Best Jewelry Decisions You've Ever Made?

Check @PaperTigers post #82. I took a screenshot and read it whenever I thought about jewelry


also, feel free to try on jewelry with girlfriends, but don’t ever buy anything that you had not already decided upon with them. Girlfriends are loving and supportive. But, if you are a newcomer to jewelry and you buy on impulse with them, you might have morning after regrets. No reputable jeweler is going to rush you into things. You can always visit again

if you go to look at jewelry, wear a plain clothes but not atheleisure. I prefer black sweater and gray trousers. Take full length pics including head and feet Plus close ups. I always ask first, but no jeweler has ever refused bc many people cannot decide without a pic. every time you take a pic, take it from the same angle, distance. This way you cZn compare oranges to apples.

stick to your budget, unless of dourse you fall in love and can stretch a bit
 
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Don’t go with the trends. I tried to keep up with the bracelet stack trends (although beautiful) is NOT my style. I like 1 bracelet (usually a tennis style) and that’s it. 2,3,4,etc… bracelets on my wrist drive me nuts. And aren’t me. And along those lines buy what you love and not what is on trend. Classic pieces are always what you should start with imo. Don’t be afraid to mix metals or go against the grain.
 
I have a fewm

Purchase methodically, but there will be mistakes and that’s alright. I’ve realized how many pieces I have in silver that I’d now rather have in gold and pieces of silver I don’t (which out number the former cartegory). It’s money spent, but at least I didn’t spend the money on gold pieces I now have zero desire to where.

Try things on whenever possible. A bracelet may be beautiful, but if you can’t put it on yourself, are you really going to wear it? High jewelry earrings are a dream of mine, but one I admire from afar due to their weight. A ring I love might look terrible on my hands (or make my hands look terrible).

Find a good, local jeweler who does custom designs. I love my designer pieces and like buying from original designers when possible, but having a jeweler locally I trust opens so many doors. They tend to be reasonably priced and better quality than a lot of larger, non-luxury operations. It really helps to have someone I can go to for completely unique pieces, basics, and repairs.
 
There is no need to buy multiple chains of different lengths. Just buy a chain extender. You can buy real gold, sterling silver as well as plated ones.

Our fingers tend to swell or get bigger as we age. They can also shrink on cold days or if we lose weight. I suggest you buy rings that don't fit snugly but fit slightly on the looser side. Resizing up or down can be quite costly and not that good for the ring. There are silicone ring sizers that you can buy to make a slightly loose ring just just right.
 
I think the biggest is, I now try to buy what I'm comfortable wearing for everyday and every day.

Sentimental aside, jewellery that I can't wear regularly is just ballast (I guess the same as bags).

There is a place for museum quality and high-jewellery, but I'll still need to be able to wear them, so they can't be so delicate. For this reason I stopped buying antique Renaissance-revival enamelled jewellery like Giuliano or micro mosaic Castellani (which used to be my passion)
 
Gosh, several things, but it’s all so individual.

Figure out your style and build classic staples around that. Key here is “your style.” No use getting staples according to some random list that you won’t wear. Figure out what you will wear the fool out of and concentrate there first.

Quality over quantity. Again, this is personal preference, but I have learned that I would prefer fewer pieces of higher quality rather than many pieces of so-so quality.

Determine your diamond color preferences and clarity preferences. Mind clean for one person is not for another. Buy the best you can afford. If something bothers you at the outset, that’s not going to get better.

Overall, buy what you love, and don’t compromise, even if that means waiting to purchase. Compromise (in jewelry) tends to costs you more in the long run.
 
NEVER buy trendy jewellery, especially fine jewellery. You will stop wearing the piece, and you won’t be able to recoup the money you paid for it.
Don’t buy inferior quality stones, buy the best you can.
Buy the highest content gold you can; having said that only go as high as 18K or 22K. 24K is too soft to be practical.
 
Thank you all!

How about pearls? Are mikimoto’s jewelry really top quality or we are just paying for the brand? Apologies, really doesn’t know much about jewelry
It’s a combination , Mikimoto quality pearls Can be found for a much lower price but only IF you know the 5 virtues of pearls and what you’re looking for, or have an honest jeweller.
You’re partly paying for the name, but they really are high quality pearls.
If you want high quality without the premium , try to find your own honest jeweller , or buy estate jewellery.
Mikimoto himself discovered the process to culture pearls , so you’re paying a premium for the name -but Cartier and Tiffany have the highest mark ups(Tiffany silver are the worst offenders)- and on PF a huge percentage of people seem to wear both of those..
 
Not much to add as you have already had some great advice on here, but I would say that you need to accept that your tastes will change with age and/or circumstances. What I liked and wore at 30 is quite different from what I’m drawn to now in my early 40s.

This also ties into not seeing jewellery as a long term investment, to use as a motivating factor for buying it. Take it for what it is at that point in time and if you love it (and can afford it), buy it!
 
Remember that jewelry is an accessory to your look. If you're an athleisure-only person, don't get a tiara, probably. :biggrin:Figure out which types of pieces grab your eye regularly. There are pin people, necklace people, ring people and so on.

Consider your skin tone and buy your precious metals accordingly. Forget about the prejudice against silver, for example. It's the medium for Georg Jensen/Scandinavian pieces and for high-end collectible Mexican and Native American jewelry. Gold is not the answer for everyone.

Don't forget to consider color! Are you crazy for exciting colors or patterns in gemstones or semi-precious? Go for it, but be careful about quality and get the best you can.

Be an individualist, don't just lap up mainstream ideas.
 
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