November 6, 2020 Neutral Rebel

The One Part of Your Wardrobe Worth Investing In

Some women love handbags, others love shoes. There are certain things in life that people are willing to invest in, but if there’s any part of your closet you’re able to spend good money on, it should be your jewelry.

Inexpensive clothes vary wildly in quality, and even low quality clothing can hold out for a while if you wear it gently and take proper care of it. So, it’s a greater return on investment to buy cheaper clothes because it’s more likely to last longer. But inexpensive jewelry is a totally different story.

Have you ever bought a $5 ring at Claire’s only to have your finger turn green after wearing it for a few days? Typically, jewelry made with metals that aren’t solid gold, gold-filled, or gold-plated will tarnish much faster. So, once you the shine starts fading, it begins to rust, and it discolors your skin, you end up throwing it away and buying another cheap ring to replace it. What a waste!

You might be wondering the difference between solid gold, gold-filled, and gold-plated. Here’s the breakdown:

Solid gold ($$$): Solid gold pieces are made of gold alloyed to a mixture of metals for durability. They contain much more gold than gold-filled and gold-plated pieces. These pieces do not tarnish, but they are the most expensive.
Gold-filled ($$): To make gold-filled pieces, the core metal is placed between two layers of gold alloy, then heated and passed through a roller several times. Gold-filled pieces are generally more durable than gold-plated due to the thicker layer of gold alloy, and it takes special circumstances for this metal to tarnish. These pieces can last a lifetime but require care.
Gold-plated ($): To make gold-plated pieces, an electric current is used to negatively charge the base metal and positively charge a solution containing gold ions. The positive gold ions are attracted to the negative charge of the core metal, slowly forming a layer of gold on top of the core. It would only take one small scratch on a gold-plated piece to expose the jeweler’s brass underneath, but it is the cheapest option.

Gold-plated jewelry is a great option if you prefer to don the latest jewelry trends rather than stick to classics. This allows you to buy the newest trends every season without breaking the bank.

If you’re more of a classics gal like me, then you might lean into gold-filled jewelry. I get into trends now and then, like the currently popular paperclip necklaces (check ours out here). Ultimately, though, I’m creature of habit; I once wore the same gold hoop earrings everyday for, like, 6 months.

For this reason, in recent years, I’ve invested in higher quality jewelry pieces that can last much longer and survive everyday circumstances — and it makes a huge difference! Especially during the coronavirus pandemic, it’s been nice not to have to take off all my rings when I wash my hands or sanitize, which we all know is about 100 times per day.

At Neutral Rebel, we just added some new 14k gold-filled pieces that we’re absolutely loving. Feminine and fashionable, yet still timeless, these items are handcrafted with quality, making them tarnish-resistant and moisture-tolerant.

Check some out below: