Jewellery

Advice on buying jewellery . . .

Buy quality. North Americans seem to be content buying 14k or 10k (which is not even 50% gold). Retailers of lower carat jewellery like to tell customers that higher karats are too soft. Studies have found that an 18k ring will wear the same as a 14k.

What karat?

I like to work with 24k, 22k and 18k. Pure gold (24k) has a richness and lustre unmatched. It is soft in the sense that thinner pieces can bend easily. For this reason it may not be suitable for most rings, yet for necklaces it is perfect.

Good money wasted

Too often, friends ask me to repair their "junk" jewellery. The rings are so thin they have split; the chains so poorly made they have broken at the first wearing.
And yet they have paid good money for an item which should last a lifetime!

Repeatedly I am asked to repair a chain which will burn up at the touch of a torch -and if I were to give them melt price -there would be less than 50¢ worth of gold!
Tragically, they could have had one of my 24k chains for about the same price as their inferior purchases.

As strong as its weakest link

Most retail necklaces will pull apart at the slightest pressure. Often the jump rings linking the chain to a weak clasp are not soldered. The strongest chain will have every link soldered and have a lobster clasp. Our handmade necklaces have this criteria.

When less is more

Some people think that wearing a ring on every finger is attractive!
Perhaps they believe the combined effort of vending-machine-sized rings will amount to substance. Instead of having 10 mediocre pieces of jewellery, it is better to have one that will make an impression. A quality piece that is not overpowering but suitable for the person wearing it.

A careful balance

For the budget-conscious purchasing a ring with a stone, there should be a careful balance between size and quality. One doesn't want a stone so small that it can hardly be seen, nor does one want one so large that quality or grade is sacrificed. A quality piece can be worn with pride and will be gladly worn by future generations.
It will retain its value and possibly appreciate in time.
-James Knox
Jewellery Designer & Craftsman