Do you love collecting lots and lots of cheap jewellery? Or do you prefer saving for one beautiful luxury item you can cherish forever? Whatever your preference, let’s look at the different standards of jewellery in Australia.
Official jewellery standards
Let’s talk for a moment about the official standards. Although this article is more general in nature, talking about the levels of quality you can expect when buying different types of jewellery, the official standards are also important to understand. In particular, let’s look at carat stamping.
It all starts with gold, being varying levels of purity depending on purity. You see, 24ct gold is considered pure, but this metal is often too soft for use by itself. That’s why it is often mixed with other alloys such as palladium, zinc or copper. The levels are below:
9ct gold – 37.5% pure gold
10ct gold – 41.7% pure gold
14ct gold – 58.5% pure gold
18ct gold – 75% pure gold
However, there are other types of metals that have official standards. These are platinum, palladium and sterling silver. Details are below:
Platinum – 95 or 96% pure platinum
Palladium – 95% pure palladium
Sterling silver – 92.5% pure silver
But what we really want to look at is a general level of accepted standards when buying different types of jewellery.
Cheap jewellery
When you’re shopping for cheap jewellery, you’re usually not too concerned about quality. Items are likely to be gold-plated, rather than actual gold. Silver items will usually tarnish easily and require a lot of upkeep.
Ultimately, if you want cheap jewellery, you get what you pay for. So, whether it’s for a one-off occasion that you don’t want to spend much money on or you simply don’t have a big budget for jewellery. Generally, this is the type of jewellery you’d get from markets or from jewellery retail chains. It won’t last long or look particularly special, but it’s all that many people want.
Mid-range jewellery
You might not have a big budget for luxury jewellery items, but you also don’t want cheap and tacky items. So, mid-range jewellery is often a good compromise. You’ll find some good quality in this range, but not exceptional quality. Jewellery items are generally still affordable but you’ll get more variety and more unique items than when you shop for cheap jewellery.
Luxury jewellery
There is where quality really matters. You can expect a higher price range, but you really do get what you pay for. Firstly, luxury jewellery is made by a master jeweller. So, the quality is already far above what you’d find in chain stores. Most importantly, you get more originality and one-of-a-kind pieces.
Also, the materials used in luxury jewellery are usually of a much higher standard because master jewellers prefer to only work with the best.
Looking for stunning, luxury jewellery in Australia?
Catanach’s Jewellers has over 140 years of experience designing and crafting the ultimate in luxury jewellery. From beautiful diamond pieces to breathtaking sterling silver, we have something for everybody. If you prefer quality over quantity, we’d love to share our range with you. Contact our friendly team today, and you can even book a consultation for custom jewellery.
Different Standards of Jewellery in Australia
Do you love collecting lots and lots of cheap jewellery? Or do you prefer saving for one beautiful luxury item you can cherish forever? Whatever your preference, let’s look at the different standards of jewellery in Australia.
Official jewellery standards
Let’s talk for a moment about the official standards. Although this article is more general in nature, talking about the levels of quality you can expect when buying different types of jewellery, the official standards are also important to understand. In particular, let’s look at carat stamping.
It all starts with gold, being varying levels of purity depending on purity. You see, 24ct gold is considered pure, but this metal is often too soft for use by itself. That’s why it is often mixed with other alloys such as palladium, zinc or copper. The levels are below:
9ct gold – 37.5% pure gold
10ct gold – 41.7% pure gold
14ct gold – 58.5% pure gold
18ct gold – 75% pure gold
However, there are other types of metals that have official standards. These are platinum, palladium and sterling silver. Details are below:
Platinum – 95 or 96% pure platinum
Palladium – 95% pure palladium
Sterling silver – 92.5% pure silver
But what we really want to look at is a general level of accepted standards when buying different types of jewellery.
Cheap jewellery
When you’re shopping for cheap jewellery, you’re usually not too concerned about quality. Items are likely to be gold-plated, rather than actual gold. Silver items will usually tarnish easily and require a lot of upkeep.
Ultimately, if you want cheap jewellery, you get what you pay for. So, whether it’s for a one-off occasion that you don’t want to spend much money on or you simply don’t have a big budget for jewellery. Generally, this is the type of jewellery you’d get from markets or from jewellery retail chains. It won’t last long or look particularly special, but it’s all that many people want.
Mid-range jewellery
You might not have a big budget for luxury jewellery items, but you also don’t want cheap and tacky items. So, mid-range jewellery is often a good compromise. You’ll find some good quality in this range, but not exceptional quality. Jewellery items are generally still affordable but you’ll get more variety and more unique items than when you shop for cheap jewellery.
Luxury jewellery
There is where quality really matters. You can expect a higher price range, but you really do get what you pay for. Firstly, luxury jewellery is made by a master jeweller. So, the quality is already far above what you’d find in chain stores. Most importantly, you get more originality and one-of-a-kind pieces.
Also, the materials used in luxury jewellery are usually of a much higher standard because master jewellers prefer to only work with the best.
Looking for stunning, luxury jewellery in Australia?
Catanach’s Jewellers has over 140 years of experience designing and crafting the ultimate in luxury jewellery. From beautiful diamond pieces to breathtaking sterling silver, we have something for everybody. If you prefer quality over quantity, we’d love to share our range with you. Contact our friendly team today, and you can even book a consultation for custom jewellery.