellery brand Vashi.com, who conducted the survey of 2,000 woman,said: 'Many women don’t realise their jewellery box is such a valuable treasure trove.
'They are consistently adding to their collections through their 30s and 40s. Women see fine jewellery as an investment they can enjoy for life. 'Many affluent 50-year-olds are sitting on jewellery collections worth more than £40,000 – far more than the average annual wage. 'You find that women are extremely reluctant to sell jewellery, even jewellery not worn for years. 'Of course, the jewellery brings poignant memories of a relative, lover or particularly happy period with their partner so women will hold on to it even if they don’t like the piece aesthetically anymore. 'Women also keep jewellery they don’t wear for lack of independent trustworthy quotes; it can be a challenge to receive fair and accurate jewellery valuations from the high-street.' |
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