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- Fine jewelry costs a bit more than costume, but you can still get quality pieces on a budget.
- Brands and retailers like Catbird, Mejuri, and Vrai are changing the game.
- We’ve rounded up our favorite pieces and retailers below.
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With its inaccessible prices, technical terminology, and nebulous production practices, the world of fine jewelry is intimidating to step into and, for a generation that cares simultaneously about value, style, sustainability, and ethics, often a world that’s avoided altogether.
Not too long ago, we wouldn’t even have considered buying nice jewelry online. But with direct-to-consumer jewelry companies taking center stage, no middlemen or mark-ups mean that you can pay a palatable price that’s closer to the true cost of making that beautiful gold necklace. Plus, high standards for sourcing and production quell any fears that your purchase sets other livelihoods or the environment back.
These online jewelry companies will help you make the decision without overcharging you in the process.
The best places to buy affordable fine jewelry in 2021:
Montserrat
For everyday pieces still that make a statement, Montserrat has a collection of playful designs that are easy to wear alone or layered with minimalist pieces.
A playful blend of pearls, charms, and 14-karat gold plated settings make up Montserrat’s jewelry line. With its enamel fruit designs, the latest collection transports you to a state of constant vacation. Though statement-making, the pieces are still dainty enough to layer with other pieces you own, and you can pick up a necklace and earring set without spending more than $200.
What to buy:
Italic
Just by skipping the brand name, Italic lets you buy jewelry made in the same workshops as designer artisans at a fraction of the price.
Italic is an online retailer where you can find clothing, handbags, home goods, and more that are made in the same factories as designers like Miu Miu and Prada — just without the label and for a fraction of the price. Recently, it added fine jewelry to the mix. You can now pick up timeless additions like diamond necklaces and solid gold huggie hoops for as little as $225 and $150, respectively.
What to buy:
Paige Sargisson
Look to Page Sargisson for handmade solid gold and sterling silver jewelry that’s perfect for gifting and starts as low as $32.
Brooklyn-based designer Page Sargisson makes custom pieces that run well into the thousands, but you’ll also find plenty of more affordable options as part of the 10kt & silver collection. Everything is made by hand out of solid gold or sterling silver and includes pieces like an opal-studded evil eye necklace ($350), tiny stud earrings ($32), and a calendar charm (from $835) that can be personalized to commemorate a special date.
What to buy:
Catbird
Known for its delicate rings and transparent sourcing, Catbird is the epitome of cool, affordable jewelry.
Cool, Brooklyn boutique vibes meet the ease of online shopping at Catbird, where you can find delicate $44 rings alongside sparkly $14,100 engagement rings. It’s fully transparent about the source of its materials and donates 1% of all sales to non-profits including the ACLU and Planned Parenthood. In addition to jewelry that’s crafted in-house, Catbird is home to other designers and beauty and home goods.
What to buy:
Mejuri
Mejuri
Mejuri provides dainty, minimal jewelry at an affordable price point.
Toronto-based startup Mejuri, founded by a former art director and a former engineer and third-generation jeweler, drops new pieces every week of the year, and without fail, its largely female clientele return again and again to its 14-karat gold, gold vermeil, and sterling silver jewelry that’s made for everyday wear. Mejuri’s mission is to have women “embrace a daily dose of luxury.” With plenty of under-$100 options, it makes fulfilling this mission very achievable.
What to buy:
AUrate
AUrate offers both minimal, everyday pieces as well as bold statement pieces, so you can create a well-rounded jewelry collection.
AUrate offers both the solid foundation pieces and the unique statement pieces that you’ll need for a jewelry refresh. Everything is crafted in New York City, which also means that NYC dwellers can enjoy same-day delivery of 14- and 18-karat gold, AAA pearls, and ethically sourced diamonds (the rest of the country gets free shipping).
What to buy:
Soko
Soko
For handcrafted pieces that won’t break the bank, Soko is a go-to.
At the helm of the movement towards “ethical fast fashion” is Soko, a jewelry startup with an innovative, efficient, and empowering model that uses technology to connect with independent artisans in Africa. Soko’s jewelry is guaranteed to attract attention, not only for its unique sourcing and manufacturing origins but also for its structural, powerful style. These hand-made pieces are produced from less conventional, but more affordable materials like brass.
What to buy:
Auvere
The pieces at Auvere are investment pieces, but they’ll appreciate in value over time.
For top-line luxury, specifically 22- and 24-karat gold, at surprisingly affordable prices, Auvere is the place to go. There’s a range of feminine and more masculine designs, so there’s something to fit everyone’s style. There’s no denying that the architectural pieces are investments, but you get what you pay for — pure gold, wrapped into beautiful designs without the mark-up — and they’ll only appreciate in value over time.
What to buy:
Ariel Gordon
Ariel Gordon designs cute, delicate jewelry that is meant to be worn over and over again.
This Los Angeles-based brand is a celebrity favorite and it’s easy to see why. Launched out of her apartment while Gordon worked as a Hollywood publicist, the collection is made up of pieces designed to be worn over and over again, transitioning from occasion to occasion without losing quality and durability. Its charm pieces, which include animals and flowers, are truly sweet designs that’ll brighten your day.
