What jewelry would you buy with a $600 budget?

[pietonne]

After a long, hard year, a birthday and a professional milestone, I'd like to buy myself a piece of jewelry. I have a self-imposed budget of $600. I'm thinking of a right hand ring (or two?), since I already have lots of earrings, but could be convinced to go for a necklace instead. Here are some parameters:

- Must be solid gold, no gold plate or silver.
- I'm open to lab gemstones. I'm not very into white diamonds (and for $600 couldn't get much of them anyway!).
- My jewelry style is a little bit "funky" - I like interesting pieces with some color or texture.
- I'd like something that I can wear frequently, but it doesn't have to be so basic as to be "everyday" jewelry. In non-Covid times I work in a professional setting where women wear lots of jewelry.

I'm thinking of a cool gold ring with some texture or a lab stone band. Some examples below (I'd get these in yellow gold) - these items are closer to the $300 mark so I could go higher. I'd love other ideas too! What would you buy for yourself with a $600 budget? It's obviously not a huge amount but hopefully I can get something nice!

 

[Canturi lover]

Happy birthday and congratulations on your milestone
I really like the hammered bands that you have chosen - may be a little biased as I have two similar ones that I stack together.
coloured gemstones are also a favourite of mine, although I have not been wearing them lately with all the hand washing/sanitiser.
Can you shop locally to see if there is anything that catches your eye? Or are you shopping online? Many people have lots of good things to say about Etsy, but I have never used them.

 

[Junkenpo]

Hauʻoli lā hānau! Congratulations on your milestone!

What karat gold are you looking at? A few years back I got a 24k hammered gold ring from an overseas seller on ebay and I love it. I adore the richness of the gold and the texture of the hammered look.

Etsy is a great way to go, there are lots of sellers with their own spin on popular trends or willing to work with you on a custom idea.

Traditional yet cutely interesting, I like the color of tiffanyʻs 18k yellow gold.... Tiffany paloma grafitti "love" ring, at $550 it comes in under your budget.

You could also go the vintage route... lots of pre-loved beauties out there for bargain prices!

Honestly though, if I had $600, Iʻd wind up spending it on jade (I love jade). Something like this or this incorporates gold, though I would be fine with a solid jade band, too.

 

[sunnylovesjewelry]

for around $600, i’d look into jennie kwon or wwake (2 of my fave contemporary jewelry brands right now). jennie kwon does gorgeous, delicate and feminine rings. here are some that i really like from her:

https://www.jenniekwondesigns.com/collections/rings/products/diamond-baguette-mini-deco-point-ring#newsletter

Emerald Harmony Ring

Three princess cut emeralds sit in harmony next to each other, and are set in our signature equilibrium style. She makes a perfect elevated stacking piece and catches the eye with the verdant hue of these emeralds. Details: - three 2 mm princess cut emeralds - six 1 mm diamonds - 1.3 mm shank

www.jenniekwondesigns.com

https://www.jenniekwondesigns.com/collections/rings/products/jadeite-equilibrium-ring

https://www.jenniekwondesigns.com/collections/rings/products/moonstone-reese-ring

wwake does a lot of ethereal, modern pearl & opal jewelry, their opals are absolutely beautiful!

Three-Step Ring

The Counting Collection is an experiment in simple design. By adding one element at a time to a single form, each piece builds on the last, one by one. As a whole collection, these rings and earrings demonstrate the evolution of a dynamic, linear pattern. This striking ring features opals offset...

wwake.com

Large Four-Step Ring

The Counting Collection is an experiment in simple design. By adding one element at a time to a single form, each piece builds on the last, one by one. As a whole collection, these rings and earrings demonstrate the evolution of a dynamic, linear pattern. Similar to the four-step ring but with a...

wwake.com

Four-Step Ring

The Counting Collection is an experiment in simple design. By adding one element at a time to a single form, each piece builds on the last, one by one. As a whole collection, these rings and earrings demonstrate the evolution of a dynamic, linear pattern. Building on smaller units in the...

wwake.com

Nestled Opal and Diamond Ring

The Suspended Opals Collection. The most brilliant opals appear to float within our signature contour shapes - an unexpectedly light take on setting stones. A brilliant natural opal, nestled in an arc-shaped band and topped with a small diamond. 14k solid recycled gold Opal: Diameter 4mm, 0.15...

wwake.com

another brand you might be interested in is mejuri, which does a lot of modern 14k gold jewelry at a relatively affordable price. their rings often have texture to them, which you said you’d like.

Black Onyx Square Signet Ring

14k Yellow Gold, Black Onyx

mejuri.com

Heirloom Ring London Blue Topaz

14k Yellow Gold, London Blue Topaz

mejuri.com

Toronto Dome Ring

14k Yellow Gold, Diamonds, Black Enamel

mejuri.com

LA Dome Ring

14k Yellow Gold, Diamond

mejuri.com

Thin Croissant Dome Ring

14k Yellow Gold

mejuri.com

finally, i’d recommend looking into etsy as the other poster said, they have so many gorgeous bands/rings that are very affordable. you might also want to look into vintage or estate jewelry which might be able to get you a little more bang for your buck!

 

[snibor]

Your best bet is to go in to a good local jeweler with a large selection and look. You never know what will make your heart sing.

 

[JessicaRabbit1]

Marrow Fine has some really nice bands. it might be nice to get a band you can stack with - so everytime you have a milestone you can add to your stack

Rings - Marrow Fine

Bayou with love also has some nice rings in your price range too

Rings // Bayou with Love

Etsy is also a very good choice.

