If you're not discussing unpopular opinions, then you're off topic. BE KIND and please stay on topic 
What's your unpopular jewelry opinion?
- Thread starter Tremere
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I agree with you on the 14kt gold. I definitely don’t see anything wrong with 14kt rose or white gold, as there is not a noticeable difference when comparing it to gold of a higher karat. I also see your point on event jewelry, but think of event jewlery as being something like your “Sunday best”. For example, most people have nicer clothing for special occasions, that they wouldn’t wear everyday. It’s just the same thing, but with jewelry. It makes you feel extra special when you have the chance to wear it.
- Earth mined diamonds are overrated. Pretty but in no way worth the price, relative to other goods. Especially with lab diamonds now being much more affordable. I also think this about super high quality pearls, jade, and any other premium gems.
- 14K gold is much more flattering, economical, and functional than 18K+.
- Silver designer jewelry is a waste of money... and I used to be obsessed with DY.
- The wrist party look is getting out of control. I can't believe it when I see people wearing 5 figures - or MORE! - worth of jewelry on just their wrist.
- I appreciate the beauty of fine event jewelry but don't understand why people spend so much money on something they can't wear very often. Of course the people who do this don't have to worry about money as I do.
My unpopular opinions:
- Chunky jewellery like museum regal stuff and Elizabeth Taylor’s jewellery are monstrosities
- Jewellery produced by bag brands (eg Dior Des Vents and Hermes jewellery line) are not true luxury pieces. A leather goods brand producing jewellery is not comparable to a jewellery house.
- Chanel costume jewellery (and other designer costume jewellery) is worth maybe $50 - $100
- Tiffany’s is not a true luxury brand, it’s more like Mulberry / Furla of the bag world
- Pearl necklaces make most people look older than they are
- Van Cleef’s Frivole line looks nicer than the Alhambra line
- Chunky jewellery like museum regal stuff and Elizabeth Taylor’s jewellery are monstrosities
- Jewellery produced by bag brands (eg Dior Des Vents and Hermes jewellery line) are not true luxury pieces. A leather goods brand producing jewellery is not comparable to a jewellery house.
- Chanel costume jewellery (and other designer costume jewellery) is worth maybe $50 - $100
- Tiffany’s is not a true luxury brand, it’s more like Mulberry / Furla of the bag world
- Pearl necklaces make most people look older than they are
- Van Cleef’s Frivole line looks nicer than the Alhambra line
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I do not get the LOVE bracelet obsession. The idea of being “locked in” makes me feel itchy.
Funnily enough I agree with you on most of these points although I like looking at the museum / ET stuff, dior rose des vents specifically, and pearls.
i feel that that the actual museum / ET stuff usually have spectacular, one of a kind stones. They’re chunky but I just look at the stones themselves and drool.
in modern times, I think Angelina Jolie is a celeb that wears chunky jewellery well. I can’t, which is great for my wallet I guess.
pearl strands definitely have a tendency to age people (again, AJ wears them often and well), but a single SSP or Tahitian pearl pendant, or a pair of studs are pretty good for daily wear, IMO.
Yeah Tiffany isn’t up there unless it’s Louis Comfort Tiffany, which is vintage / auction house anyway.
I think conch pearls look like boils.
I can’t stand pink gemstones, in general, 9 times out of 10.
How many artisanal jewellery brands are going to bring out plain medium-sized gold hoops?
Really controversial- I think plain Jade looks nice but kind of semi-precious?
This might be a cultural thing I guess as I don’t come from a country that values Jade.
i can’t unsee the conch pearls now lol.
“artisanal” nowadays seems to just mean that they (supposedly) cut out the middleman and doesn’t necessarily speak to their level of skill. Plain always works if one is trying to drive sales volumes (which they are) rather than adding details that differentiate their designs
I’m from a country that somewhat values Jade but I think the sort that is actually valued (of value in auction houses) isn’t very popular in modern consumers’ minds? I wouldn’t buy jade pieces from a contemporary designer simply because I can’t tell and quite often they are trying to sell you a $5 jade piece as if it’s worth $300.
We must have similar jewellery styles!
I think there’s a difference between modern chunky jewellery and the older vintage styles. Angelina Jolie looks good in her jewellery. Elizabeth Taylor and the museum pieces look gaudy and garish. There is a point where too many jewels clustered on a large area begins to look bad.