What to buy:
The Last Line
For those who love bold, beautiful jewelry, The Last Line is a must-shop.
Founded by a Parsons grad and industry veteran, The Last Line wants to be the one and only place you buy all your jewelry. That might not be as ambitious as it sounds considering the brand sells everything from show-stopping rainbow pieces to chunky rings to classic gold hoops. If you thought fine jewelry couldn’t be fun or colorful, The Last Line is here to prove you wrong.
What to buy:
Gorjana
For jewelry that is effortlessly cool, look no further than Gorjana.
If you love the “I-just-threw-this-on” jewelry look, you’re going to want to check out Gorjana. If you haven’t heard of it already, this Laguna Beach-based brand is well-loved for its range of affordable, gold-plated pieces that range from simple and dainty to funky and trendy, which pretty much all cost under $100. If you want something a little more luxe and have extra room in your budget, Gorjana recently introduced a line of fine jewelry that’s made up of solid 14-karat gold and diamonds.
What to buy:
Stone and Strand
Stone and Strand
Ethically sourced and conflict-free, Stone and Strand has its own capsule collection while also curating other like-minded brands on its site.
Stone and Strand produces its own high-end jewelry and curates other like-minded brands on its site, creating an online space where shoppers aren’t intimidated to explore fine jewelry. Most pieces are made of 14-karat solid gold — though you can also find more affordable gold-plated options — and the diamonds and gemstones used are ethically sourced and conflict-free. Its first capsule, Good Girl Tools, sets the tone for the types of jewelry you can expect from the rest of the brand: bold, pretty, and wearable for every day.
What to buy:
Verlas
Verlas
If you tend to be indecisive about purchasing jewelry, you’ll love Verlas‘ at-home try-on service.
Investing in a nice piece of jewelry without trying it on first can feel risky. If you can’t make up your mind right away, Verlas makes it easy to make sure you’ll love your new piece. The brand offers a try-at-home program where you can try any three pieces from the site for 15 days. The test pieces are made of replica materials (like cubic zirconia and brass), but when you’re done, you can choose the ones you love best and then order the real deal made with diamonds and gold. If you want to pass on them all, that’s okay too. Of course, if you know what you want right off the bat, you can go straight to purchasing.
What to buy:
Vrai
Skeptical about buying diamond rings online? Vrai helps to streamline the process.
This downtown LA-based company only uses solid gold and Diamond Foundry diamonds, which are physically and chemically indistinguishable from mined diamonds, and created using solar energy. Vrai’s simple and timeless pieces will delight minimalists and anyone who hates to be plagued by pages and pages of choices. Couples should take advantage of its free home try-on program for wedding rings, which decreases the pressure of choosing the perfect ring.
What to buy:
Holden
Customized wedding rings are super affordable thanks to Holden.
When wedding ring shopping gets so stressful that it detracts from the real experience of starting your life with someone, that’s a problem. Holden is making it easy to shop for and customize wedding rings that start at only $249. Simply request a free ring size kit, choose your ring profile, width, metal, karat, and finish, and add an optional engraving, and your rings will be made-to-order with 3D printing technology.
What to buy:
Couple/Facebook
Couple gives couples the opportunity to purchase their engagement rings online.
The idea for Couple began when one of its co-founders had difficulty finding an engagement ring for his now-wife and saw an opportunity to also lessen the environmental and ethical challenges of mined diamonds. Couple works with lab-grown diamonds that look identical to mined ones (and are actually of higher quality) so that marriages can start off on the right foot — with trust, transparency, and thoughtfulness. Many of the rings can also be engraved for a truly personal touch.
What to buy:
Gemist
If you love a ring stack, you’ll love Gemist‘s wide array of rings that you can layer.
Love a finger full of stackable rings? You’ll love Gemist’s wide variety of affordable pieces. The brand offers a streamlined at-home try-on process, where you’re given three costume rings to play with for two weeks. Enjoy the pieces? Just let Gemist know, and they’ll send you the custom pieces after you send your testers back. Gemist also has a variety of earrings, wedding bands, and engagement rings, too.
What to buy:
Quince
For minimalist styles at a minimal cost, Quince has a collection of solid gold jewelry that starts as low as $50.
Similar to Italic, Quince is able to offer solid gold and diamond jewelry at affordable prices by cutting out the middleman. If you’re looking for exceptionally dainty pieces, this is where you can pick up a pair of 14-karat gold hoops for less than $50 and a simple 14-karat gold stacker ring for less than $70. The minimalist designs and low prices make Quince an easy destination for rounding out the foundation of your jewelry collection.
What to buy:
Idyl
Idyl‘s modular jewelry lets you create multiple looks from a single necklace or pair of earrings, all of which are made with lab-grown diamonds and conflict-free gold.
What Idyl lacks in options, it makes up for in versatility. The jewelry brand currently only sells necklaces and earrings but what makes it unique is that everything is modular — all of the pieces are designed to be mixed and matched with various add-ons to create different looks. Once you own the basic round studs, for example, you can purchase 17 separate attachments to look like an entirely new pair of earrings. Idyl also aims to bring transparency and sustainability to its jewelry line by using lab-grown diamonds and traceable solid gold.
What to buy:
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