The Next Step: Jewelry for Work
In our ongoing discussion on The Next Step — i.e., how to upgrade various areas of your life — a reader suggested we discuss how to upgrade your jewelry collection, and how to buy jewelry for work in general. Excellent idea, and I'm curious to hear what people say.
(I swear, I intended this to primarily be an open thread — but it turns out I have a lot of favorite designers I just HAD to look up and link to.)
Note that I've talked about my own jewelry for work, and we've had excellent guest posts on how to buy jewelry for other women, as well as a 411 on different jewelry terminology (different metals, pearls). In other posts in this series we've talked about upgrading your bag collection, upgrading your shoe collection, how to upgrade your work wardrobe, better personal services for busy women, and how to buy grown up furniture.
Hunting for great jewelry for the office? As of 2024, we're long been fans of affordable brands like Mejuri and Jenny Bird, as well as mid-tier brands like Monica Vinader, David Yurman (especially this line), Dana Rebecca, and Stephen Dweck. For our $.02: spend money on things like a good watch (or watch strap), gold or diamond earrings, a pearl necklace, and more. Some of the earrings we've featured recently:
And some of the necklaces:
For my own $.02, here is how my own jewelry buying has looked through the years:
Step 1: Cheap, fun jewelry. Think Claire's. Think street jewelry in NYC. Think jewelry at mass market stores like Gap, Loft, and H&M. (TJ Maxx can also be great for this, as can the sales racks at department stores like Macy's.) I'm also going to put Bauble Bar and its ilk in this category, although they can cross boundaries.
IMHO, this is jewelry that is best bought as the mood strikes you — you're shopping, you see something pretty, and yay, now you have a new necklace.
If you WERE to plan a shopping trip to one of these stores, though, I might look (for work outfits) for:
- a long metal necklace
- a short pendant necklace
- a short round metal necklace
- a statement necklace with big stones
- perhaps in white or clear (for maximum versatility)
- probably a pair or two of huggie earrings.
Pictured: Slim Bar Pendant, available for $34 at BaubleBar.
Step 2: Thrift store jewelry, indie jewelry, and nicer, mass market “fashion” jewelry. Pricewise, this bucket can go anywhere from $50-$500 — but note that most of it is not real gold or gemstones. Thrift store and indie jewelry can be just as inexpensive as stuff in the first bucket, but the variety is much wider — I credit this step with helping me form some of my jewelry tastes. I would suggest looking into consignment stores, flea markets, and more — preferably in the nice areas near you.
In terms of indie jewelry, Etsy can be such a fun rabbit hole to go down; there is a ton of beautiful, affordable jewelry there. (Readers, any favorite Etsy shops?) “Indie” isn't quite the right name for it, but there are some smaller, affordable jewelry brands that I would include in this bucket, usually curated from places like Shopbop, Anthropologie, or Max and Chloe.
{related: how much jewelry should you wear to work?}
(Some favorite brands in this bucket: Kate Spade New York, Alexis Bittar, Kenneth Jay Lane, Kendra Scott, House of Harlow, Ten Thousand Things, Gorjana, Maria Chavez, Maya Brenner, and Dara Ettinger (who I know from Shopbop and Outnet but OOOH, her Etsy page seems to be entirely on sale.)
For my money, I'd rather collect pieces from some of the smaller brands — but I will note that for work jewelry, you may find it safer and easier to peruse the “nicer” jewelry offerings from regular workwear brands such as Brooks Brothers, Ann Taylor, Banana Republic and J.Crew.
(Pictured: Alexis Bittar ‘Miss Havisham' Link Bib Necklace, available at Nordstrom for $195.)
Psst: here are Kat's latest favorite ways to store jewelry…
Step 3: Real gold and/or better gemstones, often categorized as “fine jewelry.” Pricewise this can be anywhere from maybe $150 and up.
For me this took two paths: first, buying “nice” silver jewelry like Elsa Peretti at Tiffany's or their Key collection (super popular a few years ago!), as well as upgrading my rings and earrings to “better” gemstones like garnet (my birthstone), onyx, opal, and so forth.
