(edited by Herr der Friedhoefe.2490)
I sure wish Anet would get on with it
I’m eagerly/impatiently waiting for them too, but they’ll get here when they get here.
The reason the other professions reach 500 is for ascended quality items. Unless they’re adding ascended food, i doubt cooking will ever have a 500 cap. As for jewelry, all ascended accessories are already obtainable via laurels/fractals/guild commendations (and instead of gems ascended gear uses infusions), and I assume it’ll stay that way rather than crafting ascended accessories/infusions.
Dyes from cooking could easily reach Exotic level with another ingredient, completely in line with the current system. The rest of the cooking foods only give master level foods as shared Pots, Plates, Trays, or Baskets of Breads. The recipes for the shared foods come from the m.toilet. This could easily be expanded upon.
As for Jewelry, I would actually expect that the “unloved stat combos” should be craftable for Ascended trinks. Boon duration Giver’s stuff and others.