Out of curiosity: do you prefer branded/high end jewellery or unbranded - and why?

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#31
MagpieInTraining said:
I've heard Etsy is a great place to buy jewellery, though I haven't personally!
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It’s absolutely fantastic!!! 75% of my jewellery is from Etsy!! I’ve never been disappointed!
The prices are fantastic, the quality is great and the sellers are always friendly and accommodating

I also like purchasing ‘fashionable/trendy’ pieces that are reasonably priced, yet still made of real gold/silver or plated, and real gemstones... That to me is the biggest bonus when purchasing on Etsy... the quality! And unique designs...

Here are a few examples of piece i have recently purchased:

IMG_1692.jpgEEB4A3BB-926F-419A-BCAB-2A3457AAA0F2-11092-000004C5A47509ED.jpgF9F5EB6F-AF39-4A44-89D2-E0B69F48E9FF-11092-000004C5E4B8B64F.jpg

I couldn’t choose between silver and gold so i got both..

The gold ones are silver with gold plating

I’m extremely impressed with the quality considering the price (€40!!!)
You just can’t beat the Etsy prices!
 
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#32
Sophie-Rose said:
It’s absolutely fantastic!!! 75% of my jewellery is from Etsy!! I’ve never been disappointed!
The prices are fantastic, the quality is great and the sellers are always friendly and accommodating

I also like purchasing ‘fashionable/trendy’ pieces that are reasonably priced, yet still made of real gold/silver or plated, and real gemstones... That to me is the biggest bonus when purchasing on Etsy... the quality! And unique designs...

Here are a few examples of piece i have recently purchased:

View attachment 4228523View attachment 4228524View attachment 4228525

I couldn’t choose between silver and gold so i got both..

The gold ones are silver with gold plating

I’m extremely impressed with the quality considering the price (€40!!!)
You just can’t beat the Etsy prices!
Click to expand...

Oh my god I love the first pair! So beautiful. And you're right the price is super low!!
 
#35
I buy jewelry based on design then quality so brand isn’t exactly what I concern. If the design speak to me and the quality matches the price, then I’m usually all over that. [emoji23][emoji23][emoji23] Sorry that I’m no help on this. [emoji4]
 
#37
vink said:
I buy jewelry based on design then quality so brand isn’t exactly what I concern. If the design speak to me and the quality matches the price, then I’m usually all over that. [emoji23][emoji23][emoji23] Sorry that I’m no help on this. [emoji4]
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But that is helpful, haha! Clearly to you design is most important :D Which I agree with btw, along with the quality/price trade off.
 
#38
shinyshiny said:
My high end, branded pieces are just better crafted, with more distinctive designs. My unbranded, custom pieces look generic. Maybe this is more a matter of finding the right jeweller, and maybe I’ve been unlucky!
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Branded pieces, especially from iconic collections, definitely are extremely distinctive. But for unbranded pieces, a good jeweller is vital imo. Our jeweller will work with you for ages, remodelling/redesigning as many times as you need. I remember my mom had some of her small loose semi-precious stones turned into a 14k bracelet, and she had a specific look in mind that she really wanted. He went through 4 rounds of CAD modelling until he got it right, and the first time he made it she didn't like how he had done some of the carving she wanted so he remade it for her till it was perfect. At the end of the day the value of the bracelet - in metal and stones - is not high, probably one of the lowest actually that she owns, but it looks exactly how she wanted it, one of a kind and she wears it everyday.
 
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#41
I had all my pieces appraised for insurance purposes. They go thru each stone separately and of course if it’s set in platinum, gold etc and set a value. The branded pieces didn’t add that much extra value, just a bit, they appraised by quality and then set a market value.
 
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#42
pjhm said:
I had all my pieces appraised for insurance purposes. They go thru each stone separately and of course if it’s set in platinum, gold etc and set a value. The branded pieces didn’t add that much extra value, just a bit, they appraised by quality and then set a market value.
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interesting! So in the appraisal do they not look at the cost of buying that exact piece again, and just at material value? Because I know the cost of a love bracelet, for example, far outweighs the gold cost of the bracelet.
 
#43
shinyshiny said:
My high end, branded pieces are just better crafted, with more distinctive designs. My unbranded, custom pieces look generic. Maybe this is more a matter of finding the right jeweller, and maybe I’ve been unlucky!
Click to expand...

Jewelry made by a true artisan is just as gorgeous as branded. If I had to choose between Leon Mege and Tiffany and Cartier I'd pick Leon every time.
 
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#44
MagpieInTraining said:
Branded pieces, especially from iconic collections, definitely are extremely distinctive. But for unbranded pieces, a good jeweller is vital imo. Our jeweller will work with you for ages, remodelling/redesigning as many times as you need. I remember my mom had some of her small loose semi-precious stones turned into a 14k bracelet, and she had a specific look in mind that she really wanted. He went through 4 rounds of CAD modelling until he got it right, and the first time he made it she didn't like how he had done some of the carving she wanted so he remade it for her till it was perfect. At the end of the day the value of the bracelet - in metal and stones - is not high, probably one of the lowest actually that she owns, but it looks exactly how she wanted it, one of a kind and she wears it everyday.
Click to expand...

jadie1 said:
Jewelry made by a true artisan is just as gorgeous as branded. If I had to choose between Leon Mege and Tiffany and Cartier I'd pick Leon every time.
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I clearly haven’t found a true artisan, then. No CAD modelling for me and while the jeweller that made my wedding band was happy to scrap his first attempt and try again, the guy that remodelled a ring for me was abrasive and rude when I questioned his workmanship. The second attempt at my wedding ring is what I ended up with and it’s ok but the spacing between diamonds is uneven and it’s always bothered me, to the extent that I’m now hesitant to commission another piece :(
 
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#45
shinyshiny said:
I clearly haven’t found a true artisan, then. No CAD modelling for me and while the jeweller that made my wedding band was happy to scrap his first attempt and try again, the guy that remodelled a ring for me was abrasive and rude when I questioned his workmanship. The second attempt at my wedding ring is what I ended up with and it’s ok but the spacing between diamonds is uneven and it’s always bothered me, to the extent that I’m now hesitant to commission another piece :sad:
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You definitely need to find another jeweller then! Tbh the CAD modelling is not something he does every single time, only for super complicated designs. But he does spend ages on the sketching etc. for every piece, makes wax casts, when making anything complicated/big/expensive he allows you to try on the "rough" (like the metal shell, before polishing/dipping/putting in the stones) to make sure it sits right. I think its terrible that the second guy was rude to you! At the end of the day, you are a customer spending a large amount of money on something very precious to you and if you're not happy and you're polite/reasonable in your concerns, he should be making things right for you. Even if he thought you were unreasonable, there's a nice way of telling someone that.

Definitely don't go to this person. He doesn't deserve your business. The good thing is that with gold and diamond, you can remake it as much as you like (within reason) so if you find someone else he/she can take your ring and remodel it to fix the issues you have with it. I'm afraid I don't really know how to find a good jeweller, I just go to the one who my mom goes to, but I know she found him through a referral. He was quite new when she found him so his prices were extremely reasonable, and he was recommended to her by a friend. The first few times she bought something he already had that she liked, after checking to see the quality was up to her fairly exacting standards. Then she gave him something quite easy to remodel as per a design she had thought of. When he passed that test also she started giving him more complex stuff, and built a relationship with him that meant that she could put him through the wringer for a fairly cheap bracelet because he knew he would be the one also making my sisters' wedding jewellery.
 
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