I have at least one sapphire necklace, but I don't think I've purchased anything with emeralds.
With the exception of a few silver pieces bought at Tiffany's, most of my fine jewelry collection (including my favorite diamond earrings and right-hand diamond ring) has been purchased at Macy's or other department stores.
Gemvara has a huge selection of birthstone rings, and places like Reeds are also great places to look.
{related: how to build a tasteful jewelry collection}
I think the BULK of this category for me is non-branded stuff (i.e., the fine jewelry country at Macy's, which I'm sure is designed by a lot of different people), but there are a few specific brands I think of, particularly along the lines of silver and gold jewelry: David Yurman, John Hardy, Cartier LOVE bracelets, and Stephen Dweck; I would also put Michele watches in this bucket.
(Pictured: David Yurman, Renaissance Reverse Set Bracelet with Moon Quartz, available at Neiman Marcus for $2750.)
Step 4: Estate jewelry, and independent designers working with better metals and gemstones. Pricewise, this can be anywhere from $500 and up.
Full disclosure: I've never bought estate jewelry, because I just don't feel like I know my stuff well enough to justify the prices — but there are some amazing, amazing pieces; online it's fun to look at spots like Belladora and Doyle & Doyle.
{related: how to wear a brooch}
In terms of modern fine jewelry designers, this has largely meant my drooling over brands like Alexis Bittar Fine, Irene Neuwirth, Annette Ferdinandsen, Repossi, and Ippolita.
(My absolute favorite place to go if you're in this step: the jewelry department at Barneys (RIP). Online, I love drooling over the curated collection at Ylang 23.)
Pictured at top of this post: Irene Neuwirth Square Boulder Opal Charm, available at Ylang 23 for $3,040.
Step 5: Everyday, but Very Expensive jewelry. I originally wrote this post and lumped this stuff in with the final bucket, but let's face it: there's a difference between a $100,000 diamond bangle and things like a watch you wear daily, an engagement ring, a great set of diamond post earrings, and a pearl necklace.
For work jewelry I am of course in favor of a professional watch and a quality pearl necklace.
I'd suggest starting your search in person at a shop like Tourneau; the jewelry counter at a department store like Saks or the flagship store (of Cartier, for example) may also be helpful.
Pictured: Cartier Tank Francaise Stainless Steel Small Bracelet Watch, available at Saks for $4,300.
Step 6: Serious fun. When friends come to New York to shop, I often ask them: what's your budget? Do you actually want to buy stuff, or do you just want to look? If it's the latter, it can be so much fun to go to the absolutely insane jewelry stores and look at necklaces that, you know, cost more than your college education.
Personally I think of brands like Cartier, Bulgari, Mikimoto, Tiffany's, Harry Winston — but there are so many more, as well as no name places that exist in the Diamond District. Online you're not going to find a lot in this bucket — how gauche! — but Neiman Marcus, Barneys, and Net-a-Porter might be places to start.
Pictured: Roberto Coin, 18k White & Rose Gold Fantasia Pave Diamonds Crossover Bangle, 27.47 TCW, available at Neiman Marcus for $110,000.
Of course, before wearing any Very Expensive jewelry to work: know your office. It's probably in poor taste to wear your $100K necklace while visiting your pro bono client; we've also talked about being judged for wearing too big of an engagement ring, as well as getting sexist comments regarding your shopping habits.
Readers, what has your jewelry buying progression looked like? Which brands have you bought when you started out; which brands are you drooling over for when you win the lottery?
Jewlerery is fun, but soooo expensive if you want the good stuff, which mean’s Harry Winson, not CVS, which I think is where Alan got me something very cheep. I have some jewels my Mom gave me which I wear to court, and hope to get a nice Brooch from Grandma Leyeh. Overall it is my policy NOT to overdue it with jewel’s b/c the manageing partner want’s men to focus on ME, not my clotheing (includeing jewels). When I wear a necklace, men stare at my boobie’s, and that is NOT where they should be stareing. I also do NOT wear any kind of religius stuff b/c I realy am NOT religus, and would NOT advertise it if I were. In college men wore big gold chains on their hairy chest’s and I thought that was gross. I figure they NEVER showered b/c the gold was tarnished. FOOEY on that!
