How to Buy Jewelry on A Budget

Economy has been tough for a while, and most of us are sticking to some kind of budget. Buying jewelry on a budget doesn't mean you have to settle for cheap, knock-off, and poor quality pieces. Read on for some tips on getting the best bang for the buck when it comes to purchasing new bling.

There are a few rules of thumb when you're shopping for quality jewelry that won't cost you an arm and a leg, but before we jump into those, you have to decide if you're aiming for gold, platinum, and diamonds or if silver and semi-precious gemstones would do. Notice that I didn't mention faux gemstones and base metals such as nickel and brass? That's done on purpose. You'd want your jewelry to last a long time without causing allergies and skin discoloration, and that automatically rules out base metals and imitation gemstones as quality is frequently questionable when it comes to costume jewelry on the market today.

So, let's say you want karat gold and real diamonds. The first rule of thumb is to go with a smaller diamond than what you'd get in different financial circumstances and make sure that you're working with someone who is not constantly trying to upsell you if you're going for a custom design. Also, the lighter the design (the less metal it uses), the lower the price. Last but not least, don't go for very ornate designs that require a lot of time to produce as that would increase the price too. Simplicity is your friend in this situation.

On the other hand, if you decide to go with silver and semi-precious gemstones (such as turquoise, garnet, amethyst, etc.), there are a few things you should be looking for to make sure you actually get what you're hoping to get. Let's talk silver first. You'd want to make sure your piece of bling is made from either sterling silver, fine silver, or Argentium silver to avoid purchasing something that's made either of lesser quality silver or base metal passed as silver (see my blog post about types of silver HERE). As for the gemstones, stay away from anything labeled as assembled, dyed, or imitation. For tips on choosing turquoise, check THIS BLOG POST.

Here at Buckaroo Bling, we specialize in earring designs handcrafted with quality, domestically sourced sterling silver, genuine Kingman turquoise (Arizona mined), and deer leather. We design pieces that last a long time if properly cared for, and we pride ourselves both on the material quality and craftsmanship. So, if silver and turquoise are your jam, give us a try. You won't regret it. Shop through the links below, or visit our website HERE.