Gold Jewelry

[willowtree99]

One thing I've noticed over the last few decades is fewer women wearing gold jewelry.

Im not talking high fashion, celebs and catwalk, but ordinary people.

All the women I knew of my granny's age always wore chunky wedding rings, engagement and other dress rings as well as solid earrings, young women would have gold necklaces and earring as gifts for special birthdays.

Now the fashion for wedding rings is slim, you rarely see women in public wearing gold.

Is it a trend thing, that gold is old fashioned/crass, a safety thing where women are worried about wearing valuables in public, a finances thing that gold is more expensive now and money is tighter?

Or am I just in different circles and gold is as popular as ever?

Yabu - gold is as popular as ever
Yanbu - I've noticed this too.

With silver, I find it only tarnishes if you don't wear it. I wear a silver bracelet all the time - never take it off, and it doesn't seem to tarnish. Things I wear less often do tarnish, but it's straightforward to clean them with silver cleaner.

Yellow gold is back in fashion with Gen Z. Seems to be mostly mid-range gold vermeil jewellery, like Missoma. Will be interesting to see if they choose yellow gold for their wedding rings when they hit that stage of life.

I'm 31 and have always chosen gold ever since I started wearing jewellery

I don’t like gold or platinum, only like and wear silver. Have no issues with tarnishing. Not sure what I’m going to do with the gold jewellery I’ve inherited as my daughter in her 20s doesn’t like gold either and also only likes silver.Will keep it all as one day further down the line somebody in the family may like it.

It’s funny, nearly everyone I know wears and prefers gold! I wear a lot of gold vermeil from places like Monica Vinader and Astley Clarke - I’d have real gold if I could afford it!

In your opinion.

I find a white gold or platinum solitaire diamond engagement ring quite common (and more than a little unimaginative), but that’s only my opinion. Doesn’t mean I’m right. Plenty of people wouldn’t like my wedding ring (white gold, half eternity), or my engagement ring (my grandmother’s gold engagement ring with diamonds), or the fact I mix metals.

White gold does tarnish. White gold is made up of an alloy of gold with nickel , palladium and other metals. It is often plated with rhodium or platinum which gives it a shiny look, over time the shininess dulls and your piece of jewellery will need replated to give it back the shine. It’s amazing the difference it makes.

I work in jewellers pre children and we often replated white gold rings with rhodium .

I like the look of gold but I find it quite irritating, not always but gold jewellery is much more likely to cause an eczema flare up. I’m safe with silver, platinum, stainless steel etc.

That’s interesting, as anything other than solid gold (I mostly wear 18c but can get away with 9c) causes me to break out horribly, my skin feels like it’s on fire and the itching and even cracking of the skin is unbearable. Which suits me, as my preference is gold.

I wear a solid yellow gold golf bangle, my 18c engagement solitaire (the diamond is set in platinum), wedding, eternity and anniversary rings as a stack (on my right hand as I am widowed), my late husband’s wedding ring (gold) on my left thumb, a thin gold chain with tiny pendant, and several tiny gold earrings in each ear. It sounds like a lot, but it’s not really.

I think it’s probably partly trends, and partly finances. I worked out recently (for insurance purposes), that the purchase value of the jewellery I wear daily is in the region of $15-16k (I’m in Aus, so about £7-8k gbp), and was shocked! But I was married for 21yrs (I’m mid 40s) so other than the bangle which I bought myself after my husband passed ($6k), the rest were all gifts over that time. I have no idea what the resale value would be .

And as far as the tacky argument goes - cheap bendy or costume gold can look naff, but classic gold I think will always look classy and elegant if worn well.

I think it’s probably partly trends, and partly finances. I worked out recently (for insurance purposes), that the purchase value of the jewellery I wear daily is in the region of $15-16k (I’m in Aus, so about £7-8k gbp), and was shocked! But I was married for 21yrs (I’m mid 40s) so other than the bangle which I bought myself after my husband passed ($6k), the rest were all gifts over that time. I have no idea what the resale value would be .

Sadly jewellery is like cars. Once you've bought it, it loses value immediately. Most pieces like rings and bangles go for little over scrap value. There are exceptions of course for the famous names but they are a rarity. You may get a little more if the jeweller thinks the piece has commercial appeal and they plan to resell it but generally it's based on the scales.

Hmm... I have observed that gold jewellery is very popular amongst millenials and gen z.

The Royal Family would be surprised to hear this. The women all have yellow gold wedding bands.

I think some people who suggest that yellow gold is “chavvy” might be more familiar with the “gold” sovereign rings, the type which Jim Royle paid ‘20 notes’ for from Twiggy for Anthony’s 18th, than the classic gold worn for generations by the Royal family, and such!

Yes, you’re probably right. I’m hoping to never be in a position to have to sell my jewellery to get by (never say never, mind), and intend on having to have my rings cracked off of my cold, dead, arthritic fingers. Thankfully it’s all insured, and the insurance value is always higher than the purchase price, so at least if I was ever a victim of theft or robbery, I would be heartbroken owing to the sentimentality but would be financially compensated.

Hmm I'd say the opposite. Gold says old money, silver metals say nouveau to me.

I love gold, my eternity, wedding and engagement ring are all solid gold. I also have many pieces of jewellery passed down from elderly relatives in gold. It’s classic.

Sure. But less is more! I think it can definitely be overdone!

I have auburn hair (fading now due to my ancient years 🤣) green eyes and pale skin. Think Rula Lenska 🤷‍♀️

My sister has your colouring (except she has brown/hazel eyes), and yellow gold jewellery looks really beautiful on her, much nicer than silver coloured metals.

Actually, because I’m now thinking so much about gold (adhd hyper focussing 😂), I’ve realised that my anniversary ring actually has some rose gold in it, which means that my original statement that anything other than solid yellow gold causes me a terrible skin reaction wasn’t strictly true! Although that part of the ring doesn’t sit completely flush with my skin so that may be why.

Essentially it’s horses for courses, but I do think that yellow gold has a more timeless and classic look than white coloured metals, and if worn well looks more expensive. Especially when it has diamonds or good quality precious stones. I don’t think it’ll ever go out of “fashion” for people who enjoy really good quality jewellery. But it really does come down to personal preference and style, as well as obviously, affordability.

When I was in my teens I’d wear any old shite that I thought looked ‘cool’ in my ears or on my fingers, and to hell with the green lobes, fingers and raging eczema! 😂

Gold is more in fashion over the last couple of years than it has been for a long time.but more finer pieces small watches etc not the chunky gold

gold necklaces seem quite popular amongst my friends, Im in my 40s.

I’ve asked for one for Christmas actually.

In your opinion.

Id say classic yellow gold is timeless and beautiful 🤷‍♀️

I should hide this thread… I’ve been googling gold jewellery in between reading and commenting, and I’m now itching to buy another piece - but my current financial commitments are screaming at me not to! 😂 But Christmas is just around the corner (and I’m not expecting any gold coloured presents unless you maybe include some Ferrero Rocher!)

Yellow gold is not tacky or chavvy.

It's nouveau riche to think so, I'm afraid.

Antique gold jewellery is typically yellow gold. I have a beautiful Edwardian engagement ring and a vintage wedding band.

All the vair posh, old money women I know have gold wedding rings (although some of their other jewellery might be silver). Usually heirlooms.

Personally I think platinum and white gold is a bit naff. May as well wear silver.