AllAboardTheBlingTrain
Ideal_Rock
- Joined
- Apr 22, 2020
- Messages
- 2,950
This is more of a general discussion question than something specific to my life, so all opinions welcome.
How do you prioritise the different factors that go into buying/making a piece of jewelry: budget (buying fewer pieces but spending more per piece, or trying to achieve a certain look as cheaply as possible), size/showiness, “quality” (handforged/cast, high colour and clarity) etc? Is it dependent on the occasion or type of piece (spend more on everyday piece because you wear it so much more or spend more on a special occasion piece or spend more on ring since people see it up close more vs on studs since those are hidden behind your hair)?
I think the obvious answer is that “it depends” of course, but I still think we tend to be logically consistent in our decisions. Like for me, I know that I like having multiple pieces and options, so I need to make sure I get the biggest bang for my buck especially since I’m a size ho. So I go for the minimum specs for colour and clarity that I can live with for something like my studs that get worn reasonably often.
But also, while if I’m buying new I want to make sure I get something which is at least reasonably well cut and not leaky, if I’m wearing something inherited I wouldn’t dream of recutting even if a stone could be greatly improved by doing so, and that’s not purely driven by sentiment either; I just feel like it’s good enough and I didn’t pay a penny for it so why not enjoy it the way it is? Sure I’ll reset it so it’s more my style but I draw the line at recutting. Similarly, I have received some pieces over the years that belong to family members and some of them are not of very high quality (small diamonds with eye visible inclusions) but I wear them the way they are if I like them or reset them if I don’t, but it doesn’t bother me that the diamonds aren’t of amazing quality even if I’m putting together a special occasion pair of earrings for example. If someone is close enough to me to spot inclusions on a 0.30ct diamond in my ear then they’re either my doctor, my SO or someone with no concept of personal space. Maybe this is cultural?
I do think I’m in the minority though, and would be interested in what you all think also for any trade members reading, would be interesting if you could elaborate on trends you generally see amongst your customers etc if that doesn’t break any PS rules
How do you prioritise the different factors that go into buying/making a piece of jewelry: budget (buying fewer pieces but spending more per piece, or trying to achieve a certain look as cheaply as possible), size/showiness, “quality” (handforged/cast, high colour and clarity) etc? Is it dependent on the occasion or type of piece (spend more on everyday piece because you wear it so much more or spend more on a special occasion piece or spend more on ring since people see it up close more vs on studs since those are hidden behind your hair)?
I think the obvious answer is that “it depends” of course, but I still think we tend to be logically consistent in our decisions. Like for me, I know that I like having multiple pieces and options, so I need to make sure I get the biggest bang for my buck especially since I’m a size ho. So I go for the minimum specs for colour and clarity that I can live with for something like my studs that get worn reasonably often.
But also, while if I’m buying new I want to make sure I get something which is at least reasonably well cut and not leaky, if I’m wearing something inherited I wouldn’t dream of recutting even if a stone could be greatly improved by doing so, and that’s not purely driven by sentiment either; I just feel like it’s good enough and I didn’t pay a penny for it so why not enjoy it the way it is? Sure I’ll reset it so it’s more my style but I draw the line at recutting. Similarly, I have received some pieces over the years that belong to family members and some of them are not of very high quality (small diamonds with eye visible inclusions) but I wear them the way they are if I like them or reset them if I don’t, but it doesn’t bother me that the diamonds aren’t of amazing quality even if I’m putting together a special occasion pair of earrings for example. If someone is close enough to me to spot inclusions on a 0.30ct diamond in my ear then they’re either my doctor, my SO or someone with no concept of personal space. Maybe this is cultural?
I do think I’m in the minority though, and would be interested in what you all think also for any trade members reading, would be interesting if you could elaborate on trends you generally see amongst your customers etc if that doesn’t break any PS rules