Most people don't come into contact with jeweled materials these days, as the artform is somewhat lost to the ages. Nowadays people like simple looking parts that, in my opinion, lack a certain amount of character. A satin finished or bead blasted handle scale, for example, is much more boring than a jeweled one, and as far as utility goes, inferior. That's because bead blasted finishes and satin finishes, especially on Titanium ,scratch incredibly easily. In steel we use a Stonewash to hide marring and scratches on our blades. On titanium, I use jeweling to mask pocket wear, which (lets be honest) is the only wear that a lot of high end knives get.
Jeweling is a time consuming and expensive process for manufacturers and makers because there simply is no way of doing it hastily. The process involves taking a specially constructed drill bit with a rubber fillament and creating a swirl pattern that repeats over the entire surface area of the scale or part in question. Careful effort must be taken to ensure 100% of the surface is covered by the jeweling and all of the swirls line up perfectly. It's a difficult job that takes a lot of practice to get right, but the end results are very rewarding, giving the knife a durable finish that will not show pocket wear.