Has anyone had any experience with Gemvara? I’ve been looking at them for some birthstone jewelry and their prices appear reasonable for semi-custom. Would love to hear any thoughts about quality, etc.
I just bought a birthday present to me from Gemvara. Am happy with the purchase, though its only been a month. I will have to send it back to get resized (my own issue with the sizing, not theirs).
I just bought a ring from GV, their more “affordable” customizable jewelry. I’m supposed to receive it today, but I’ve received multiple personal emails from Gemvara employees, explaining the process to me and generally being extremely helpful. If the ring looks good, I’ll be very happy with the process.
As far as Etsy recommendations – I’ve gotten some good quality, versatile, interesting-yet-not-overwhelming earrings from ILoveMyDogJewelry. She ships quickly, too. IDK about the dog reference in her store name – it’s not a dog themed site at all.
I’m interested in others’ recommendations for Etsy jewelry too!
It’s dog themed in that she donates a portion of her profits to non-profit animal rescue groups. Always a plus. (What portion, I’ve no idea, but still…)
Ooh. Good timing on this post. I’ve been wanting to update my jewelry from my J. Crew stuff (in the past week, I’ve had two J. Crew pieces break on me). I’ve been browsing the independent designers on bigger websites to get a start — Anthrpologie and Free People both feature some nice designers. Then I go directly to their websites or Etsy sites.
I don’t wear tons of jewelry, but what I do wear comes from buckets 2-4. I have a handful of silver or silver w/gemstone necklaces I like, plus a few pairs of similar earrings. Sources include etsy, Tiffany, department stores, artisan boutiques, and crafts fairs. I also have a double strand seed pearl choker, which was a gift and I have no idea which bucket it falls into. I dislike how gold looks on me, so I’ll always be a cheap date where that’s concerned.
Jewelry is so personal and taste is so specific that I would expect that most women do not hit all the buckets on this one. I’ve never liked bucket 1, and I’m not that interested in 5 and 6. Interested to see if others have similar feelings.
My now-retired parents owned a small jewelry store when I was growing up, and it is amazing the price difference we were able to offer for better quality pieces that the department stores and the other “big box” jewelry stores.
We carried all the classic basic jewelry as well as more trendy items, though we didn’t carry the latest brand-name jewelry craze, like the Pandora bracelets. Since our overhead was lower, we could offer the same gold wholesaler’s merchandise at a lower price than these other stores, and we were able to accommodate more special orders and custom designs.
Definitely look into your local family jewelry stores for good prices, sound knowledge of materials and repairs, and efficient service. We could do repairs on-premise within a few days (not weeks) and replaced watch batteries while customers waited.
And for family-owned businesses that have been around a number of years, there is little risk of them lying to you about merchandise. My dad always told people who were afraid we’d swap their stones: we have four showcases worth of diamond jewelry, so why would I risk my reputation on trying to replace yours with a fake?
This was my thought – that the list was very brand-focused but unless you really love a particular designer and are willing to pay the premium for that, it doesn’t make any sense to buy at a name-brand jeweler. A princess-cut solitaire or a string of pearls is going to look the same (assuming it’s the same quality materials) whether you bought it at the local jeweler’s or at Tiffany’s. I never understood the Tiffany thing.
I wear very little jewelry because I’m allergic to everything that’s cheaper, and things that are more expensive seem to have such a high entry point when I’m not sure if I even like wearing jewelry. Maybe if I had gotten used to accessorizing with cheaper necklaces so I would know what I like, but it’s hard dropping $200+ on something, when I’m not even sure I’ll get any use out of it.
I’m allergic to nickel and reactive to copper, so most of my jewelry is sterling silver (or brass which I’m not reactive to for some reason), but I’ve gotten most of it in the $50-$100 price point by buying from small indie shops–Etsy, but also at craft fairs and street booths. Right now I’m wearing a gorgeous double-infinity sterling silver ring that cost $25 from a guy at SF Embarcadero who only made 2 styles in multiple materials / price points, as well as a beadwoven double helix necklace that was also $25 from Ten Thousand Villages and always gets complimented for its uniqueness.
