What is your biggest lesson when buying jewelry?

My biggest lesson I’ve learned (for me) is I’d rather have a smaller jewelry collection of gold or platinum pieces that I wear daily/regularly that will stand the test of time vs. a large collection of costume or plated or vermeil jewelry. I do have a few costume pieces still that I enjoy, but from now I put my focus on pieces that will last a lifetime.
 
My advice is quality over quantity. Buy fine unique pieces, as opposed to mass produced. Go for pieces that capture your attention.

Many people buy jewelry as an investment but I learnt that most do not increase in value significantly, unless it is a rare item. I would wear jewellery because I enjoy it rather than hoping for future returns.
 
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!
This resonated with me, about how your taste can change as you age. I feel like my jewelry style has evolved a lot since my adolescent and earlier adult years.

Nowadays, I avoid buying costume (cheap) jewelry. Ultimately, you’ll stop wearing all that, and it’ll be a waste of money.

Don’t buy trendy pieces, either, since those can go out of style. (Although I do own a Cartier Love, which could swing between both trendy and classic, I guess?)

Overall, my best advice is to buy timeless and high quality jewelry—something that you’ll be proud to keep wearing as you go through different decades of your life.
 
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
I would go for something else but only if you are really good at pearls and have the possibility to buy from a reputable seller. However if you have seen a particular Mikimoto design then that is obviously what you shall go for.
 
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Lots of practical and useful advice here!

Buy for yourself, NOT to please others or to bequeath your treasures to favourite nieces or daughters - they might prefer not to wear them.

The ultimate luxe jewelry experience, I think, is having one, at most two signature pieces you adore and wear every day, that have been custom-made for you, and only you, according to your very own wishes, from design to each material to the uniquely personal end result ;)
 
Lots of practical and useful advice here!

Buy for yourself, NOT to please others or to bequeath your treasures to favourite nieces or daughters - they might prefer not to wear them.

The ultimate luxe jewelry experience, I think, is having one, at most two signature pieces you adore and wear every day, that have been custom-made for you, and only you, according to your very own wishes, from design to each material to the uniquely personal end result ;)
I totally agree with All of the above!
 
The ultimate luxe jewelry experience, I think, is having one, at most two signature pieces you adore and wear every day, that have been custom-made for you, and only you, according to your very own wishes, from design to each material to the uniquely personal end result ;)
I just had my first fully custom piece made and wholeheartedly agree. It’s my most favorite piece of jewelry I’ve bought.

It took awhile to get here as I figured out my style though. It’s the culmination of all of my other purchases and learning from them.
 
Lots of practical and useful advice here!

Buy for yourself, NOT to please others or to bequeath your treasures to favourite nieces or daughters - they might prefer not to wear them.

The ultimate luxe jewelry experience, I think, is having one, at most two signature pieces you adore and wear every day, that have been custom-made for you, and only you, according to your very own wishes, from design to each material to the uniquely personal end result ;)
I love this!
 
The thing most important thing I learned when jewelry hunting is: Don't be afraid to try on jewelry! Especially in stores-- and especially if you worry about spending on jewelry wisely. It's totally easy to just look at a catalog and point out stuff that looks cool or cute-- but it's a different case if you don't like the way it looks on you-- and that's okay. Def agree with other ppl here-- take time to find the things that you love and don't be led only by trends. Trends can help us find inspiration and ideas but sometimes might not be the final destination for everyone in finding the tastes that suit them the best. There's also some jewelry maybe you buy for everyday wear and some for special moments.

But with buying jewelry knowing if the material is something your skin doesn't have any allergies with is pretty important too. Staying with sterling silver plated/gold plated is always a safe option usually. Anybody with sensitivity to metals in general and sensitive skin-- opting for stones/beads/resins/etc. is also a great material replacement for jewelry options. I've bought a few pieces of jewelry for myself and bf with stone materials because we are both sensitive skin people.

Inspo/Places to shop for jewelry: local shops in your area, big department stores(Nordstroms, Bloomingdales, Neiman Marcus, Macy's type of thing), jewelry stores at malls, Etsy!(such a good place to find stuff if you already know what you want), local art-fair shows, bazaars, flea markets, pre-owned jewelry sites/stores for rare pieces.
 
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My advice is quality over quantity. Buy fine unique pieces, as opposed to mass produced. Go for pieces that capture your attention.

Many people buy jewelry as an investment but I learnt that most do not increase in value significantly, unless it is a rare item. I would wear jewellery because I enjoy it rather than hoping for future returns.
Hi! I'm a starting professional and I'm looking into dipping my feet into jewelry. I have noticed that some designer pieces depreciate so much. I'm looking at Hermes jewelry in the secondary market here in Canada and they don't hold much value. That said, I'd like to buy pieces that do have the potential of increasing in value, even if I have to spend more. Would you care to give some examples?