I have been in the jewelry business for 20 years now and I have seen a lot of jewelry, diamonds, and gemstones in my life. What we know in this business is different what the consumer knows, and it is a no brainer. In my blog I intend to pass to the consumer some information that will make the purchasing experience fun and positive. I will talk from the perspective of a manufacturer and will reveal some inside information about what consumers really need to know before they buy jewelry.
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| An 18k brooch |
New clients often ask me if they should buy 14k or 18k jewelry. The answer is simple: It all depends on your budget. 18k jewelry is around 30% more expensive than 14k but again, if we are talking about a small item, that difference won't be a big deal. I prefer 18k to 14k because for me jewelry should be valuable. This does not mean that 14k is not valuable but when it comes to pricing, 18k is more expensive and hence more valuable. Simply put, 18k jewelry has more gold % than 14k (75% as opposed to 58.3%)
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| This is a 14k ring, or is it 18k? |
Jewelry is not a necessity but a luxury, a means to stand out among friends, a way to indulge ourselves into luxury, an art of living. Having said that, why to go cheap? Why would you buy a couple of rings in 14k rather then buying one good ring of 18k? Don't go for the quantity but for the quality and quality is not only in the make but also in the value. If you are wearing a nice ring and pair of earrings and your friends ask you about them, telling them it is 14k 1ct solitaire ring with 2cts matching earrings won't feel right and it will defeat the purpose of having expensive diamonds on cheap mountings (in this case I might as well go for platinum).
Price, that's the only difference I can see between a 14k and 18k. Again, it is all about budget and the reason you buy jewelry. If you want to have jewelry to cherish and to pass on from generation to generation, invest on fine jewelry and forget about the rest. Fine jewelry will be the topic of my next post because the mass production of jewelry divided the market between those who want it bold and cheap and those who want it bold, period.