I don’t wear a lot of jewelry. Most of what I’ve bought is bucket 1 or 2. I’m lucky enough to have some awesome pieces that my friend made for me. She sells her stuff at a few shops including Catbird and Fiat Luxe as well as on her own. Her shop is called Claire Kinder Studio. She uses real materials and has some unique but subtle pieces. I’d recommend her even if she wasn’t my friend.
Her shop is clairekinderstudio.com
Ooooh, yes, she has some very pretty rings.
I am only in bucket 1 for jewelry. Never more than $50 – I usually buy on sale at J Crew or Banana. I only wear necklaces and don’t care about the quality at all.
I do have ‘real’ engagement and wedding rings – those were pretty expensive and I love them, but would never spend that much on stuff I don’t wear every day.
Same here, I only wear necklaces and have lots of pretty ones that were not expensive. I have my grandma’s pearls but I never wear them.
I am in bucket #1 unless my sugar daddy wants to give me something (kidding). I’ve inherited some nice diamond rings but as far as necklaces I wear $18 pieces from Cost Plus, which has a lot of stuff that works as “statement” necklaces plus things on super sale at department stores. Plus I have some necklaces that I’ve designed and made myself at a fraction of the cost.
For another option that could be somewhere in the 2,3,4 range – some jewelry stores have a section of estate/antique/vintage jewelry that can be just as pretty but not as pricey. They aren’t always as obviously on display – my local jewelry shop usually only has one display case setup of the items they’ve bought at estate sales, but if you ask they will bring out more from the back room, especially if you are looking for something specific like earrings or a pendant for a necklace, etc.
Another local shop in our area offers what they refer to as “vintage” jewelry, which is items they have purchased at estate sales and the like but that is less than 100 years old (they also have over 100 year old items, but those usually contain actual gemstones and are out of my price range) and I’ve picked up some really beautiful earrings and necklaces out of the vintage section in the range of $20 to $50. Again, sometimes what is on display is only a small subset of what they have available, and if you ask they will bring out another tray of earrings/rings etc.
Yes, my local small town jewelry shop when I was in high school had a lot of estate jewelry and it was significantly less expensive than buying fine jewelry new. My first ruby ring was a piece of estate jewelry, set in 14k gold with tiny diamond chips on the side of the ruby center stone. My parents bought it for me as a Christmas present in high school, and it was my dad who encouraged me to look at the estate jewelry to find something nicer in the price range my parents were looking to stay in.
Some Etsy recommendations – all fantastic experiences and I’ve really enjoyed the pieces I ordered:
https://www.etsy.com/shop/ShibusaStudio
https://www.etsy.com/shop/NeryaJewelry
I also wear locally made jewelry in the $50-100 range that shows up in independent shops where I live, and have amassed a collection of “real” but not extravagant pieces over many years.
I have achieved in my jewelry collection what I hope to aspire to in the rest of my wardrobe: just a few pieces, all real, all I intend to have and use forever (so buckets 4 and 5 except for the charm bracelets).
Two pairs of earrings
Some silver and white gold bangles
Charm bracelets (not the Pandora kind: old school)
1920s ring that was my engagement ring
2 pearl necklaces
Sorority pin for old time’s sake
I’d love to have some South Sea Pearls one day, but anything more than this wouldn’t get worn.
This is timely – I’m actually looking for a Step 3 version of a Step 1 necklace I wear basically every day. It’s two layered pave pendants, and it still looks ok, but the “gold” is completely worn off the back and chain. I’m not necessarily looking for diamond, but real gold at the least. I found a very similar single pave pendant, below, but it’s firmly in the “yearly bonus” realm for me, and thus out of my price range. Any other ideas for better quality than what I have, but not outrageously expensive alternatives?
http://www1.bloomingdales.com/shop/product/kc-designs-diamond-pave-disc-pendant-necklace-in-14k-yellow-gold-17.5?ID=1075927&pla_country=US&cm_mmc=Google-PLA-ADC-_-GS-Fine%20Jewelry-_-Kc%20Designs-_-849531006217USA&CAWELAID=120156070000161350&CAGPSPN=pla&catargetid=120156070000362719&cadevice=c
Ross-Simons has some nice pieces for under $500 usually. This is similar perhaps http://www.ross-simons.com/products/833884.html I only wear yellow or rose gold and have a hard time finding inexpensive pieces. I do love Roberto Coin though.
