Kate Spade's Royal Bazaar Collection

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summergal2121

O.G.
Sep 29, 2012
201
3
#1
Hi everyone!

So I'm in search of a pair of earrings for my "investment collection" (so by investment I mean I'm willing to pay about $500- give or take $100)

And during my search I came across Kate Spade's Royal Bazaar Collection!

The collection is unique- its different and I get my hands on a pair of ruby studs! I've been wanting a pair FOREVER but T&Co doesn't make anything with rubies because they're so difficult to come by ethically and since learning about that I've been a bit iffy about purchasing rubies.

I'm not 100% sure about the rubies or any other gemstones from Afghanistan but from what I can tell the company that makes them their goal is to get Afghan artisans back to work and rubies aren't that rare in that country.

ANYWAY I tried on a pair of tourmaline at the store- and they were nice. But if I am to purchase it. I would like to purchase the rubies. And to do that I would have to purchase it, online. I'm a bit worried about buying a pair of $450 earrings without seeing it first.

So…does anyone have a pair or have seen it first hand? Or do you have any pair of earrings from the Royal Bazaar collection- and if you do, how do you like them?

The stones aren't that big nor do they sparkle a lot- but I did like the uniqueness of
them.

And does anyone know about the gemstones of Afghanistan? I've read mixed things online- supposedly many US military personnel posted in Afghanistan are approached by the locals to sell them rubies- some say they've been given fakes (which I'm sure these aren't) but many say that the quality of Afghan rubies aren't really good.

Any input would be appreciated!

These are the earrings I'm thinking about:

http://www.katespade.com/designer-j...art=3&cgid=jewelry-precious-and-semi-precious
 
#2
I love rubies and I love Kate Spade, but I'm not a big fan of these for two reasons:

1. The 'raw' cut of them will mean they won't sparkle at all. Without a nice cut and sparkle, you might as well be wearing much cheaper (even fake) ones, deep pink sapphires, or red/pink CZs.

2. They're gold-plated instead of solid precious metal, which I think is not worth the hefty price tag. I think there are better options for 'investment pieces' than Kate Spade, who I think of as having nice costume jewellery, but that's it.

Just my two cents!
 
#3
AndieAbroad said:
I love rubies and I love Kate Spade, but I'm not a big fan of these for two reasons:

1. The 'raw' cut of them will mean they won't sparkle at all. Without a nice cut and sparkle, you might as well be wearing much cheaper (even fake) ones, deep pink sapphires, or red/pink CZs.

2. They're gold-plated instead of solid precious metal, which I think is not worth the hefty price tag. I think there are better options for 'investment pieces' than Kate Spade, who I think of as having nice costume jewellery, but that's it.

Just my two cents!
Click to expand...

I'm not that upset about the lack of sparkles. I actually like them- so harder to fake or mimic (e.g. Tiffany's Sparklers). But that is one of the reasons why I want to see the pair before I purchase it (I know you can return it or what not…but thats never a fun process)- since the tourmalines def sparkled (not a lot but still did), the sapphires didn't really and the amethyst sorta kinda did- thus I wanted to see if anyone on here had a pair or had seen it.

huh I'm not really sure about the whats so different between gold-plated and solid precious metal- other than its two different metals…but what is your reasoning in favoring the other?

Thanks for your input! :)
 
#4
Hi again! Re: sparkle, I guess I just have a personal preference for more transparent stones. The rough cut means that you're generally getting an opaque stone that's not worth as much as a transparent one that could be shown off and made to sparkle with a more expensive cut. Lab-created rubies are basically everywhere, so I don't know where to draw the line between faking/mimicking. At least CZs are glass, you know? Lab rubies are sort of in between (though very ethical).

About being gold-plated, it doesn't say what the gold plate is over, and this wears off over time. This could really be an issue with something like earring posts, where you're constantly scraping most of the length of the post when you put the back on or take it off. I wouldn't want to put an unknown mix of base metals in my ears as the gold plating on the posts eroded. But my ears are a bit sensitive in that way.

I'd also be interested in seeing photos if anyone has them :smile1:
 
#6
laconfiserieblog.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/the-royal-bazaar-ruby-studs.jpeg?w=590

Are these the earrings you are talking about?
They are pretty. If you don't care about the value of the gemstones and the setting used, I think it's worth ordering and see.
However, if you care about the value of the rubies used I would suggest not to buy them.
You could do a search on ruby roughs of similar quality... you will see how little they cost....
 
#7
AndieAbroad said:
Basically I think you might be better off getting the same look for a whole lot cheaper, with solid (sterling or gold) posts, as I'm not sure the Kate Spade brand is worth the mark-up on jewellery. Here's a pair on Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/listing/111865392/raw-rough-oval-ruby-and-sterling-silver
Click to expand...

Thanks for the input!
The more I think about it- the more I agree with your comment on "I'm not sure the Kate Spade brand is worth the mark-up on jewelry" They are $495 a pair.
A pair of ruby studs easily costs about that much - and the size of the stones for these earrings seem to be decent- but are the stones actually worth that much? Hmmm I'm not sure- especially after looking at Etsy.

Thanks!
 
#8
sooyang said:
laconfiserieblog.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/the-royal-bazaar-ruby-studs.jpeg?w=590

Are these the earrings you are talking about?
They are pretty. If you don't care about the value of the gemstones and the setting used, I think it's worth ordering and see.
However, if you care about the value of the rubies used I would suggest not to buy them.
You could do a search on ruby roughs of similar quality... you will see how little they cost....
Click to expand...

Well since I'm going to be paying $495 dollars (and with tax over 500 bucks) I don't want crappy gemstones. I know they aren't going to be top notch but I still care about the value of the gemstones to a point. Especially since a pair of Tiffany Sparkler Earrings cost $550- about a 50 dollar difference but the stones are must larger and of course the gemstones are polished and sparkle.

I did do a research on the cost of raw rubies/rough rubies and saw that they aren't that much- thanks!
 
#10
UPDATE!

So after thinking about it- I've decided for a fact that I'm not going to go with the Kate Spade ruby earrings. As many of you have noted purchasing a pair of raw/rough ruby earrings is easily done by Etsy at a more reasonable price.

Does anyone on this site have a pair of the Kate Spade Royal Bazaar earrings? I am interested in hearing of what you think of your pair! :)
 
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