The global jewelry market is valued at hundreds of billions of dollars. But how exactly do you start buying jewelry that’s worth it?
Knowing how to buy a genuinely high-quality piece can be challenging with so many jewelry options. However, with a few tips for buying jewelry, even novices can fortify their collections with gorgeous pieces.
Continue reading to learn more. Below, we’ll explain how to buy jewelry, from determining its quality to choosing sellers and brands operating legally and ethically.
1. Confirm Jewelry’s Authenticity
Confirm a certificate of authenticity. Even though jewelry can look fantastic in photographs, promotional images are heavily edited.
This can lead the average buyer astray and lead them to purchase clearly less impressive jewelry in person than in online pictures. If you’re not a gem expert, you could also be fooled from seeing it in person.
Always request an updated certificate of authenticity to ensure you’re buying from a legitimate brand. Avoid any company that declines this request. Any legitimate company will provide evidence to reassure customers of their pieces’ authenticity.
Certifications must come from reputable gem grading sources. These certifications confirm the jewels’ grade and origin and will inform you of the level of quality you can expect from the company.
2. Check the Brand’s Reputation
Regardless of a brand’s authenticity, engaging with a company that doesn’t care about its customers or work is unpleasant. Check its reviews to ensure a brand consistently provides excellent service and pieces.
Most companies and brands will have Google reviews written about them. You could also view the brand’s website for a testimonials page. This page can help you understand the strong points of the brand’s services and pieces.
Otherwise, you might unknowingly engage with subpar business practices. Even the hottest jewelry buying trends can’t survive if sellers don’t deliver quality as promised!
3. View Their Designs
A great way to expand your collection is to look for brands that care about their designs. Even if a brand focuses on simple, more traditional pieces such as silver dangle earrings or delicate pearl necklaces, a good jewelry line has a mission.
Take a comprehensive look at the brand’s designs and assess its unique aesthetic points. Does it produce designs that you’ve never seen before? Does it elevate a traditional jewelry form?
It’s also great to buy from a brand whose future releases you positively anticipate. So if you like their current designs, you could keep up with them to be updated on future product launches. This way, you have a consistent reference to come back to for more fantastic jewelry.
This doesn’t mean they must have an incredibly prolific selection, which is especially is especially true with newer, younger brands. But even their limited collection should wow you.
4. Account for Metal Intolerance
Buying jewelry is frequently more expensive for people who are sensitive to metals. This is because cheap metals like copper and nickel may irritate people with metal allergies or general eczema and cause a rash. Symptoms of metal intolerance include:
- Itching
- Dry skin
- Red, raw skin.
Not all people with eczema have metal intolerance and vice versa. But if they do, it can be really disappointing to reject or return a beautiful piece due to its non-hypoallergenic precious metal-to-alloy ratio.
If you want to buy fine jewelry (which is ideal), search for brands selling real sterling silver, platinum, palladium, and 14-karat gold pieces that aren’t just plated with these precious metals. There are also other hypoallergenic materials used instead of copper and nickel.
14-karat gold is specifically recommended over colored gold, such as rose gold. Colored gold often contains metals like copper to affect its hue. Anything higher than 14-karat gold risks losing too much durability to last in your jewelry collection.
5. Consider Prices
Everyone deserves to look great, but they don’t have to do it at the expense of their livelihood. When shopping for the best jewelry, consider pricing and set a realistic budget.
That doesn’t mean you’re always sacrificing quality by saving money. Higher price tags can indicate quality, but they can also largely indicate marketing and advertising expenses, not expenses that contribute to its quality.
However, there are instances when affordability compromises quality. This is most common with plated jewelry, often with silver or gold. While these look great initially, they’re more prone to wearing away over time.
These pieces must be replaced much more often. Depending on the ring, you may buy the same accessory quite a few times if the design is supposed to remain permanently in your collection.
On the other hand, high-quality jewelry can last a lifetime. While the initial cost may be steeper, it’s an investment that prevents the need for frequent replacements and repairs. There are also so many jewelry brands that can meet quality and pricing in the middle, releasing pieces that are gorgeous, of high quality, and within your price range.
Start Buying Jewelry That Lasts
With some essential tips and a curiosity for the finer things, even someone utterly clueless about jewelry can purchase a stunning charm bracelet, wedding band, or thin hoop earrings. By following these pointers, you can create your stunning jewelry collection, one to take pride in.
With this guide, you can start buying jewelry for any occasion and build a beautiful, lifelong collection. If this post helped you choose stellar pieces, check out the rest of our content! We’ve got plenty of other articles for conscientious buyers such as you.