I have stuff in all of these buckets and I mix and match it everyday. I love wearing high and low end mixed together.
This! Most of my “fine jewelry” was bought by my mom, who still buys me jewelry for Christmas, as well as on her travels. One of my favorite pairs of earrings are fun, dangly sterling silver earrings that she bought in Morocco. I tend to buy Step 1 or Step 3. I occasionally buy Step 2, mostly consignment, etc, but in general I don’t feel like it’s a good value for me when I can spend a little more and get something “real.”
i love that. I have all of my mom’s jewelry — I try to wear a piece everyday, as it reminds me of her. I also have a number of Tiffany and David Yurman pieces that my husband has given me and lots and lots of pearls — strands of all different lengths and sizes (and quality!) And I have a number of j crew/baubble bar/kate spade/alexis bittar that I have purchased myself (and a handful of things from H&M). I love layering necklaces and bracelets. jewelry is just so much fun and can totally change an outfit.
As a Moroccan, it is impossible not to have jewelry. This is not a social class thing. Even the lowest income women would have a standing account with a jeweler and pay off their pieces a little every month.
I am considered an exception for having bucket 1 jewelry. But I recently received a gold necklace with a khmissa (hand) from work and have been wearing it all the time.
This got me thinking it’s about time I do like my compatriots and buy some jewelry. I do not like silver because gold looks amazing on my skintone so I would probably wait and buy all gold.
My wishlist has:
Gold bracelet
Emerald in Gold earrings
Emerald ring and onyx ring set in gold
Emerald in gold earrings is on my wishlist, too.
On a daily basis everything I wear is Bucket 3, with a few Bucket 4 pieces that are actually inherited jewelry mixed in (i.e., one specific garnet dinner ring from my great-gran). I never really change up or alternate the jewelry I wear daily (my watch, bracelets and rings). I almost never wear earrings at all. But my necklaces are all Bucket 1 – mostly jcrew or jcrew knockoffs from ebay and some pieces from F21. If the large necklace trend is over though -and signs point to yes – I may invest a little more in necklaces. I just couldn’t see paying for an expensive piece of clearly costume necklaces in bright colors.
It is funny. In these “buckets”, I am allways in the cheaper ones.
But I do not see the appeal in jewelry that is not real gold or silver.
I only wear gold jewelry, things I have inherited or gotten second hand.
I often admire, when somebody wear a piece of great statement jewelry, but I do not feel like buying it myself
On a related note, does anyone use etsy to find jewelry? It can be so overwhelming there, I can never tell what’s actually handmade, or what shops are good, because there seems to be a lot of crap to filter through.
any suggestions for great Etsy jewelry stores?
I find Etsy completely overwhelming unless I have specific things like shape/metal/stone I’m searching for. Even then it can be overwhelming.
I’m surprised no one said it earlier, but Gewgaws & Gimcracks on etsy is wonderful. The artist goes by “Kayne East” around these parts, and I think she wrote one of the guest articles mentioned above. I got a freshwater pearl necklace from her etsy shop recently and adore it.
https://www.etsy.com/shop/gewgaws
Cosign – Kanye’s shop is the best! I love everything I got from her, and some of it is going strong years later!
Watches are a big deal in my profession. About 90% of my colleagues are male, and they don’t really have other jewellry, to “show status”, or whatever. So, crazy expensive watches it is!
About a year ago, I decided I wanted a watch so that I could check the time in meetings. There are ways to subtly do this, which there are not if you are checking your cell phone!
I did not want to spent upwards of $5000 on a watch. I looked at Skagen and Fossil, but ultimately decided on a Raymond Weil. I loooooove it. It was $1500, and probably 10 times as much as I have ever spent on a watch before, but also not so much that I felt guilty about spending that much on myself.
