Wedding handmade
Handmade bridal jewellery sets and bridesmaids accessories makes a lot amount of sense since if you find a good handmade designer then:
• You can specify custom lengths- think how useful this can be for bridesmaid bracelets. And also for necklaces, asking for a necklace to be made to the perfect length to suit the neckline.
• Better quality raw materials are used (compared with the majority of cheap factory goods) to make the jewellery much longer-lasting
• It has the personal touch and you know it’s a limited-edition design, not a mass-market product made in a factory.
Handmade jewellery clearly has its advantages but can you be sure that you’re not getting ripped off or buying jewellery made from low-quality materials or with poor workmanship, especially if you’re looking online?
Here’s a guide on how to spot great quality goods and weed out the rank amateurs from the consummate professionals in the field.
Descriptions
For online goods a good description is vital. Solid professionals give clear, concise descriptions that include the materials used which may include the following:
Metal: precious or non-precious e.g. sterling silver, silver plated, gold including carat purity, gold plated, gold-filled
Gemstones: gemstone name, any special treatments it may have had, whether manmade or not, if a precious stone then more details like clarity and weight/size.
Crystal: whether Swarovski or not, perhaps the names of the exact shades used- you may need this to work out if it will fit in with the colour scheme for the wedding and/or the bridal gown.
Other Materials: there’s so much creativity in this sector that all sorts of materials are used and recycled to make beautiful creations.
Photographs
The description is not complete without at least one very good quality photograph. Ideally the photos will be high resolution enough to let you see the detail in the piece of jewellery. They should not be blurred, of low-resolution or very dark.
Customisation
In my opinion, the best designers will, if possible, allow you to specify small changes to the length. This is particularly useful when buying sets of jewellery for your bridesmaids. It can help a bride out enormously to be able to make little changes here and there e.g. adjust the length of a bracelet a little, use a different colour bead in some earrings or swap the clasp on a necklace. Of course there may well be an additional cost for such services, but compare this to the cost of buying jewellery “off the rack” and then having it adjusted later by a jewellery repair shop.
Workmanship
Here’s what to look out for in a badly-finished piece of jewellery:
Rough edges- sharp, protruding edges or jump rings (hoops of metal) that haven’t been closed properly.
Chewed metal – a “chewed” texture means that the metal may have been overstressed making it more likely to break.
Very thin wire – very thin wire should not be used for simple loops as these are unlikely to be strong enough, especially for bracelets which generally have to withstand more pressure that earrings. Very thin wire is fine to use for wrapped loops.
Feedback and Customer Comments
If you are buying jewellery online then make sure you check out feedback left by customers as this will give you a brutally honest picture of how well the designer scores in terms of product quality and customer service. See if there are any comments left about the particular item you wish to buy.
Returns Policy
Also check that the designer offers a clear returns policy in case you need to send it back.
