Today’s topic is a request from Judy. 🙂
She has asked me to blog about various:
“Ways to tell the difference between a good piece of jewelry or if it’s just junk. What to look for.”
Such a great question, Judy. There are several things you can check to help you determine if a piece of jewelry is worth your hard earned cash.
Let’s say you are shopping online and have just spotted a handcrafted bracelet in your favorite color. Since you can’t actually hold the item in your hands, you’ll need to carefully search the written description for clues to its quality. For example, is it made with sterling silver metal components? If so, that’s a good sign that the piece is quality made. If it’s described as “silver-plated” that can still be ok, but bear in mind that the plating could eventually wear off, and if you have sensitive skin, the less expensive base metals can cause an irritation once the plating is gone. Let’s face it – no matter how pretty a piece of jewelry is – a rash is no fun!
If the bracelet is gold in color, is it 14k gold filled? Or 14k gold plated? Both of those are a step above plain brass. (If it’s solid 14k gold – better yet, but not as likely because artisans often find it too costly to use.) As with silver, gold plating can also wear off, so if you have allergies, you are safest with sterling silver, solid 14k gold, or the two more recent additions – Titanium and Niobium, which are metals currently being used for their hypoallergenic properties.
The beads or gems used in an item will also give you a hint about its quality! Swarovski crystals, Czech glass beads, Semi-precious stones, and Vintage beads are all “ingredients” found in well-made jewelry. Plastic beads are usually of inferior quality UNLESS they are vintage! Vintage plastic or Lucite beads are often very beautifully made and highly prized by collectors, too.
Finally, let’s take a last look at that bracelet you’re considering. We want to check the design of the piece. Does it look as though it will drape nicely? And hug your wrist comfortably? No matter how fine the materials used, if a piece of jewelry is poorly designed, it won’t feel right and you won’t enjoy wearing it.
When you’re shopping for jewelry, remember that price alone can be deceiving. An expensive item may have shoddy workmanship, while a piece with a well executed design and the best quality components may be selling for much less than it is truly worth!
Hope I’ve helped, Judy! And if anyone has questions about this topic or would like to request a post on any other subject, please let me know in your comment. 🙂
Hi Crystal! What a great, informative post! Thank you! :o)
Hey Cris
Thanks for this post. I don’t often buy jewelry, but I check yard sales and Good Will for art to take apart. Thanks for the tips on what to look for.
XX,
Carol
What a great, useful post — but I really don’t agree about the plastic beads! Yes, it’s the main component in cheap Payless jewelry, but I think that gives it a bad rap. One of my favorite pieces of jewelry is a handmade magnetic chain that’s made with plastic beads because plastic is lighter than glass, so the magnetic bond is more secure. Quality faceted plastic can be indistinguishable from glass crystal. And personally, I don’t think glass can easily match the incredible glow of a good polished resin bead.
Cheap plastic beads aren’t good for anyone, sometimes having sharp mold lines and a cheap, chunky, too-bright appearance. But there honestly are relatively high-quality resin, acrylic and plastic beads, and good reasons to use them.
Crystal says: Hi Chelsea!
You make some excellent points – plastic is not inferior simply because it is plastic! There are some nicely made plastic beads out there, for sure!
In the short space of a blog post where I am writing for people from beginners to the very experienced in the world of beading, it’s sometimes difficult to touch on all scenarios without writing an in-depth article. I am torn between being informative enough for the new beaders and at the same time, concise enough in my post so that I won’t bore the long-time beaders. You’ll notice that I did use the word “usually” in my sentence!
If I were writing a longer piece – say a magazine article – I could have elaborated about contemporary plastic/resin, etc., but to help the inexperienced buyer in a short post – I figured I could safely say the vintage plastic is a fairly good bet when one is not sure of how to choose plastic of quality.
Your etsy shop has some lovely jewelry!!!! And I so appreciate the very valid points that you have added here! Promise you’ll continue to visit often?!? You have a lot to add to our discussion.
Warmest wishes to you! 🙂
What’s wrong with jewelry shopping? everyone wants that but few can really afford.
My mom, is a jewelry lover, especially in emerald ones, but she’s a good and wise buyer. She buys through her savings and not because it’s their pay day!