How can I tell if jewelry is worth the cost?

Jewelry, specifically fine jewelry, is not an impulse purchase for most of us, at least not typically. At Lolovivi we sometimes refer to the purchase of our jewelry as a “considered purchase” because the cost of our jewelry, while fair for what it is, is not insignificant. You may feel like it’s hard to be sure, but there are in fact tangible ways to determine if the jewelry you’re considering is “worth it”. We want you to feel confident when you buy any jewelry, but especially ours, so here are some things you should factor into your decision to purchase.

The first thing is to be sure that the overall quality of the product is up to standard. The best way to determine this is to look at the quality of the metals, gems and stones that are used. You should feel comfortable reaching out to the company so they can validate this for you if you are unsure based on the information you see on their website, or if the salesperson at a store you may be shopping at doesn’t seem confident in their knowledge of the jewelry.

For example, the materials used to produce Lolovivi jewelry are of the highest quality, from the superior precious metals we use (high karat Gold and Sterling Silver) to the best precious and semi-precious stones, such as clear brilliant cut natural diamonds and AAA gemstones.

Buying fine jewelry is a bit like buying a piece of art. In addition to the materials used for the piece, you want to look at whether the piece is well designed. Is it distinctive or a knock off of something else? Part of the design is whether the piece is comfortable to wear and whether any locking mechanisms or clasps work well. All of these factors differentiate fine, handcrafted jewelry from mass produced throw away jewelry.

Fine jewelry should be heirloom quality, meaning that it should last so long that you can pass it on to family or friends.  There are ways to produce jewelry that result in a more durable end product, but it involves additional labor and materials. At Lolovivi we use a Rhodium plating process on our jewelry that resists oxidation. This ensures that your Lolovivi jewelry won’t tarnish as easily and that it will look new for a longer period of time.

Fine jewelry should be versatile. You should want to wear your pieces frequently. When you actually use or wear something you buy, the cost suddenly becomes more reasonable because you’re  getting value from it on a regular basis. The design should also be timeless enough so that it won’t go totally out of style. Again, you’re buying something that’s meant to be an heirloom so you want the design to be enduring.

Make sure that you look at all the pieces the company offers. A true fine jewelry company will offer a range of pieces, all of them of equal craftsmanship and quality. If the line seems inconsistent, that's a red flag.

Finally, companies that engage in good practices in terms of sustainability and fair labor policies generally incur higher costs and that impacts the prices that you pay. As a consumer you need to decide how important that is to you. We carefully vet the businesses that house our artisans to be absolutely sure that they are well treated. Our factory is a member of the Responsible Jewelers Association and is bound by that membership to treat their employees as they should be treated. They’re also required to observe a set of sustainability practices that are important to us. Our packaging, which is designed to be reused, is also more costly but we do that so we’re not creating more landfill. It’s important for you as a consumer to know that not all jewelry companies do these things so if you care about these issues, do your homework about who you’re buying from.

We hope this helps you to make your jewelry purchasing decisions. Fine jewelry is an investment and it's a good one if you know exactly what you’re buying.