How to Buy Your First Piece of Fine Jewelry
With special occasions like graduation, engagements, and weddings, buying fine jewelry wasn’t something I thought about until my late twenties. More and more, I’m starting to appreciate the beauty of fine jewelry, but buying your first piece can be an overwhelming and emotional experience, especially if you don’t know where to begin. It’s like fine jewelry comes with its own language! So when Vardy’s Jewelers approached me to visit their store, I jumped at the chance knowing I’d have an amazing resource when choosing my first piece of jewelry.
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Lady’s 18 karat white gold diamond leaf earrings | Lady’s 14 karat white gold diamond swirl right hand ring | Lady’s 14 karat rose gold diamond stacking ring | 14 karat rose gold diamond bangle
What do you like to wear?
Before you visit the jewelry store, head to your jewelry box. What pieces do you wear most? Earrings? Bracelets? Think about the type of jewelry that you gravitate to and be practical when it comes to picking the type of jewelry you want to buy so it’s not sitting in your jewelry box.
Lady’s 14 karat white gold diamond and ruby bracelet | Lady’s 14 karat white gold ruby and diamond stacking band | Lady’s 14 karat white gold diamond stacking band
Choose a jeweler you can trust.
You can do all the online research you want, but visiting a jeweler can put your mind at ease when it comes to deciding. Nothing beats touching, feeling, and trying on your first piece of jewelry. At Vardy’s, I immediately felt a connection with this family owned business: they listened to my needs, gave me a tour of the shop (including their workshop in the back), explained all the services they offered, and I even got to learn about the history of their business. Vardy and his children are all certified gemologists and have four decades of experience, so they were able to help me learn about how to choose a quality stone and where the stones were from (they travel to choose the stones themselves!), show me how their custom pieces are made, and give me advice. If I didn’t see anything I liked, I could even design my own custom piece! So when choosing a jeweler, make sure it’s one you can create a relationship with and trust.
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Lady’s 18 karat white gold diamond leaf earrings | Lady’s 14 karat white gold diamond swirl right hand ring | Lady’s 14 karat rose gold diamond stacking ring | 14 karat rose gold diamond bangle
What’s the occasion?
Why do you want to buy your first piece of fine jewelry? Do you need statement earrings for a special event coming up or are you looking for a dainty ring for everyday? Narrowing down where you’re going to wear it will help a ton when you visit the jewelers.
Diamond and emerald drop earrings | Lady’s 14 karat white gold diamond and ruby bracelet
Set your budget.
This is probably what most people think about when choosing fine jewelry. Be mindful of your budget and have a price range in mind. Do research online, know what you can afford and even if your budget is small, keep in mind you can always upgrade in the future. On the flip side, if the piece of fine jewelry is slightly higher than you anticipated, calculate the cost per wear. Fine jewelry is an investment, so make sure you love it and you wear it often.
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Lady’s 18 karat white gold diamond leaf earrings | Lady’s 14 karat white gold diamond swirl right hand ring | Lady’s 14 karat rose gold diamond stacking ring | 14 karat rose gold diamond bangle
Go with your style.
Think about your personal style and how you want it to be reflected in your jewelry. Do you want your jewelry to be more modern, vintage, or classic? How about the metal, do you prefer silver, platinum, or gold? What color stone do you like best? Do you like dainty or statement pieces? Whatever you choose, go with your gut and make sure it’s something you absolutely love.
Lady’s 14 karat white gold diamond swirl right hand ring | Lady’s 14 karat rose gold diamond stacking ring | 14 karat rose gold diamond bangle
For all my Bay Area readers, visit Vardy’s Jewelers in Cupertino the next time you (or your BF!) are in the market for fine jewelry.
Pieces worn, pricing upon request:
- Lady’s 18 karat white gold diamond leaf earrings
- Diamond and Emerald Drop earrings
- Lady’s 14 karat white gold diamond and ruby bracelet
- Lady’s 14 karat white gold ruby and diamond stacking band
- Lady’s 14 karat white gold diamond stacking band
- Lady’s 14 karat white gold diamond swirl Right Hand Ring
- Lady’s 14 karat rose gold diamond stacking ring
- 14 karat rose gold diamond bangle
