Silvertone Metal Spacer

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How Much Should You Pay For Handmade Jewellery?

One of the stresses of living in the 21st century is the dazzling array of choices we are faced with when we come to make our buying decisions. Do we stick with the brands we know or do we branch out into the unknown for something a little bit different?

But when we begin to shop for a new piece of jewellery, either online or in the boutiques or at craft fairs or street markets, we can so easily lose our nerve as the prices vary so wildly and worries about paying too much for an inferior piece of jewellery can lead us to settling for something that is dirt cheap so we have nothing to lose, or returning to the brand names we trust.

Here are some handy pointers of things to look for to ensure that you buy something you will love, at a price you can afford - and which will last - and which is the right price.

Look at the finishing. Cheap necklaces and bracelets will not include the tiny beads known as spacers in between the larger beads. These are necessary to help the drape – otherwise you will see bare wire as the necklace or bracelet bends.

Look at the metal components. Are they silver or gold or a cheap base metal? If they are ‘real' silver or gold the seller will say so but the term ‘silver' by itself or ‘silvertone' does not mean ‘real' silver. Sterling silver is 92.5% pure silver and this is the minimum amount of silver that should be in the metal parts of jewellery which is in the mid-high price brackets. Similarly, ‘gold' does not necessarily mean ‘real' gold. Gold plated is a thin layer of gold, usually 9 carat which can wear off easily. Gold-filled - which used to be known as 'rolled gold' is a thicker layer of 18 carat or higher over a base metal, usually copper which will not rub off as gold plated will, and gold vermeil is 18 carat or higher in a thick layer over sterling silver. You will find these kind of components in the mid to high price ranges. The higher the carat number, the higher the quality of the gold.

Look at the beads. Plastic and resin beads are mass produced and jewellery incorporating these, along with base metal components, should be priced at the lower end of the range. There are exceptions of course – some fashion designers commission specially made plastic or resin beads in one-off designs for their statement jewellery pieces. Then you will be paying for the design and the label.

Look at the stringing material. The better stringing wires are bundles of many wires bound together within a nylon coating. These range from 9 wires to 49 wires, the more wires in the stringing wire the better the drape and the higher the price. Cheaper jewellery tends to be strung on inexpensive wire or nylon fishing wire. Some jewellery is strung on cotton or silk, the better items are hand knotted onto silk as cotton will stretch and weaken over time.

Look at the clasp. A good designer will think about the best type of clasp to use for the piece. Cheaper jewellery tends to use simple bolt ring claps which are the least expensive. Is the clasp incorporated into the design? Think about how your necklace will look at the back of your neck or how your bracelet will look if the clasp slips round to the front. A good design will mean your jewellery looks good from any angle.

Examine the stones in semi-precious jewellery. Expensive gemstone jewellery – priced in the hundreds or even thousands - uses the best cuts and the highest quality stones. Often the stones are sourced directly by the makers from the mines or the cutters and will be cut to the makers' own specifications. These are highly covetable ‘heirloom' pieces for you to treasure. But you can still buy beautiful jewellery made from semi-precious stones at more affordable prices. The stones here may have a rougher cut, or have inclusions in them which are rejected by jewellers at the top of the market who only want crystal clear stones. Yet these stones have a beauty all of their own. Even the precious stones, rubies and sapphires, can be affordable if you can find them in their more opaque forms.

Finally, check that the sellers makes the jewellery themselves to be sure that you are not paying designer prices for something which may be handmade but is usually mass produced in 'sweat shops' and which can fall apart after just a few wears. There are many gift and jewellery stores and galleries which resell handmade jewellery - they should be able to tell you something about the maker.

What about jewellery made from glass beads? This too can be expensive. Handmade lampwork beads, or Murano (or Venetian) glass beads, are like little works of art, each unique. When made into jewellery with ‘real' silver or gold you can be sure that the jewellery you buy, which should be priced in the mid-range but can tip over into the low hundreds, will show you to be a discerning buyer. But again, beware of lampwork beads that purport to be handmade but which may be mass produced. Ask for the name, or the studio name, of the bead maker. All other glass jewellery should be in the lower end of the price range.

Armed with this information you can safely shop, looking for jewellery made from interesting semi-precious stones or handmade lampwork or glass beads in good designs put together with high quality materials in a design that works from the clasp to the little in-between beads. Now you can decide – something cheap and throwaway, something that you will want to wear again and again or something to invest in that you will treasure always?