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Also, Pandora is not costume jewelry so if someone is looking for that kind of thing then Stella And Dot is more appropriate. Pandora charms are made very well like Tiffany charms, which are also wonderful to wear and collect. These charms are made by similar jewelers as John Hardy, as I mentioned before with quality materials. Alex And Ani is trendy costume jewelry for young people but I honestly just buy Pandora for my daughter since she can always have the charms. She layers then on a necklace. I don't enjoy costume jewelry... never have. Different strokes for different folks.
I get my jewelry custom made on Etsy. I don't like mass marketed jewelry. My engagement ring is a custom cathedral set rose cut white sapphire solitaire, although the wedding band wasn't custom made. It's a channel set white gold diamond band. My other jewelry is also custom made, usually heavy silver or rough diamond pieces from Israel or Turkey. I love having pieces that are one of a kind.
There are American made jewelers that make custom and hand fabricated pieces. You should check out Twist on line. Also, just a note, that unless a ring is hand fabricated, it was cast from wax and most jewelers send their wax forms out to the same jewelers that specialize in casting. So your one jeweler probably sent your engagement ring to be cast in LA or NYC then finished your piece in studio. Best bet for engagement rings is a very high quality jeweler, preferably somewhat local as you can get repairs done by the actual jeweler.
I think that all sorts of charm bracelets will stand the test of time over the long haul. I like them all because of the stories associated with them. I have a charm bracelet that my grandfather started for my grandmother back in the 1930s and it has really cool "Route 66" style charms on it. I've worn it all my life.
I like my Pandora charm bracelet as well and I'm pretty sure that one of my granddaughters will appreciate it one day as well.
Jewelry trend for young girls where I live...
These Lokai plastic bracelets. mylokai.com
You'll see young girls with 100.00 dollars worth of these stacked on one arm. http://mylokai.com/authenticity
There are American made jewelers that make custom and hand fabricated pieces. You should check out Twist on line. Also, just a note, that unless a ring is hand fabricated, it was cast from wax and most jewelers send their wax forms out to the same jewelers that specialize in casting. So your one jeweler probably sent your engagement ring to be cast in LA or NYC then finished your piece in studio. Best bet for engagement rings is a very high quality jeweler, preferably somewhat local as you can get repairs done by the actual jeweler.
That is true. My engagement ring was made in North Carolina. Although the stone itself was gorgeous (it is a patented cut not available anywhere else,) the setting did not work well for me. It wasn't the jeweler's fault; I chose a setting I thought would look good but instead it made the stone look dark and dirty. I decided to get the stone reset in a cathedral setting, which I did through a local jeweler. It all turned out well, however. I like the new setting much better. It's a lot flashier and even paying for the new setting, it wasn't terribly expensive because it was a sapphire.
Another very good option for wedding sets is to go to a jeweler who specializes in estate jewelry. I love my wedding set and what we did was go to an estate jeweler, pick out a vintage set (looks like it's from the 1940s or 1950s) and then replaced the center stone with a loose stone we chose from her collection of loose stones.
I love it because I will probably never see another ring like it on anyone else's finger. Oh, and it cost about half of what a comparable set (in terms of quality of stones) would have cost in a retail store.
Like Scooby said, getting the stone set in a cathedral setting really makes it pop. I was afraid I would get it hung on stuff or keep knocking it into things but so far so good and that was ten years ago.
I get my jewelry custom made on Etsy. I don't like mass marketed jewelry. My engagement ring is a custom cathedral set rose cut white sapphire solitaire, although the wedding band wasn't custom made. It's a channel set white gold diamond band. My other jewelry is also custom made, usually heavy silver or rough diamond pieces from Israel or Turkey. I love having pieces that are one of a kind.
I haven't had great luck with Etsy jewelry, most of the things I have gotten feel really unfinished. I know that is a trend, but it isn't my trend.
I have been getting most of my jewelry from a couple of local stores. Each is owned by a jewelry designer and then they curate other hand,are jewelry that matches their aesthetic. I have gotten really interesting and versatile pieces from these places. I wasn't into jewelry but these stores have looks that are edgy and classic at the same time so it works for me.
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