Is Fine jewellery worth buying? How would you describe Fine Jewellery?
Fine jewellery refers to any item of jewellery that is made from precious metals. Most commonly, that means pieces crafted with 9 – to 18-karat solid gold or platinum. Stones range from sparkly favorites like diamonds, emeralds, rubies and sapphires, to semi-precsious choices like opals, tourmalines, aquamarines..
Some jewellery sellers are a bit too eager to name jewellery as “gold” when it might be just “gold plated”, and such information you can (unfortunately) only see in a small-text-description. Be aware and always read the full list of components before making purchase.
Also good to know about karats in gold:
The difference between demi-fine and fine jewellery:
Demi-fine jewellery refers to vermeil, plated, and filled pieces. They won’t feature expensive gems like diamonds, but will include options like moissanites or cubic zirconia. Gold-plated earrings or rings are made out of a thin layer of gold atop a base metal. Vermeil jewellery has a sterling silver base with a thicker layer of gold on top. But this differs from country to country. For example, in Canada, jewellery has to be plated with only one micron of gold to be marketed as vermeil. The United Kingdom requires vermeil jewellery to have plating that’s 2.5 microns thick. Coming back to the point of diffrence between Fine Jewellery and Demi-Fine Jewellery… well micron is a micron.
What is Affordable Fine Jewellery?
As we have already determined, a piece of jewellery can only be considered as “Fine jewellery” if it is made from prestigious components. Another important indicator is the method of manufacturing products. We can define affordable fine jewellery brands as ones that sell many pieces with a price tag under £500.
How can this be possible?
Crafted of premium materials, fine jewellery was something that was only worn for special occasions, in another words – quite rarely. Those were the times when jewellery pieces were massive and delicate pieces were not in fashion. Due to the fact that the fashion for clothes has changed, delicate, dainty jewellery is now more and more popular. The sizes of rings and pendants have been noticeably reduced, the products are made taking into account the lifestyle of a modern woman and that they can be worn with any clothes every day. Today you can buy a pair of earrings or a necklace made of solid gold and precious stones at a very reasonable price. Also thanks to affordable fine jewellery brands and the increase business in direct-to-consumer online retailers, we’re able to buy fine jewellery for our daily life. By cutting out the middlemen, these brands are able to deliver high-quality pieces (made of the same premium materials) at budget-friendly prices.
How is jewellery consumed in general?
In the United Kingdom, a survey found that the average woman owned more than £7,500 worth of jewellery. While some of this consists of timeless luxury pieces, the overwhelming majority of it is wear-once costume jewellery. According to experts, more fashion or costume jewellery remains unclaimed, while real luxury pieces are worn again and again and are inherited. Like fast fashion, cheap jewellery is often worn just a handful of times before ending up in landfill (or in your jewellery box). The silver or gold plating quickly fades, leaving the cheaper materials (and green skin) behind. Once in a landfill, metal and fake “gemstones” don’t biodegrade and end up releasing toxins into the air and water. A mass produced design can look boring very soon. It will be owned by hundreds and thousands of people and seen all over the place. It is wise to choose a handmade one that is done slowly and creatively. This supports the idea of slow fashion – it would be a distinct piece that you can wear for years down the line. Slow fashion also means buying valuable materials that do not go down on value as time rolls by. The value of solid gold and gemstones itself protects these materials from becoming trash – no one throws away gold and diamonds – they are blessed to be “forever recycled”.
DTC Direct To Consumer Jewellery Concept:
What is DTC jewellery?
There was a time, when we wouldn’t even have thought to buy fine jewellery online. But with direct-to-consumer jewellery brands, no middlemen or mark-ups mean that you can pay a fair price for the piece you liked. Plus, many of such companies are boutique style and do not mass produce their items, which makes it even more exclusive. Ditching traditional high markups and often overpriced showrooms, brands can offer fine jewellery at reasonable prices. The direct-to-consumer model has allowed fine jewellery shops to sell pieces at close to the same price points as semi-fine jewellery.
How the direct-to-consumer model allows brands to keep prices affordable?
Most affordable fine jewellery brands operate under a direct-to-consumer model, and many of them are digital-only. That means that without the obligation to pay a fee to multi-branded platforms to have their products on board, small jewellery business is free to set their own prices. And they can pass those savings onto customers: without having to pay interest to the middle-men, jewelers can provide better quality at better prices for the buyer.
DTC jewellery brand Lena Cohen London, the UK-based company built around the idea of “traditional British goldsmithing with a modern twist”. Lena Cohen Fine Jewellery uses of 18-karat solid gold in all of its fine pieces and conflict-free diamonds. The idea is to remove resellers, producers and other companies that go in-between the brand and its final customer.
As a direct-to-consumer brand, Lena Cohen London sells only via its website. The brand uses social media, to promote its luxury piercing jewellery. (#dtc business model is the one that doesn’t have a wholesale business, instead selling directly to consumers).