Yeah I agree pearl studs or a necklace with a single pearl can look nice. The strands of pearl looking ageing was what I was referring to.
My “unpopular opinion”: tastes (and fashions) change over time. What you don’t like now, you’ll probably wake up one day utterly obsessed with 
Case in point: yellow gold. Throughout my 20s and early 30s, I was all about WG, claw-settings, only WG for me, YG and bezel-settings - yuck! So 80s, so old fashioned, gross...now I’m nearing my 40s, cue annoying the hell out of my jeweller getting him to reset things in YG bezel set, so chic, so fresh and modern, just gimme alllllll the YG please
Case in point: yellow gold. Throughout my 20s and early 30s, I was all about WG, claw-settings, only WG for me, YG and bezel-settings - yuck! So 80s, so old fashioned, gross...now I’m nearing my 40s, cue annoying the hell out of my jeweller getting him to reset things in YG bezel set, so chic, so fresh and modern, just gimme alllllll the YG please
Perhaps we do. On modern chunky, I quite like Seaman Schepps and Silvia Furmanovich, do you have any favourites?
Actually the funny thing about pearl strands is that they used to be worn by debutantes, so some 16-18 year olds pulled them off. But I guess formal wear and updos help.
Interesting fact about the pearls! I didn’t know this.
Unfortunately modern chunky jewellery doesn’t suit me so I admire it on others!
I did a lot of white gold to please my husband. But honestly I prefer yellow gold on my brown skin, I like the warmth in tones.My “unpopular opinion”: tastes (and fashions) change over time. What you don’t like now, you’ll probably wake up one day utterly obsessed with
Case in point: yellow gold. Throughout my 20s and early 30s, I was all about WG, claw-settings, only WG for me, YG and bezel-settings - yuck! So 80s, so old fashioned, gross...now I’m nearing my 40s, cue annoying the hell out of my jeweller getting him to reset things in YG bezel set, so chic, so fresh and modern, just gimme alllllll the YG please
Funny enough the thing that’s changed since I wrote that post is I’ve started massively getting into Jade on the forum and with reading etc. I do love the colour green so it makes sense!
Agree that a lot of people don’t like that very vivid imperial Jade green and delicate jewellery in white metals is in- which doesn’t really play to Jade’s aesthetic strengths (IMHO).
Also there is the quality/price question- even people who know it well say it’s much harder to guess the value than other gems. For that reason I agree I wouldn’t like to buy it from a mainstream Jewellery designer as I don’t want to get sold short.
I still haven’t come round on conch pearls lol.
Do agree that plain must drive sales volume but then I also think- ‘how are you selling something different from the guy off eBay who is half the price?’
Yeah that’s so interesting isn’t it? I remember reading someone said under 50s look tacky in diamonds and they should stick to pearls and I remember thinking ‘can’t wait that long- guess I’m looking tacky’
I do love pearls but as I’ve said before I think the traditional necklace only suits a formal and feminine aesthetic. (They look great with a black maxi dress.)
Though all the teens in westwood Pearl chokers make me think they might be having a revival and I’m just too old
I am really enjoying building YG into my collection. I still have a lot of WG but expanding my YG pieces gives me more options.
We must be related taste wise! Except, I’m older. . . So, now, I wear things like pearls and chunky gold that horrified me in the 1980’sMy “unpopular opinion”: tastes (and fashions) change over time. What you don’t like now, you’ll probably wake up one day utterly obsessed with
Case in point: yellow gold. Throughout my 20s and early 30s, I was all about WG, claw-settings, only WG for me, YG and bezel-settings - yuck! So 80s, so old fashioned, gross...now I’m nearing my 40s, cue annoying the hell out of my jeweller getting him to reset things in YG bezel set, so chic, so fresh and modern, just gimme alllllll the YG please
@jelliedfeels, ITA with you re the statement diamonds tacky under 50? I think that would disqualify most of TPF
Same! I have a lot of yellow gold pieces from pre marriage that I’m wearing again. I went through a phase where I wouldn’t wear them because mixing metals was a no no. As I get older, my thoughts evolve because now I’ll wear any tone gold with my white gold/ platinum wedding sets.