To distinguish Fine Jewellery from Costume Jewellery can be hard sometimes. So how exactly can you tell one apart from the other? Is it brand related, the price or the materials? We prepared a small guide for you, to make the right decision when searching for the perfect jewel.

Fine Jewellery

It all comes down to the quality of the metal that is used in the jewellery. Fine Jewellery is constructed of gold, sterling silver or platinum. When the yellow or white gold is at least 10 karats or higher, then it can be classified as Fine Jewellery. These jewels are the ones that are often considered an investment. You can pass them down to family members, as they can last for generations.

Another category are stones, pearls and diamonds. Stones are considered Fine Jewellery when they are natural and possess all the visual, physical and chemical properties of mined gemstones.

Likewise, naturally formed pearls are categorized as fine jewellery. If you ever wondered, whether cultured pearls also fall in that category, they do, since they are cultivated in oysters and are therefore natural.

The same applies to diamonds. Many manufactured stones are not characterized as Fine Jewellery, since they are not genuine diamonds. Diamonds consist of pure carbon, whereas synthetic stones are often made of cubic zirconium, glass or quartz. Diamonds that are created in a lab are technically characterized as Fine Jewellery yet they must be identified as lab-created when being sold.

If you are interested in buying Fine Jewellery, you should check out Shipton & Co. They offer a wide range of luxurious and affordable jewellery.

Costume Jewellery

The terms Costume Jewellery and Fashion Jewellery are nowadays used interchangeably but can be defined similarly. It is jewellery that is usually constructed of mass-produced, inexpensive materials. Most of it is constructed with plated metal, where only a thin coat of the expensive metal is applied on another, less expensive metal. Authentic gold, silver or platinum settings that are set with manufactured stones, are also considered costume.

A combination of a natural main stone and manufactured surrounding stones is classified as costume jewellery. The same applies to natural surrounding stones and a manufactured main stone.

In general it is not hard to tell the difference between Fine Jewellery and Costume Jewellery. Fine Jewellery is made of natural stones, pearls or diamonds or it’s constructed of gold, sterling silver or platinum.

Costume Jewellery however is not made of precious metals, natural gemstones, natural pearls or diamonds.