The rest of my jewelry (other than engagement ring) is in the $100-300 range (earrings and necklaces) and I have a pair of diamond studs my husband bought me one year for my birthday/Mother’s Day when I was pregnant with our first child.
This post is timely for me as well, as I am thinking I might buy myself one “nice” piece of jewellry a year, but not sure what to buy next……
Re Raymond Weil, that is good to hear. My mom wants to buy me a nice watch for a recent milestone birthday, and so far Raymond Weil is the only one that has one I like, but I wasn’t familiar with the brand (all the other nicer brands just look so big! No one seems to make small-faced watches any more. I don’t want a watch that looks like a not-that-much smaller version of a man’s watch.) If anyone else has suggestions for something else in the $1-2,500 range with a small face that has actual numbers or at least lines for the hours (as opposed to just a dot for the 12 and no other markings), let me know.
I second Raymond Weil, I’ve had mine for 15 years and wear it everyday. I bought it in Paris for $300 and it’s been in the shop a couple of times for batteries. The gold still looks good after all these years and it has a nice classic design.
My sister-in-law has amazing taste and she gave me a Raymond Weil watch. It’s lovely.
I have a classic tiffany watch that is in this price range. I’ve had it for about 8 years and it still looks classic, IMO.
I had good wear with my Raymond Weil. You might also want to look at Omega. They have several sizes for faces in ladies watches.
My Raymond Weil has a tiny diamond to mark each hour, except for 12 and 6, which have roman numerals. I’ll link below. It was $1500, but that was Canadian and included tax so it’s likely within (the high end of) your price range.
https://www.raymond-weil.com/en/ladies-watches/watch-finder/noemia/noemia-5127-st-00985/
My Dad just bought my mum a Longines La Grande which is within your price range and gorgeous.
Funny I remember my Wall Street clients awhile back telling me “bare is the new Patek” but that was when they were also saying “flat is the new up” so I’m thinking it was just sour grapes and now things are good again, Patek is still Patek.
Suzy: I get a lot of wear out of Pomellato pieces, especially Nudo. They are modern, well sized for work and set with interesting colors.
Oh, and while we are on the topic of jewelry – someone a while back mentioned that they had 3 pairs of identical cubic zirconia earrings, so that they didn’t cry when they lost a single one.
This seems like a great idea for me, since I am not great about keeping track of my earrings and I’d like something sparkly but not high risk if I lose it. Any suggestions where to look? All the CZ I’ve seen recently has seemed huge or is set in a really cheap setting – I want something that looks like small, tasteful studs but aren’t actually diamond. My ears are tiny and I don’t wear much jewelry, so I’m pretty sure I want small-ish but Im not sure how small.
Have you seen these? They have different sizes too. I’m looking at getting these (maybe a touch bigger) soon, and I’ve heard good things about the quality of the setting
http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/nordstrom-round-0-50ct-cubic-zirconia-earrings/3005183?origin=keywordsearch-personalizedsort&contextualcategoryid=0&fashionColor=Sterling+Platinum&resultback=1720
I’ll have to measure the earrings I have at home, but that looks pretty darn close to perfect, thanks!
I think Nordstrom makes the BEST cz jewelry out there. Nice designs and countless people have thought they were real.
I bought some cz studs with screw backs from a shop on etsy. I’ve been wearing them daily, and sleeping in them, for 2 years and they are great. Haven’t lost one yet!
https://www.etsy.com/listing/73681093/20ct-65mm-round-brilliant-cut-russian?ref=shop_home_feat_1
This whole post seems kind of misguided and influenced by consumerist preconceptions. If you want quality stuff you should generally avoid traditional retail. You want artisans, gemologists and independent jewelers. Make sure both metals and stones are ethically sourced or recycled. Certain stones are best set certain ways depending on their chemical properties and an expert will know that. Even pearls should be hand knotted on silk, not strung on nylon like most mass retailers. I wear primarily silver, some white gold too with semi precious and precious stones.
