Jewelry on Any Budget

Collecting jewelry can be an expensive hobby and there's no doubt about it, but you don't have to be an heiress to amass a collection sure to dazzle. All you need is a little knowledge about buying jewelry and the ability to spot a bargain. Here are a few tips to get you started.

Tip #1

Give CZ a chance. Cubic zirconia  (CZ) and moissanite  might not have quite the same sparkle and fire as a diamond, but they come pretty close.  For necklaces, bracelets or any other indulgence, get yourself some CZ and sparkle away. Even when set in an 18 KT gold setting, most of the cost of the jewelry comes from the metal and not the stones. The necklace to the right, which is CZ and silver,  is only $45 -- can you imagine how much it would be for real diamonds? Just keep in mind that if you don't want to get the real deal in an engagement ring, you should be straightforward with the intended recipient -- she might not be too happy if she finds out by accident.

Tip #2

Silver is sterling! Silver  has been used for jewelry for thousands of years. It is harder than gold, durable, and can be worked into any shape -- from the finest filigree  to chunky hammered cuff  bracelets.  One of the qualities that has made silver popular over the years is that it can take a very high polish; the earliest mirrors were made of gleaming silver! Silver is not as expensive as gold or platinum; it is found in much greater abundance. Some people shy away from silver because it tarnishes easily, and for certain pieces of jewelry this is a valid concern; most people prefer a wedding band that will always shine. However, silver polishes  are easy to find and easy to use. Cleaning your silver once a month will keep it looking its best. Beautiful silver jewelry is also very affordable, especially if you shop from smaller stores; for example, these gorgeous filigree earrings  are only $14.

Tip #3

Discover a rising star! Gemstones are a diverse bunch, but most people are only familiar with a handful -- diamonds, rubies, sapphires, emeralds, and maybe amber or topaz. There are far more gemstones out there, and many of them are even rarer than these popular choices. These "undiscovered" stones don't show up in any great quantity, so they never really gain in popularity. As a result, they're not very expensive. For example, the iolite  in the pendant pictured to the left is not an especially common gemstone, but this necklace sells for only about $50. Other underappreciated gemological beauties include spinel,  tourmaline,  citrine,  agate,  jasper  and tanzanite.  Check out this list from Wikipedia.org for more suggestions!

Tip #4

Find a real synthetic gemstone. A real synthetic gemstone? But aren't all synthetic gemstones just glass or something? Not exactly! Many popular stones, particularly rubies and sapphires, can be created in a lab. These created stones are chemically identical to their naturally occurring counterparts; the only difference is that they grew in a few weeks instead of a few hundred million years.  Look for the label "lab-created"; a stone labeled "synthetic" might not have the chemical composition of the real deal. Sapphires  and rubies  are the most popular created stones, but emeralds  and diamonds  have also been created. Yellow diamonds  in particular are often lab-grown. The ruby and platinum ring  pictured here costs $1400. That's still a lot of money, but for a natural ruby the price would at least triple.

Tip #5

Get fresh. Freshwater, that is. Love the look of pearls but can't afford a triple strand of akoyas?   Freshwater pearls  are the answer! Because of differences between the oysters used for each kind of pearl, freshwater pearls can be cultured in far greater numbers than saltwater pearls like akoyas. This makes them less expensive -- freshwater pearls are only a fraction of the price of saltwater. Although they can be round, many people love the interesting shapes of baroque freshwater pearls. The necklace here, an 18 inch strand of golden baroque pearls,  goes for only $45. An akoya necklace of about the same size would be at least four times as much. The funky shapes of the pearls add an additional level of texture to your outfit, and since no two baroque pearls are alike, every necklace is one-of-a-kind.

External Links

• NYPost.com: An article about synthetic canary diamonds of astonishing size.