If you’re looking for high quality jewelry for a special occasion or even for everyday wear, then you need to be prepared to spend some money. Quality jewels are simply more costly than costume trinkets found at your local big box store. What’s more, high quality options will last virtually forever – providing you take care of them – while low cost items may break, lose stones or even tarnish through the years. The bottom line is, if you want the best you have to be willing to pay for it.
With all that being said, what each person likes from their jewels will vary. You may prefer Platinum & Gold Jewelry with gems inlaid throughout, while someone else might prefer simple silver bands and earrings. Providing you purchase a good quality, it doesn’t matter what it looks like, so long as you’re happy with how it looks.
Platinum is one of the most expensive materials used in jewelery making today. Basically, this is due to a lack of new materials being found during mining efforts. The more scarce a material in demand is, the more someone can charge for it. However, just because a ring, bracelet or necklace are made of platinum doesn’t mean that it’s the highest quality option available. In fact, the Federal Trade Commission requires that an object contain at least 95% platinum in order to be called such.
What you need to look for, however, is what other metals are being used for the last 5%. The right metals will ensure that a platinum piece of jewelry will be strong and durable and virtually unbreakable. The wrong metals actually cause the platinum to experience pitting and even streaking. If you see a platinum ring that has these imperfections, walk away from the purchase – this is a lower quality product!
With gold, different metals produce different looks. Sometimes a copper additive is a good thing if you want rose gold. Lower quality metals combined with gold won’t create the pitting or streaking that you see in platinum – they will simply add or take away from the overall look.
The bottom line is that choosing the right materials will depend on your knowledge before you visit a jeweler, and your own personal taste. Knowing what is good quality and what isn’t will ensure that you spend the right amount of money on your purchase.