 

[Onebagtoomany]

I second the recommendation to look at your local jeweller(s), especially if you are not bothered about buying designer. You can get some lovely non-branded pieces in your price range and if you are open to preowned your money will go even further. My favourite section in my local jeweller’s window is the preowned one - some beautiful bargains to be had!

 

[880]

you can get a lot of fun pieces for under 600.

etsy can also be a source for somewhat funky baroque or fireball pearls. I like black, charcoal grey, pink, gold p, white. They can also string pearls on leather lanyards or separate them into stations. It can be a fun casual look. Of course you can get them restrung with a gold clasp.

Fireball Pearls - Etsy

Check out our fireball pearls selection for the very best in unique or custom, handmade pieces from our gemstones shops.

www.etsy.com

apologies, I wrote the recommendations below before remembering you specified solid gold, not base metal, but thought I’d leave the suggestions here since you also asked what other contributors to the thread would go for themselves.

the TPFers on the pearl lovers thread have lots of ideas (including non pearl ones). I like the cuff bracelets from Giles brothers (recommended by @JenJBS)

another TPFer @Louish here introduced me to this line (I don’t have anything from them, but like the look

Rings Hand-Crafted in Gold and Silver | Alighieri Jewellery

Inspired by Dante's Divine Comedy, every Alighieri ring tells its own unique story. Handcrafted in gold and silver in the heart of Hatton Garden, London.

shop.alighieri.co.uk

i used to wear hermes collier de chien (CDC) bracelets. Here is a preloved black leather and phw one for 580 usd.

HERMES Box Collier de Chien CDC Bracelet S Black

This is an authentic HERMES Box Collier de Chien CDC Bracelet S in Black. This bracelet is crafted of lovely box calfskin leather in black, and features a polished palladium setting with four studs, a ring, and a studded adjustment plate. Enjoy this bracelet for a fabulous compliment to your...

www.fashionphile.com

one of my favorite pieces is a torso pendant by Miguel Berrocal. Here is one for 450 usd, though not in great condition. There are others on eBay for a bit more. Some of the pendants are real puzzles that come apart. Mine does not.

Vintage Authentic Miguel Berrocal Erotic Puzzle Pendant Signed | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Vintage Authentic Miguel Berrocal Erotic Puzzle Pendant Signed at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

have fun looking and shopping! Looking forward to what you decide.

 

[A1aGypsy]

Love the hammered bands you have posted! I think you need three though...

 

[Vintage Leather]

Personally, I've been falling in love with Atomic Gold; I love their sustainability, the fact they pay their jewelers a living wage, and the unique and gorgeous designs they have.

$600 is on the low end of their custom pieces, but I'd probably have a family piece reset, or buy their 14K gold rainbow earrings, a signet ring and have it engraved, or wave ring:

Custom Jewelry Orders | Automic Gold

Customized, personalized earrings, rings and necklaces from solid 14k gold. Made in NYC and available for pickup or free delivery.

www.automicgold.com

Diamond Signet Ring

The perfect everyday jewelry staple with a little hint of diamond sparkle, our signet ring is everything you’ve ever wanted. Because this beauty is made with 14k solid gold, you can wash your hands, use lotions, and work with this diamond ring on - it is created for every day wear. P.S. style...

www.automicgold.com

Automic Gold Wave Ring | Minimal, Sustainable Fine Jewelry

This wave ring is handmade and each one is unique - no two rings are the same. Rings are handmade from reclaimed solid 14k gold and are comfortable to wear at all times. We sustainably and ethically make our jewelry in New York City. LGBTQ Owned. 14 Karat gold geometric ring stackable midi mid...

www.automicgold.com

 

[cbarrus]

I agree that you should look at your local jeweller or on Etsy. The selections on Etsy are endless, and I have found that the shop owners are willing to work with you. You would also be supporting small businesses, which is important during these difficult times.

 

[muddledmint]

After a long, hard year, a birthday and a professional milestone, I'd like to buy myself a piece of jewelry. I have a self-imposed budget of $600. I'm thinking of a right hand ring (or two?), since I already have lots of earrings, but could be convinced to go for a necklace instead. Here are some parameters:

- Must be solid gold, no gold plate or silver.
- I'm open to lab gemstones. I'm not very into white diamonds (and for $600 couldn't get much of them anyway!).
- My jewelry style is a little bit "funky" - I like interesting pieces with some color or texture.
- I'd like something that I can wear frequently, but it doesn't have to be so basic as to be "everyday" jewelry. In non-Covid times I work in a professional setting where women wear lots of jewelry.

I'm thinking of a cool gold ring with some texture or a lab stone band. Some examples below (I'd get these in yellow gold) - these items are closer to the $300 mark so I could go higher. I'd love other ideas too! What would you buy for yourself with a $600 budget? It's obviously not a huge amount but hopefully I can get something nice!

View attachment 4949406

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For rings, I would get something from aurate with that budget. I find the quality is better than mejuri.

 

[lolakitten]

I would get a 24k gold ring from mene, they have quite a few in and around your limit.

24 Karat Gold and Platinum Investment Jewelry™ | Menē

mene.com

 

[foxgal]

Did you decide on something? Another option for gold + lab stones is jewlr.com. You can create custom rings on any color/carat gold and any type of genuine or lab stone. I’ve bought several rings from them and have always been happy.

 

[Volvomom]

They are all so pretty!!!!