I think that would require a much more complicated post.
I agree, but getting started with finding artisans/independent jewelers can be so overwhelming. Any tips on where to start?
Personally I hung around my local bead shop and jewlery supply and learned everything about all the stones. The owners were really familiar with local artisans who did great work, they even displayed local pieces. From there I just googled a lot. I think Israeli silver and workmanship is fantastic. On etsy look for both where a jeweler is located and their philosophy on jewelry.
I think it can help to find small shops that carry a number of independent jewelers’ pieces. It helps to look at a sort of curated selection and then you can find an artist who fits your style and follow them from there.
I mentioned a couple above, but shops like Catbird and Clay Pot (both in Brooklyn) or Fiat Lux (in San Francisco) come to mind as stores that carry a variety of jewelers pieces. I think they all sell online too if you aren’t in those areas.
I’ve happened upon a lot of great jewelers in my blogging wanderings. Here’s a favorite: http://www.katuradesign.com/. I love her pearl work. Just gorgeous. BTW, no commercial relationship.
Ok so no coffee break today? Anyone else see this Candace Bergen “I’m not fat” thing? Well, no, of course she’s not fat, she’s aging! And the fact that this is news?? She put on 30 pounds in 15 years. I put on 30 in the past 3 because of assorted reasons of my own, but jeez why can’t we let women age?!!! Fooey to it all. I mean really. Ugh.
Aging and being fat are not mutually exclusive states. The fact that she is fat is just that – a fact. This fact has literally nothing to do with the “why can’t we let women age” sentiment.
I love Monica Vinader.
This is so pretty: http://www.monicavinader.com/us/diva-mini-circle-open-ring/gold-vermeil-diva-mini-circle-open-ring-diamond
Aside from a Step 5 Rado engagement watch, I’m firmly in Step 2 camp. Jewelry is just so easy to lose that it doesn’t make sense for me to spend more than $100 on a pair of earrings. I have several Step 2 items that look like “fine jewelry” but cost a fraction of the price. Alexis Bittar tends to be a good source for pieces that look more expensive than they are. I only care about what jewelry looks like — I could care less about its actual pedigree (i.e., if it looks like a diamond, then I don’t care whether it’s actually a diamond, and I would rather pay less than more). The Step 3 items I do have come from a shop on Wisconsin Ave in DC called The Phoenix that has a great selection of pieces by independent jewelers ranging from $75 to >$1000. I’ve always been able to find a great selection under $150. In my mind, if I’m going to pay $ for jewelry, it should have some visual interest to it, not like something I picked up at the mall.
Does anyone here have super-sensitive ears? Even 24k gold pieces and “nickel-free” posts make my ears red and itchy within an hour; however, I do like the look of earrings. If anyone has the same problem and has found a solution, please share your tips.
perhaps not the most helpful, but i have the same problem and my solution was to just wear a fabulous gold stud earring set 24/7.
I have the same problem with earrings, which is why I don’t wear them often.
Emily, what type of gold? I’m worried that if I were to buy expensive gold earrings and not be able to wear them, I’d be out the money. I’m so sensitive that I think even 18 carat gold wouldn’t work.
I love jewelry! For me, finding/selecting pieces has never been a problem, and I generally stay in Step 3, but only buy reasonably priced pieces. I try to make mindful decisions by playing a little game: the total purchase price of the item equals the number of days I have to wear it. So a $200 necklace means I’d need to wear it 200 times before it’s “paid off” in my mind. This helps me keep my habit in check and forces me to think very carefully about what I want to buy (especially if I’m eyeing a new pair of earrings but I know I have another pair that I haven’t “paid off” yet). I get most of my pieces on e bay and try to buy secondhand whenever possible. My best score so far was a brand new, $900 Michele watch for $130, which is less that what I paid for old my boyfriend-style Michael Kors.
I do this too with all clothes. I actually have a spreadsheet in which I keep track of how many times I’ve worn my pricey items. It takes a lot longer than one would think for items to “pay off” by this definition. For example, your $200 necklace you’d have to wear every day for almost 7 months to pay off. It generally dissuades me from buying expensive things I know I won’t wear just about all the time.
