Tips for a Unique Jewelry Shopping Experience

For everything from engagement rings to modern fashion jewelry, AAA Jewelers is your first stop for both buying and selling jewelry. We service all the traditional needs of the jewelry field, but we also have an eye to modern and alternative fashion trends within the industry.

Down these latter lines, we wanted to offer you a few tips that are off the beaten path for the next time you need to buy jewelry for yourself or a loved one. Here are a few subtle tips to help make your jewelry experience unique.

Beware Name Brands

Big stores like Tiffany and Cartier have a reputation for quality, and no one would argue it isn’t deserved. These companies have spent time cultivating their image and optics. And while their products may hold some benefit, many bits of research indicate that the sticker price you’re paying doesn’t really come close to matching the value you’re actually receiving.

Just adding the name “Tiffany” to a silver bracelet can increase the cost for the exact same product as much as 80 percent, for instance. A reputable local vendor like AAA Jewelers can offer you all the same quality, but often at a much more affordable price.

Look at Alternatives

Gold and diamonds are the popular styles, of course, but consider looking at alternatives. Especially at this time, with gold prices running incredibly high, silver can be a great option – sterling silver especially.

In addition, pearls can be perfect for many jewelry gifts or fashion statements. They come in three types: Natural, cultured and imitation, ranked in order of price. As a tip for examining pearls, ask the jeweler to put the pearls over top of a black cloth – this will most closely represent the look you’re going for.

Real Gems

Like with pearls, there are three gem categories: Natural, synthetic and imitation. Synthetics aren’t “fake” so much as they’re created in a laboratory – imitation are literally fake gems. Natural, though, are the way to go – they’re dug directly out of the ground. Many gems are more durable than precious stones, and there are great alternatives to the most popular gems, such as red spinel, blue tanzanite and others.

Want to learn more tips for jewelry shopping, or find out more about any element of our custom jewelry services? Speak to the experts at AAA Jewelers today.