What to look for in a piece of jewelry

You've shopped for jewelry before and you know that two rings that look almost identical can vary in cost by a HUGE amount.  Why is that?  And what makes one piece worth more than another if they look so much alike?  Read on to find out!

First and foremost, just like when you're buying anything else, when you're buying jewelry two things are true:
you get what you pay for

And if it seems too good to be true, it probably is.

Quality of the stones

If you haven't done so yet, read through the sections on the various gemstones on this website to get a better idea for what's important in a stone.  Visible inclusions in a diamond are a completely different matter than visible inclusions in an emerald.  There are half-carat diamond tennis bracelets for $99, and maybe that's really all you want to spend, but don't be shocked to find the diamonds look like they have ground pepper in them!  One of the easiest ways for manufacturers to keep the costs down on a piece of jewelry is to reduce the quality of the stones, because most people simply don't know what they're looking at.  Remember that MOST of the value in a piece comes from the stones, so get the best ones you can afford.

The gold

There's a couple of ways manufacturers keep their costs down when it comes to the settings.

One, they gold plate instead of solid gold.

Two, they use 14K instead of 18K or even 22K.

Three, they hollow out the backs of larger settings to save on the amount of gold.

None of these things are bad, and they can save you some money, you just need to know what you're getting, and if you're comparing two pieces to recognize why there may be a difference in price.

Plating is fine, and if it does wear down a bit over the years you can take your piece to a jeweler and it can be replated without unsetting the stones.

24K, or pure gold, is too soft for jewelry.  22K, if alloyed with the proper hardening metals, can be fine for jewelry use, but many people find the extra deep yellow color too intense.

18K (sometimes referred to as .750) is a lighter yellow color and is commonly used in better-quality pieces.

14K is 58% gold and looks slightly lighter again. 

In other countries you will find 10K gold (popular in Canada) and 9K gold (typical jewelry in England is 9K).  9K cannot be sold as gold in the US because it is only 37% gold, with the rest being alloys.

The Settings

Workmanship is everything in something as fine and delicate as a piece of jewelry.  Check to see that pieces are finished nicely inside and out, front and back.  Run your fingers over the piece.  A good tip for buying tennis bracelets: gently pull the bracelet through your fingers...you'll be able to feel of there are any little burrs that will catch on your clothing.

So what does ‘good' look like?

If you want to do your fingers a favor, pick up a piece of Kabana jewelry.  As soon as you touch it you'll know what a great piece of jewelry should feel like.  Feel the heft of it: that's what solid 18K gold feels like.  Draw one of their bracelets across your fingers and you will feel silky smoothness like no other manufacturer can produce.  Look at the finish, not just on the outside, but on the back and in behind, where no-one but you will ever look.  It will be impeccably finished to every edge, every corner, every curve.