I am sorry if this can’t be posted here- but I need some advice before tomorrow morning. I am in the interview process for a job which I like, but is not something that I would def go to. I have no idea what the salary would be because the range was so wide. They called and want to contact my current supervisor. I would really prefer that this not happen for a variety of reasons although Im sure my supervisor would give me a good review. Can I say no or does that automatically kick me out of the process? I’d like to get the job offer and consider it before they contact my supervisor. My understanding from my other references is that its down to the final two.
Absolutely you can say you do not want your current manager notified. You can say, “I am very interested in this opportunity, but I need to learn more about the compensation package and job duties. Contacting my manager would affect my current position.”
Although I’m open to spending more on jewelry, I haven’t found much that I love more than what I already wear (for work, typically silver swirl studs from Blue Nile and a simple silver Citizen Eco-Drive watch or a sculptural silver bangle or cuff). Most of my occasion / weekend jewelry is CZ and rhodium (which only looks pricey) or from artisan jewelers, and I’ve found a handful of great statement pieces from Ann Taylor and BR over the years. I’ve given away many inexpensive pieces to keep only my favorites, so an investment purchase would need to clear a pretty high bar. One of these days!
How do you feel about things like university rings?
I wear the Iron Ring (I’m an Engineer in Canada). It’s a stainless steel faceted band on the pinky finger of the dominant hand. My engagement ring and wedding band are a mixture of white and rose gold. I much prefer gold on my skintone, but the Iron Ring only comes in one colour, so we had to be creative. Altogether they look nice, but I couldn’t wear another ring without looking flashy.
I wasn’t familiar with the Iron Ring concept so I had to look it up–how cool! I think university rings are definitely appropriate. However, most of the designs for my school/others that I’ve seen just don’t really appeal to me (they seem very masculine and flashy) but I would never be anything but supportive for someone who wanted to show off their school pride.
That support of school spirit is not very Veronica Mars-like! :)
Demoiselle is great for Swarovski pearl jewelry. They have ready to order items on Etsy and handle custom work for individuals and bridal parties through their independent website. I’d bucket them between Steps 2 & 3 – less expensive than 3, but better quality than a lot of 2.
I like them because they carry multiple work appropriate options (I’m in finance) and fun weekend/night out styles in a wide range of colors. I buy from this shop when I want to change up my style with nicer quality materials but without spending a lot on multiple sets of real pearls. My classic single strand set is real – all other pearl jewelry comes from this shop. I included the links if anyone wants to browse during lunch :-)
http://www.demoisellejewels.com/
Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/demoiselledesigns
Firmly in Bucket 1/2 probably 4lyfe (unless things change a LOT) because I am She Who Breaks And Loses Everything. No matter how careful I am *sigh*
I have found that a nice pair of diamond studs (in the $1500 range), a nice pair of pearl earrings ($500 range), and a decent watch ($1000 range) go really really far and are really versatile. Minimal investment. My next step is to upgrade my watch, and to get a string of pearls, but both of those are quite expensive endeavors.
The best prices for gold jewelry I’ve found per ounce is at Walmart. They still carry some 14kt., but they seem to be transitioning to 10kt. I have a pair of cubic zirconia and 14kt. gold studs that only cost about $30. I also have two pairs of small gold hoops. One pair is shiny, the other is matte with a wheat pattern, both 14kt. I think they were around $50 per pair. I also bought a simple 14kt. rope braid, hollow, for about $150 on clearance. The other necklace I wear is a 14kt. tri-gold pendant that says “I love you” that my boyfriend’s mom gave me that was hers and I bought a thin chain for it for maybe $20. You get about twice the amount of gold for your money if you buy it at Walmart. Its usually made in places like Turkey though, so you’re not getting Italian gold. I think its good starting point though. I also have a goldtone necklace that I wear that I bought from Avon which has a key for each of my children on it and their simulated birthstone at the top. I wish I could find the same style in real gold. I like to wear it because I feel successful having raised five children and I feel its empowering to carry feminine success also and not just focus on adapting to a male centric environment.